REACT-EU is an economic recovery assistance initiative of the European Union which allocates investments for the short-term period of 2021–2023 in order to promote and strengthen the economic sectors that could most effectively contribute to the rapid overall recovery of European countries after the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences.
“This decision is also a huge recognition of the entire CCI sector. The European Commission recognises the great potential of the cultural and creative industries to contribute to the overall recovery of Europe’s economy. Lithuania is not an exception in this respect. The planned investments in CCI will become a positive impetus for strengthening the sector’s further growth, which will contribute significantly to environmentally friendly, digital and sustainable recovery of the economy”, the Minister of Culture Simonas Kairys said.
Three main instruments are planned for the allocation of REACT-EU funds to the CCI sector. The first one, Wings of Design, is dedicated to incentives for the Lithuanian design industry. The second instrument is dedicated to infrastructure projects that are necessary for the CCI, while the third one is for the funding of service development.
All three instruments will be administered by the Lithuanian Business Support Agency (LBSA). The instrument for the design directions will be implemented by the Lithuanian Council for Culture. The LBSA will organise calls for applications to implement the second and third instruments. It is planned that the calls for tenders dedicated to the funding of projects for the CCI infrastructure and service development will be announced this year.
“We encourage CCI sector representatives in Lithuania to actively take interest in and make use of the truly exceptional possibilities that are opening up. This is a huge step not only in the general context of Lithuania’s recovery after the pandemic, but also in the context of the growth of the CCI sector”, Vice-Minister of Culture Vygintas Gasparavičius noted.
