About the common European data space for cultural heritage
The common European data space for cultural heritage is the flagship initiative of the European Commission to accelerate the digital transformation of Europe’s cultural sector and foster the creation and reuse of content in the cultural and creative sectors. Its deployment is carried out through two key work strands.
The first work strand, led by the Europeana Foundation with the support of a consortium of 18 partners, from nine EU countries, focuses on deploying the common European data space for cultural heritage.
The second strand provides grants to support cultural heritage institutions in adopting advanced technologies and linking up to the common European data space for cultural heritage. The supporting projects work to deliver high-quality data, in particular, 3D, for reuse in different sectors, including research, education and creative industries.
Unlocking the future of cultural heritage with 3D and XR technology
The recent developments in advanced digital technologies, such as 3D, artificial intelligence, and extended reality (XR) - encompassing virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) - have presented unprecedented opportunities for the digitisation, online accessibility and digital preservation of cultural heritage. These advanced technologies streamline processes, enhance content quality and enable new forms of artistic creation. They promote democratic cultural engagement by facilitating co-curation, co-design, and crowdsourcing, fostering public participation in preserving and showcasing heritage - just some of the reasons that they are in focus in this call.
Call essentials
The latest call for proposals under DS Strand II aims to support the deployment of the data space for cultural heritage in the area of 3D and XR through projects that:
Develop or extend the necessary frameworks and tools for the availability of advanced 3D and XR data in the data space for cultural heritage, including know-how references and knowledge sharing;
Collaborate with existing and relevant European national and regional initiatives and/or platforms for 3D digitisation of museum artefacts, monuments and sites, and XR application in cultural heritage. Particular attention will be given to cultural heritage monuments and objects at risk of war damage, natural disasters, etc.;
Enrich the offer of 3D and XR data in the data space;
Provide training and capacity building for cultural heritage institutions in making use of 3D and XR technologies;
Offer online experiences for the public based on 3D and XR;
Foster the re-use of cultural heritage XR and 3D data in important domains such as education, social sciences and humanities, tourism and the wider cultural and creative sector.
The call allocates 4 million EUR, with a 50% co-funding rate for all participants (including cultural heritage institutions and SMEs) and an indicative maximum grant per project of 1 million EUR. The projects are expected to run for 18 months
All applications must be submitted through the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System by 23 January 2024 17:00, CET. Find out more about the call conditions in the call text and EC Funding & Tender Portal FAQs.
Work with us
The Europeana Foundation - together with 18 committed partners and in close cooperation with the Europeana Network Association and Europeana Aggregators’ Forum - has been selected by the European Commission to deploy the common European data space for cultural heritage. We invite stakeholders across the cultural and creative sectors - cultural heritage organisations, technology providers, stakeholders in creative sectors, education, and tourism - to leverage this exciting opportunity to increase the quality, sustainability, use and reuse of cultural heritage data, as well as to build digital capacity in the cultural sector.
We also strongly encourage participation from all Member States.
If you're interested in collaborating with the Europeana Foundation on proposals under this call, please contact Milena Popova (milena.popova@europeana.eu).
