Creative Europe MEDIA 2027: Up to €200,000 for European Narrative Games and Interactive XR Development
European interactive storytellers can seek pre-production funding
The European Commission opened its Creative Europe MEDIA European Video Games and Immersive Content 2027 call on 30 September 2026. Submissions are due by 2 February 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time. The call identifier is CREA-MEDIA-2027-DEVVGIM, with a total 2027 call budget of €13.5 million and a maximum grant of €200,000 per accepted project. The funding is specifically for companies developing narrative videogames or interactive immersive/XR experiences with international commercial potential, not for anyone who makes digital images or experiments with a headset.
Only qualifying European production companies and eligible partners
Applicants must be legally established in countries fully participating in the MEDIA strand and be majority-owned by nationals of those eligible countries, subject to the official rules. The lead entity must be a videogame developer, XR studio or audiovisual producer whose core activity fits the call; publishers are explicitly ineligible as applicant companies. A single qualified company or a qualifying multi-company consortium can apply. Overseas companies with no eligible European lead producer cannot submit directly under the assumption that the call is worldwide.
Recent commercial-release experience is required
For the 2027 edition, the coordinating company must demonstrate commercial distribution of at least one qualifying videogame or immersive experience between 1 January 2024 and the application deadline, rather than rely solely on educational projects or uncommercialised prototypes. The prior work should have evidence of actual market distribution and sales where requested. The applicant, or one eligible co-development partner, must hold the majority of the rights in the submitted project, including adaptation rights when using an existing work. The programme therefore differs substantially from a beginner game jam or student contest.
Narrative throughout the game, not just an opening cinematic
The proposed title must contain substantial original interactive storytelling during gameplay or in the immersive experience, not a standalone introductory film with otherwise unrelated gameplay. Commercial release should be envisaged for computers, consoles, mobile devices or other interactive platforms. Projects that are purely training or service work, or whose principal objective is hardware production, do not automatically qualify. The application needs to explain its core mechanics, design vision, artistic innovation, audience, market strategy and European cultural diversity.
Up to €200,000 at a 60% co-financing rate
The grant can cover up to 60% of eligible pre-production costs and cannot exceed €200,000 per project. The EU contribution is set as a lump sum derived from the projected eligible budget, so applicants must demonstrate credible financing for the balance rather than regard the maximum as an automatic payment. Eligible work spans the concept-development stage through delivery of the first working prototype, vertical slice, Alpha or other prescribed trial version. Subsequent production-stage testing and final release work are outside the defined development period.
When work can start and how long the project may run
The 2027 rules normally allow action duration of up to 36 months, subject to grant conditions. The production phase should not begin until at least ten months after the application submission, an important restriction when a studio already has a nearly completed game. Applicants should not incur project costs before the permitted starting point unless expressly allowed in the grant rules. The Commission schedules evaluation during the first half of 2027, applicant notification around July and grant signature around October 2027.
Official organiser and submission safeguards
Creative Europe MEDIA is the European Union's longstanding programme for European screen and digital audiovisual industries. The call is administered through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; applicants need EU Login and their organisation's Participant Identification Code (PIC), plus detailed project and rights documents. Several official Creative Europe desks in Belgium, Spain and other participating countries publish the same identifier, criteria and call dates. Use the 2027 document, not a 2026 scheme page that may appear in search caches, and verify nationality and co-financing requirements before submitting.
Official programme and eligibility
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/calls-for-proposals?callIdentifier=CREA-MEDIA-2027-DEVVGIM
https://spainaudiovisualhub.digital.gob.es/es/actualidad/video-games-and-immersive-content-development-2027---europa-crea
https://www.creativeeurope.be/nl/video-games-and-immersive-content-development