Cluster 2

Culture, Creativity & Inclusive Society

About this programme

The challenges of cluster 2 are interconnected to each other and have been chosen because they respond to the most pressing social, political, economic and cultural concerns and expectations of the European citizens.

Cluster 2 will address the EU priorities and will enable decision makers to meet challenges, adopt new paradigms, and policies for change in a context of fast paced transformations, transitions and international interconnectedness.

The Cluster 2 Work Programme will mainly focus on three key challenges or destinations:

  • Destination 1 (Innovative Research on Democracy and Governance): actions under destination 1 will reinvigorate democratic governance and improve trust in democratic institutions. They will help to safeguard fundamental rights to empower active and inclusive citizenship.
  • Destination 2 (Innovative Research on the European Cultural Heritage and the Cultural and Creative Industries): activities under this destination will promote better access and engagement with cultural heritage and improve its protection, enhancement and restoration. Research and innovation will support sustainable growth and job creation through the cultural and creative industries and contribute to integrate them into the European industrial policy as drivers for innovation and competitiveness.
  • Destination 3 (Innovative Research on Social and Economic Transformations): actions in destination 3 will help to tackle social, economic and political inequalities, support human capital development and contribute to a comprehensive European strategy for inclusive growth.

 

Furthermore, cluster 2 will also use the multidisciplinary expertise of social sciences and humanities in order to better understand the fundamental contemporary transformations of society, economy, politics and culture.

Latest news

  • Culture and society

SSH Opportunities document for the 2027 Horizon Europe calls updated

Net4Society, the NCP network for Cluster 2, has published an updated edition of the document "Opportunities for Researchers from the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) in Horizon Europe". This document is designed to help potential applicants to find SSH-related call topics across the different parts of Horizon Europe in Work Programmes...

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  • Culture and society
  • EIT

EIT Culture & Creativity launches New Venture Creation call

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Culture & Creativity has launched the Spark call, providing €1.05 million to help early-stage founders turn creative-tech concepts into scalable businesses. Selected individuals and small teams can receive up to €30,000 and join a nine-month programme offering coaching,...

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  • Culture and society

Call deadline postponed to 24 September 2026

Below you can find some guidance for the IT issues. Please note that the call deadline for the 2026 calls of Horizon Europe Cluster 2 has been postponed from 23 September to 24 September 2026 17:00:00 Brussels time due to IT issues. Do not wait until the deadline with your first submission! If you face IT problems, please make sure to contact the...

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Upcoming events

  • Health
  • Culture and society
  • Digital, Industry & Space
  • Climate, Energy, Mobility
  • Agro-Food, Environment

Horizon Europe proposal workshop

NOV
Fri
13

After the success of the previous editions, NCP Flanders announces the 5th edition of the “Horizon Europe proposal workshop”, organised by Horizon Europe National Contact Points NCP Federal BE, NCP-FNRS, NCP Wallonie & NCP Flanders.The target audience is limited to researchers and staff members of federal or...

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  • Culture and society
  • Enhancing EU R&I

STREAM IT and STEAMbrace event: Advancing gender and diversity inclusive STEAM Education: Insights, Results & the Road Ahead

NOV
Tue
17

STREAM IT and STEAMbrace will come together for a European event dedicated to advancing inclusive STEAM education and exploring the road ahead for gender-responsive learning across Europe. Under the campaign concept #ShapingInclusiveSTEAM, the event will bring together project results, policy dialogue, participatory workshops and future-oriented...

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  • Health
  • Culture and society
  • Climate, Energy, Mobility
  • Agro-Food, Environment
  • Missions

Brokerage Event - Interdisciplinary Pathways towards Green Transition & Resilient Societies

DEC
Tue
01

This online brokerage event is designed for applicants that are preparing Horizon Europe proposals on green transition and climate resilience topics across a wide range of fields, including health, climate and environment, energy, mobility, and cities, where collaboration between social sciences and humanities (SSH) and STEM disciplines is...

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Your NCP contact

Image of Man Hei To

Man Hei To

manhei.to@fwo.be

+32 2 550 15 55

Your PC contact

Contact details on the site of WEWIS

The National Contact Points (NCPs) provide support, guidance, and practical information to potential applicants, helping them navigate funding opportunities and application processes.

The Programme Committee (PC) members represent their country in decision-making about the work programmes, evaluate implementation, and provide strategic input on priorities and calls.

Work programme & calls

We offer a handy Excel file, weekly updated, containing an up-to-date overview of the Horizon Europe calls.

Call topics overview

Partnerships

Partnerships unite the EC and private and/or public partners to work together in a specific domain. They offer often a good ecosystem to find collaborations.

Infosheets

Infosheets contain edited content on aspects related to this programme. They are reviewed at least yearly.

Testimonial

YoPA – Youth-centered participatory action for a healthy lifestyle

The YoPA project, ‘a youth-centred preventive action approach towards co-created implementation of socially and physically activating environmental interventions’ obtained funding from Horizon Europe’s Health Cluster. The project addresses the multifaceted challenges of physical inactivity and health inequalities through a unique participatory approach. The project places teenagers between 12 and 18 years old in vulnerable situations at the forefront of the intervention process. The Institute of Tropical Medicine is a partner in the project and will conduct a Realist Evaluation to understand how youth co-creation contributes to improved adolescent health and well-being in four cities in Denmark, Netherlands, Nigeria and South Africa.  By integrating its results and sharing its approach in an open access Toolbox, ITM aims to contribute to fostering sustainable, youth-led solutions for healthier urban environments.