European Co-development supports the co-development of one animation, creative documentary, or fiction project for cinema, TV, or digital platforms.
The information on this page is for general information purposes only - please read the European Co-development 2026 call document to check eligibility and requirements.
What is the purpose of the funding?
- Support the cooperation among European production companies that are developing works with a strong international audience potential.
- Increased collaboration at development stage between European production companies from different countries and from different markets and consequently an increased number of co-productions.
- Increased quality, feasibility, cross-border potential and market value of selected projects.
- A stronger position on European and international markets for companies selected under European co-development.
- Provide support to the development of a single project for commercial exploitation intended for cinema release, television broadcasting or commercial exploitation on digital platforms or a multi-platform environment in the following categories: animation, creative documentary or fiction. The project must be co-developed by at least two European independent production companies, having signed a co-development agreement specifying the division of tasks and the collaboration on creative aspects.
Who can apply?
- Be independent European audiovisual production companies.
- Coordinator with recent experience in producing internationally distributed works. The coordinator must prove when submitting the application that it has produced one previous work since 2019, that respects the following conditions:
- an animation, fiction or creative documentary projects (one-off or series) of a total duration of minimum 24 minutes, unless it is an immersive animation, fiction of creative documentary project (e.g. Virtual Reality), in which case there is no minimum duration.
- It has been actually released in cinemas (or similar for location-based immersive projects), broadcast on television or made available on digital platforms in at least three countries other than that of the coordinator before the day of the deadline for submission of applications.
- the releases or broadcasts are of a commercial nature. Screenings during festivals are not accepted as a commercial distribution.
- In relation to the previous works, the coordinator must also be able to prove: that it was the sole production company; or that it was, in the case of a co-production with another production company the major co-producer in the financing plan or credited as delegate producer or that its Chief Executive or one of its shareholders has a personal onscreen credit on the work as producer or delegate producer.
- Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least two applicants (beneficiaries;
not affiliated entities), which complies with the following conditions: - an eligible coordinator and at least one eligible partner (i.e. not an affiliated entity of the coordinator), established in at least two different European countries participating in the MEDIA Strand
- the coordinator and the partner(s) must have signed a co-development agreement that needs to be submitted with the application.
Support available for
Only the co-development activities for the following works are eligible:
- Feature films, animations and creative documentaries of a minimum length of 60 minutes intended primarily for cinematic release.
- Fiction projects (one-off or series) of a total duration of minimum 90 minutes, animation (one-off or series) of a total duration of minimum 24 minutes and creative documentaries (one-off or series) of a total duration of minimum 50 minutes intended primarily for the purposes of television or digital platform exploitation.
- Interactive, immersive fiction, animation or creative documentary projects (e.g. narrative virtual reality projects) of any duration.
- Works which are designed to be a series with a joint distribution and marketing strategy have to be submitted as a series.
- The first day of principal photography (or equivalent) has to be scheduled at least 10 months after the day of the deadline for submission of applications.
- The coordinator or (one of) the partner(s) must own the majority of rights related to the works.
How much can you apply for?
- Project budget (maximum grant amount): the maximum EU grant depends on the number of eligible beneficiaries (i.e. coordinator and partner(s), not their affiliated entities) that are part of the consortium.
- If the application is submitted by a consortium of two eligible beneficiaries, the maximum EU grant is €120,000.
- For each additional eligible beneficiary, the maximum EU grant increases by €60,000. However, for the co-development of drama series with an intended production budget of €20,000 000 and above, the maximum EU grant for a consortium of two eligible beneficiaries is €200, 000, whilst it increases with €100,000 per additional eligible beneficiary.
- The grant will be a lump sum grant. This means that it will reimburse a fixed amount, based on a lump sum or financing not linked to costs. The amount will be fixed by the granting authority on the basis of the estimated project budget and a funding rate of 70%.
How can you apply?
- Read the European Co-development Funding call 2026 document to check eligibility and requirements.
- Applications are processed through the European Commission's Funding & Tender Opportunities Portal (F&TP).
- Detailed information on how to access the F&T Portal.
