About Us

The EntreCC Project – Unleashing Entrepreneurship Potential in Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) – is a forward-looking Erasmus+ initiative dedicated to empowering cultural professionals, educators, and creative entrepreneurs across Europe. It brings together partners from Bulgaria, Greece, Austria, and North Macedonia with a shared mission: to strengthen entrepreneurship, innovation, and digital readiness within the Cultural and Creative Industries, ensuring their sustainable growth and social impact in an evolving global landscape.

Recognising the Power and Challenges of CCIs

At its core, EntreCC recognises that the Cultural and Creative Industries are among Europe’s most vibrant and transformative sectors. They generate more than 4% of the EU’s GDP, provide millions of jobs, and shape cultural identity, innovation, and social cohesion.

Yet, they also face profound challenges – fragmented markets, limited access to finance, digital transformation, and the need for new business models that balance artistic integrity with economic sustainability. EntreCC was designed as a practical and strategic response to these realities, equipping creative professionals with the tools, knowledge, and networks to turn creative potential into sustainable opportunity.

A Bridge Between Creativity and Entrepreneurship

The EntreCC Project seeks to bridge the traditional divide between creativity and business by introducing new ways of thinking and working. It promotes a mindset of innovation, adaptability, and collaboration – essential traits for success in today’s fast-changing creative economy.

Through its research, training, and digital tools, EntreCC supports professionals in combining artistic excellence with entrepreneurial competence. Whether they are artists, designers, educators, or cultural managers, participants are guided to develop skills in project management, marketing, financial planning, and digital engagement – without compromising their creative identity.

The project’s main intellectual output, the EntreCC Handbook, serves as a cornerstone of this effort. It offers in-depth sector analysis, case studies, and practical toolkits on entrepreneurship, innovation, digital readiness, and cross-border collaboration. Designed as both an academic and practical resource, the handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities within CCIs, offering tangible pathways for empowerment and sustainable growth.

Together with workshops, training modules, and an interactive digital hub, it forms a holistic ecosystem that connects research, practice, and policy.

Empowering the Creative Workforce of Tomorrow

EntreCC places particular emphasis on young professionals and vocational education and training (VET). Many emerging creatives enter the labour market with strong artistic skills but limited business or entrepreneurial knowledge.

By integrating entrepreneurship education into VET systems and creative curricula, EntreCC helps bridge this critical gap. The project encourages educators to adopt innovative teaching methods, combining artistic development with business, digital, and emotional intelligence skills. In doing so, it prepares learners not only to find jobs but to create them – transforming from job seekers into job creators, capable of navigating uncertainty with confidence and creativity.

The training and capacity-building framework developed by EntreCC includes modules on creative entrepreneurship, digital literacy, project management, and sustainability. It promotes experiential learning through case studies, role-playing, and collaborative projects, ensuring that learners can apply theory in practice.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) development also plays a central role, helping young creatives build resilience, communication skills, and adaptability – essential traits for thriving in today’s dynamic creative economy.

Digital Transformation and Innovation

Digitalisation is transforming every aspect of cultural production, from creation to distribution and audience engagement. EntreCC addresses this transformation through its Digital Readiness Toolkit, which equips professionals with the technical and strategic skills to make the most of digital opportunities.

From e-commerce and online marketing to virtual collaboration and AI-assisted creativity, the toolkit helps creatives expand their reach, diversify income streams, and operate sustainably in hybrid environments.

Innovation is equally central to EntreCC’s mission. Through its Innovation and Entrepreneurship Toolkit, the project promotes experimentation, risk-taking, and collaboration across borders and sectors. Participants learn to design business models, explore crowdfunding and partnership opportunities, and align their creative practices with sustainable, inclusive, and future-oriented principles.

This entrepreneurial approach empowers CCIs to act as drivers of Europe’s green and digital transition.

Cross-Border Collaboration and Policy Engagement

EntreCC is built upon a strong ethos of European cooperation. Cultural and creative industries thrive when knowledge, skills, and experiences are shared across borders.

By linking partners from different cultural and economic contexts – from the vibrant creative hubs of Athens and Vienna to emerging innovation ecosystems in Sofia and Skopje – the project fosters a transnational exchange of ideas and best practices.

It encourages collaboration between artists, educators, entrepreneurs, and policymakers, strengthening the European cultural fabric while supporting local ecosystems.

At the policy level, EntreCC contributes to the objectives of Erasmus+, the European Skills Agenda, and the European Green Deal. It advocates for inclusive, evidence-based cultural policies that promote entrepreneurship, sustainability, and digital transformation. The project’s outputs serve as resources for decision-makers seeking to design effective interventions and support mechanisms for the creative sector.

A Sustainable Vision for the Future

Beyond its immediate results, EntreCC aims to create long-term impact by nurturing a generation of cultural professionals who are creative, confident, and resilient. Its philosophy is rooted in inclusion, sustainability, and innovation – ensuring that cultural and creative work continues to enrich communities while contributing to social and economic development.

By empowering individuals and organisations alike, EntreCC strengthens Europe’s creative resilience and reinforces the role of culture as a catalyst for progress.

The EntreCC Project is funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. The views expressed herein reflect those of the project partners only and do not necessarily represent those of the European Commission or the Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC).

Together, the project partners remain committed to advancing creativity, entrepreneurship, and collaboration – shaping a sustainable future for Europe’s cultural and creative industries.