On 30 June, KIK Lithuania submitted proposals for Lithuania’s 2028–2034 National Progress Plan, seeking to establish the cultural and creative industries (CCI) as a key driver of Lithuania’s economic growth, competitiveness, and regional development. The proposals emphasise the need to create a coherent CCI support ecosystem encompassing funding, capacity building, infrastructure, exports, and regional development.

We invite you to explore the proposals below.

Direction for Change and Breakthrough: Strengthening the CCI Ecosystem to Support the Transition towards a Higher-Value Economy and Greater Competitiveness

In 2024, Lithuania’s CCI sector generated approximately 4% of GDP, achieved a turnover of EUR 5.9 billion, and supported 75,000 jobs. However, its development is constrained by fragmented funding. A coherent support system covering the entire journey from initial idea to export is therefore essential.

1. Strengthening the Development and Value Chain of Cultural and Creative Products and Services

Funding in the CCI sector is often provided for isolated creative or project stages, without ensuring a coherent pathway from the initial idea and the development of a product or service through prototyping, market testing, business model development, intellectual property protection, commercialisation, export, investment attraction, and successful entry into international markets.

Funding measures must therefore cover not only advisory services, capacity building, and market preparation, but also the development of cultural and creative products and services themselves. Without this initial development stage, no subsequent value can be generated through commercialisation, export, or investment.

CCI stakeholders require different forms of support at different stages in the development of a product or service. During the early stages, support is needed for developing ideas and creative concepts, creating products or services, pre-acceleration, mentoring, and prototyping. During the growth stage, support should focus on acceleration, market testing, business model development, and strengthening competencies in intellectual property, legal matters, finance, and marketing. More mature organisations and businesses require access to investment, export financing, international partnerships, and commercialisation channels.

The proposed intervention would establish a stage-based system of financial and non-financial measures enabling cultural and creative products and services to be developed, tested, commercialised, and introduced to international markets across the entire value chain.

It would also lay the foundations for interinstitutional co-financing mechanisms in tourism, innovation, exports, education, and regional development. CCI products and services create value not only within the cultural sector but also by contributing to innovation in public services, design-led business solutions, digital content, creative technologies, social innovation, and Lithuania’s international visibility.

Target groups: cultural and creative organisations, NGOs, micro, small and medium-sized CCI enterprises, creative start-ups, and self-employed creators.

2. Developing Financial Instruments Tailored to the CCI Sector and Improving Investment Readiness

CCI stakeholders lack access to the financing required for growth. Project-based cultural funding does not support sustained development, while general business financing instruments do not adequately reflect the specific characteristics of creative products and services, intellectual property, and intangible assets.

Due to their distinctive operating models and the significant role of intangible assets, copyright, creative content, and project-based work, CCI stakeholders often find it more difficult to meet standard criteria for financing, loans, guarantees, or investor assessments.

Sustainable forms of financing must therefore be developed, including financial instruments based on repayable funding. The proposed intervention would enable the creation of preferential loans, guarantees, venture capital, blended-finance instruments, and repayable funding mechanisms tailored to the CCI sector.

Investment readiness would also be strengthened, including the ability to prepare a clear value proposition, business model, financial plan, evidence of market and export potential, intellectual property management strategy, and risk assessment. This would enable more mature CCI stakeholders to move beyond project-based operations towards more sustainable growth models.

Target groups: more mature CCI stakeholders, creative enterprises, NGOs with growth potential, creative start-ups, and organisations and businesses operating in the audiovisual, design, gaming, music, publishing, performing arts, creative technology, and other CCI fields.

3. Developing “Creative Hub” as a National Platform for CCI Competencies, Innovation, and Ecosystem Coordination

The CCI ecosystem lacks a coordinated mechanism for competencies, innovation, artificial intelligence, intellectual property, investment readiness, and impact monitoring that would connect creators, cultural organisations, creative businesses, the technology sector, academia, investors, the public sector, and international markets.

CCI stakeholders often require more than isolated consultations. They need a consistent support and intermediary mechanism that helps them navigate government, innovation, export, funding, copyright, and technology measures. There is also a lack of data and systematic impact monitoring to support investment planning.

Creative Hub could be developed into a national CCI competence and growth platform with a broader mandate, building on and expanding the existing functions of the ArtTech Hub competence centre. The platform would bring together advisory services and expertise in artificial intelligence, creative technologies, intellectual property, investment readiness, data, impact monitoring, and cross-sectoral cooperation.

Target groups: CCI stakeholders, cultural organisations, creative businesses, creators, and start-ups.

4. Developing Shared CCI Infrastructure and a Creative Campus Model

The development of the CCI sector is constrained by a lack of specialised physical and technological infrastructure. Many creators, NGOs, small enterprises, and interdisciplinary teams have limited access to studios, laboratories, rehearsal and recording facilities, prototyping and production spaces, presentation venues, co-working facilities, and residency spaces.

CCI competitiveness cannot be secured through advisory services or project-based funding alone. Many fields require shared infrastructure that enables stakeholders to create, experiment, test, produce, present, collaborate, and operate internationally.

The proposed intervention would enable the development of a Creative Hub or Creative Campus model and shared CCI infrastructure. This would include specialised facilities for creative work, production, prototyping, recording, audiovisual production, design, performing and visual arts, gaming, creative technologies, presentation, residencies, and co-working.

Such infrastructure would complement financial and capacity-building measures by providing the physical conditions required to develop products and services at every stage of the value chain.

Target groups: CCI organisations, creators, NGOs, small creative enterprises, start-ups, higher education institutions, creative technology teams, residents, municipalities, cultural institutions, and international partners.

5. Strengthening the Internationalisation and Export Capacity of the CCI Sector and the Visibility of Lithuania’s Creative Economy

Lithuania’s domestic market is limited, while many CCI stakeholders lack sufficient access to international partners, co-production opportunities, distribution channels, investors, export markets, and measures that would ensure the long-term visibility of Lithuania’s CCI sector abroad.

CCI fields can generate greater economic returns only if they have systematic access to international markets, partners, distribution channels, and investors. Isolated participation in international events is insufficient without market analysis, export strategies, long-term representation, consistent marketing, and a coherent policy for increasing the international visibility of Lithuania’s CCI sector.

Creating a product does not in itself guarantee impact. Marketing, communication, audience development, and distribution must therefore form an integral part of export and internationalisation measures.

The proposed intervention would strengthen priority-market analysis, the development of export strategies, marketing, communication, audience development, pitching platforms, creative product catalogues, participation in trade fairs, festivals, and business missions, the promotion of co-productions, long-term representation in priority markets, and the development of Lithuania’s CCI brand.

It would also cover the national and international marketing of cultural tourism products where this contributes to the growth of the cultural economy, Lithuania’s cultural visibility, and the vitality of its regions.

Target groups: export-ready CCI stakeholders, creative enterprises, NGOs, and creators.

6. Activating Regional Creative-Economy Ecosystems and the Territorial Potential of the CCI Sector

The potential of the CCI sector in Lithuania’s regions has not yet been sufficiently integrated into strategies for local economic development, tourism, education, innovation, community building, and talent retention. As a result, creative resources often fail to generate lasting economic and social value.

Cultural and creative resources in the regions can contribute to economic diversification, local identity, cultural tourism, social cohesion, job creation, and talent retention. Achieving this requires the assessment and activation of regional CCI potential.

The proposed intervention would strengthen regional creative-economy ecosystems based on the specialisation of specific territories, local creators, cultural resources, heritage, tourism, and partnerships between higher education institutions, businesses, and communities.

It would also enable the development of integrated cultural tourism and creative-economy products connecting cultural resources, heritage, creative experiences, events, educational activities, visitor services, and local businesses.

Target groups: municipalities, regional development councils, regional cultural councils, local CCI stakeholders, cultural institutions, NGOs, and creative enterprises.

Proposed Results Indicators

• Improved performance among at least 300 CCI stakeholders—including private-sector entities, NGOs, individuals, and legal entities engaged in CCI activities—that have received business development support, as demonstrated by growth in sales, exports, and/or employment.
• Number of cultural tourism marketing measures implemented at national or international level.
• Number of CCI stakeholders that have used creative infrastructure.
• Number of CCI stakeholders that have participated in internationalisation and export activities.