ECHOES Cascading Grants Programme – Second Call on Engagement and Collaboration

What is the ECCCH?

The ECCCH is a new EU-funded digital platform connecting Cultural Heritage Institutions (CHIs) across Europe, including museums, archives, libraries, researchers, and conservators. It offers shared infrastructure, advanced tools (AI, 3D, annotation), and a collaborative space to digitise, preserve, and showcase cultural heritage.

Why join?

• Collaborate across disciplines and borders

• Manage, and share collections cost-effectively in a collaborative environment

• Establishing a cost-effective policy for the storage, management, and sharing of collections

• Boost visibility and international reach

• Access cutting-edge digital tools that would otherwise be unaffordable

• Develop innovative services (virtual exhibitions, 3D reconstructions, educational apps)

What will be funded?

The call will support 20 projects, with up to €29,800 available per project. Projects should:

• Involve CHIs working with tangible and/or intangible heritage

• Raise awareness of the ECCCH and expand its community

• Support skills development and capacity building, especially for small and medium-sized CHIs

Projects are expected to have a wide geographical reach and engage a significant number of CHIs. Alongside communication activities, they may also include:

• Digital or in-person workshops, webinars, and online courses

• Training materials (guidelines, toolkits, manuals)

• Informational events on ECCCH benefits

• Surveys to identify sector challenges and opportunities

• Helpdesks providing tailored support and feedback

• Creative engagement formats such as hackathons, co-design, or co-creation sessions

Who can apply?

Consortia of CHIs, led by umbrella organisations, networks, or professional associations with European, national, or regional reach.

How to apply?

Proposals must be submitted by the deadline (30 January 2026, 23:59 CET) through the Submission Portal. For further details on the submission procedure, you can consult the instruction manual or watch the demo video that has been prepared.

Reference documents and support

Please download the guide for applicants for further information.
For specific enquiries, feel free to contact us at grants@echoes-eccch.eu.

Info Day

To support prospective applicants, the ECHOES Team hosted an Info Day on Thursday, November 6 as a Zoom webinar. This session shared details about the application process and answered many questions on the call and submission. The slides presented are now available for download and you can see the recording of the webinar on our Youtube channel.