The European Commission has published the call for proposals for the action “Circulation of European Literary Works” (CREA-CULT-2025-LIT), with a submission deadline of 11 February 2025, at 17:00 (Central European Time). A budget of €5,000,000 has been allocated for this call, with an expected support for 40 projects.
The funding is intended for projects involving the translation, publication, distribution, and promotion of European literary fiction. Project proposals must align with the specific objectives and priorities of the call, as well as with the general priorities embedded in the current policies of the European Union:
Specific priorities of the call
- Strengthening the transnational circulation and diversity of European literary works through translation, publication, distribution, and promotion of fiction written in less widely used languages
- Promoting reading, and linguistic and cultural diversity of European literature to wider audiences
- Promoting and preserving the profession of literary translators, including principles of fair remuneration and good working conditions (in this respect, publishers are encouraged to ensure visibility of translators in the published books)
- Enhancing the competitiveness of the literary sector by fostering various forms of collaboration within the sector (especially among publishers, booksellers, and libraries)
General priorities
- The European Green Deal
- Digital transition
- Inclusion
- Gender equality
- International cooperation
Additional Guidelines
- Applicants are encouraged to ensure synergies with other types of support under the Creative Europe – Culture Strand related to books and publishing, such as:
- European Authors’ Day (promotion of reading and discovery of European literature)
- European Union Prize for Literature (promotion of emerging European authors)
- Provision of literary works in Ukrainian for Ukrainian refugees and displaced persons (eligible: printing of Ukrainian (non-translated) literary works in Ukrainian)
- In support of the literary translation profession and in line with principles of fair pay and good working conditions, it is recommended that 20% to 30% of the total project budget be allocated to translators’ remuneration. Translators should be credited and visible, preferably named on the book covers
- To preserve linguistic diversity—especially of less widely used languages—and the quality of translations and the translation profession, publishers are required to contract professional literary translators and register them in the Creative Europe database, respecting national standards and best practices
Eligible Activities
Each project must include at least five eligible works and cover:
- Translation
- Publication
- Promotion
- Distribution activities
- Activities addressing the themes and priorities outlined above
Eligible Literary Works
- Fiction (novels, short stories, plays, radio plays, poetry, comics or literature for children and young adults)
- Previously published works
- Works whose authors are nationals/residents of countries participating in Creative Europe or are part of their literary heritage
- Works that have not been previously translated into the target language unless a clear need for the proposed translation is demonstrated.
Scope of Activities
- Work packages of eligible literary fiction works to be translated, published, distributed, and promoted should be based on a sound editorial strategy for distribution and promotion
- Activities should facilitate collaboration among key actors in the book value chain, such as authors, translators, publishers, distributors, booksellers, libraries, literary events or festivals.
Proposed activities should be grouped under coherent work packages in Part B of the application. Each work package should contain a relevant list of activities, deliverables, key events/activities, and associated risks.
Project Duration: Projects must not exceed 36 months.
Eligible Applicants
Legal entities (private or public) active in the literary and publishing sector and registered in Creative Europe participating countries may apply.
Project proposals can be submitted by individual applicants or by consortia of at least two partner organisations that are not affiliated entities.
The lead applicant must be registered and active for at least two years before the application deadline.
Project Categories
- Small-scale – translation of at least 5 different titles, EU grant up to €100,000 (60% of total project budget)
- Medium-scale – translation of at least 11 different titles, EU grant up to €200,000 (60% of total project budget)
- Large-scale – translation of at least 21 different titles, EU grant up to €300,000 (60% of total project budget)
EU financial support is provided as a lump sum and may not exceed 60% of the total project budget for each of the above categories. More on lump sum grants you can find here
The total grant per project may not exceed €200,000 for individual applicants and €300,000 for proposals submitted by consortia.
Expected Impacts
Project proposals must be based on a robust editorial and promotional strategy and include a package of at least five titles translated from and into eligible languages. Proposals should include:
- A contribution to the diversity of literature in a given country (or countries) through inclusion of works from underrepresented countries, with a special focus on works written in less widely used languages
- A contribution to raising the profile of translators and respect for fair compensation principles
- A chosen book format and distribution strategy that ensures wide and easy access to European literary works for broader audiences
- A promotional strategy that contributes to audience expansion and renewal
- Encouragement of cooperation between authors, translators, publishers, distributors, booksellers, libraries, festivals, literary events, etc.
- A contribution to the EU’s general priorities
How to Prepare and Submit Proposals/Applications
- The call is available here
Proposals must be prepared in line with the criteria and conditions outlined in the call document: Call for proposals Circulation of European Literary Works (CREA-CULT-2025-LIT), Version 1.0, 10 October 2025, available here - Applications are processed and submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Opportunity Portal (F&TP):
Proposals must include complete project documentation submitted via the appropriate templates in the system. These must include the following attachments:
Part A – Administrative information on applicants and total budget – completed electronically
Part B – Technical description of the project – download the form from the system, complete it, and re-upload it (max. 70 pages)
Part C – Additional project information – completed electronically
Detailed budget form – downloaded from the system
List of previous projects the applicants have participated in – last page of the Part B template
File with information on the selected literary works/translations generated and downloaded from the Creative Europe database
Information on accessing the F&TP is available here