CALL FOR INCUBATEES H&ART Incubator of the KreativEU Alliance

20/04/2026

The H&ART Incubator/Local branch TAE invites artists, students, start-ups, creative professionals, cultural managers, researchers, innovators, and interdisciplinary teams to apply for participation in its incubation programme.
The call is open to individuals and teams with ideas, concepts, products, services, artistic projects, digital tools, or entrepreneurial initiatives related to culture, heritage, arts, media, design, tourism, creative industries, and cultural innovation.
The H&ART Incubator is part of the KreativEU Alliance of 11 European universities (https://www.kreativeu.org/en/About/), and aims to support the generation, development, testing, and implementation of ideas in the cultural and creative sectors.

About the H&ART Incubator
The H&ART Incubator is a transnational academic-based incubator that combines art, heritage, culture, creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology. It supports the development of ideas, projects, and ventures through mentoring, training, networking, access to expertise and resources, mobility opportunities, artistic residencies, and incubation services.
The H&ART Incubator is not a traditional business incubator. It is designed to connect education, research, innovation, and society through a transnational ecosystem of universities, cultural institutions, creative industries, public bodies, and communities.
The incubation process combines local support with access to transnational resources, mentors, and expertise from across the KreativEU Alliance.
Applicants interested in the conceptual and governance framework of the H&ART Incubator may consult D4.1: Art and Heritage Incubator Structure, Rules and Procedures for the Joint Management (v.1, 2025).

Who can apply
The call is open to:

artists and creators;
students and recent graduates;
managers, experts, and specialists from cultural and creative institutions;
start-ups and spin-offs;
SMEs and social enterprises operating in the cultural and creative sectors;
IT specialists, software developers, and digital innovators with ideas for tools, platforms, or digital solutions for culture and heritage;
interdisciplinary teams with ideas for products, services, events, experiences, or business models in the cultural and creative industries;
NGOs, associations, and informal groups with innovative cultural or social ideas.

Applicants may apply individually or as part of a team.

Examples of eligible ideas and projects
Examples of projects that may be supported include:

cultural and creative start-ups;
digital tools for museums, galleries, archives, tourism, or heritage interpretation;
artistic and cultural projects with entrepreneurial potential;
new products or services in design, media, gaming, publishing, music, crafts, film, fashion, architecture, or cultural tourism;
community-based cultural initiatives;
projects using AI, XR/VR, digital storytelling, or creative technologies;
social innovation initiatives linked to culture and communities.

What selected incubatees will receive
Selected incubatees may benefit from:

tailored mentoring and expert guidance;
support in developing business models, concepts, and project plans;
training, workshops, and coaching;
access to transnational mentors and experts;
networking opportunities across 11 European universities and their ecosystems;
opportunities for participation in artistic residencies, mobility activities, and events;
access to local and transnational infrastructures, laboratories, and creative spaces;
support regarding intellectual property, valorisation, and funding opportunities;
visibility through H&ART Incubator and KreativEU communication channels.

Duration of the incubation
Indicatively, incubation cycles may vary between 9 and 12 months.
Selected incubatees will receive an individual incubation plan specifying:

duration of participation;
planned mentoring and support activities;
expected outputs;
participation requirements.

Incubation fees
Participation in the H&ART Incubator is entirely free of charge. No fees are required for application, admission, participation, mentoring, access to activities, or completion of the incubation process.

Eligibility and selection
Applicants for incubation will be selected in accordance with the Rules of the H&ART Incubator, based on the quality of the concept, growth potential, commitment and readiness, innovation and impact, feasibility, collaboration potential, alignment with H&ART objectives, diversity, and stage fit.

I. Eligibility conditions
Applicants must:

Submit an idea, project, product, service, artistic concept, or entrepreneurial initiative relevant to the cultural and creative sectors;
Clearly identify the life stage of the project: Idea Discovery, Validation, Creation, or Scale-up;
Demonstrate motivation and willingness to actively participate in the incubation process;
Be available to participate in mentoring sessions, workshops, meetings, and incubation activities;
Submit a complete application file;
Submit the application within the deadline;
Agree to comply with the rules, confidentiality requirements, and intellectual property provisions of the H&ART Incubator.

II. Evaluation criteria
Applications will be evaluated according to the following indicative criteria:

No.	Criterion	Weight
I1	Quality and originality of concept	0.18
I2	Growth potential (audience, scalability, replication)	0.13
I3	Professional commitment (readiness, time, governance)	0.10
I4	Innovation and impact (heritage/cultural and creative industries value; cultural, social, economic, environmental)	0.13
I5	Feasibility (workplan, resources, risks)	0.13
I6	Collaboration and community (co-creation, partners, stakeholders)	0.11
I7	Alignment with H&ART Incubator objectives and strategy	0.07
I8	Diversity and representation (perspectives, inclusion, geography)	0.05
I9	Stage fit and readiness (lifecycle alignment)	0.10
	Total:	1.00

Working language
The local branch TAE may organise the incubation process in Bulgarian and English. Applicants may be asked to participate in selected transnational activities in English.

Application process
Applications are submitted via an online application form and are intentionally designed to be light and non-burdensome, while providing sufficient information for evaluation.
Link for application:
Application Form for Incubatees – Fill out form
QR code for application:

Upon submission of this application form, applicants are required to send the following supporting documents to heart.incubator@uni-svishtov.bg:

submitted application form [PDF file, which can be generated after submitting the form by clicking the circle icon with the three dots in the upper right corner of the form and selecting “Print response”];
professional CV or link to updated LinkedIn profile of the applicant or team leader;
portfolio, examples of previous work, website, LinkedIn profile, or other supporting material (if available)
letters of support, references, or endorsements (optional but encouraged).

Timeline

Call opening: [20/04/2026]
Application deadline: [22/06/2026], 5:00 pm CET
Evaluation and selection: [30/06/2026]
Announcement of results: 01/07/2026
Incubation: following selection

All applicants will be informed of the outcome by email.

Contact and further information
For further information regarding the Call, the H&ART Incubator and its objectives, mission and vision, or the incubation process, please contact: heart.incubator@uni-svishtov.bg

Join us in transforming ideas into cultural, creative, and social impact through the H&ART Incubator.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.