Capacity Building
MetaHeritage offers a selection of capacity building programmes designed to support companies, cultural heritage organisations, tourism stakeholders and innovation actors in strengthening their business, entrepreneurial and investment planning skills.
The programme brings together selected European training resources, advisory services and project-based activities on entrepreneurship, business models, financial planning, EU funding, pitching, digital transformation and intellectual property. It is designed to support participants in developing stronger project ideas, preparing more robust business and funding plans, improving their digital readiness and moving towards market uptake and exploitation.
The resources below are organised by thematic area. Access conditions are indicated where available and should always be verified on the official provider’s website.
1. Entrepreneurship & Business Model Development
This section supports participants in transforming an initial idea into a structured and viable business concept. The selected resources focus on entrepreneurial mindset, creativity, innovation, value creation, business model design and platform-based ecosystem thinking. They are particularly relevant for SMEs and cultural heritage or tourism actors seeking to define their role, value proposition and cooperation model within digital heritage and cultural tourism ecosystems.
| Resource | Access | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Course: Entrepreneurial skills | Free access | Training resource offered by EU Academy. European learning resources on entrepreneurial mindset, financial literacy, sustainability and digital skills. Useful for SMEs, entrepreneurs and cultural heritage stakeholders seeking to strengthen basic business capacities. |
| Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship – EIT Campus | Free access / provider conditions may apply | Training resource offered by EIT Manufacturing Academy. Helps participants develop creativity, design thinking, sustainability-oriented product concepts and pitching skills. Very suitable as an entry-level course for SMEs and heritage/tourism actors. |
| Culture & Creativity Courses – EIT Campus | Paid courses / access conditions may vary | Selected courses from the EIT Culture & Creativity catalogue focusing on creative entrepreneurship, resilient entrepreneurship, venture design, cultural innovation and skills for the creative digital economy. Examples of courses:
Resilient Entrepreneurship in the Creative Economy – EIT Campus / EIT Culture & Creativity CREative Catalyst: Design Your Venture – EIT Campus / EIT Culture & Creativity Generation Entrepreneurs: Learn to Earn – Youth Startup Skills for the Creative Digital Economy |
| Business model Innovation – EIT Campus | Paid course | Training resource offered by EIT Manufacturing Academy. Covers business model development, platform-based strategies and the Business Model Canvas. Useful for SMEs developing platform-based or marketplace-oriented heritage services. |
| Innovation & Entrepreneurship – From Basics to Open Innovation – EIT Campus | Paid course / Coursera conditions apply | Course listed on EIT Campus and delivered through Coursera. Covers innovation, entrepreneurship, market analysis, customer engagement and open innovation. Good for participants preparing structured innovation concepts or future I3-oriented project ideas. |
| Value Creation Through Innovation Specialization – EIT Campus | Paid course / Coursera conditions apply | Course listed on EIT Campus and delivered through Coursera. Useful for participants who need to link innovation with value creation, market opportunities, digital marketing and entrepreneurship. More advanced and longer than the free introductory modules. |
| EIT Campus – Stakeholder Roles and Engagement in Platform Ecosystems | Paid course | Training resource offered by EIT Manufacturing Academy. Introductory course on stakeholder management in platform-based business models. It helps participants understand the roles, interests and interactions of different actors in digital ecosystems, including co-creation platforms. |
2. Financial Literacy & Investment Planning
This section helps participants strengthen their capacity to understand budgets, financial needs, business viability and investment planning. It is particularly useful for organisations preparing funding applications, investment proposals or pitch decks.
| Resource | Access | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Financial literacy for entrepreneurship | Free access | Training resource offered by EU Academy. Course designed to help entrepreneurs and SMEs improve their understanding of budgeting, cash flow, funding options and financial planning. |
| Financial literacy in my business | Free access | Training resource offered by EU Academy. Course supporting entrepreneurs in record keeping, financial analysis, forecasting future needs and understanding taxes and risks. |
| Building my know-how: Financial Literacy | Free access | Training resource offered by EU Academy. Course helping entrepreneurs deepen their financial literacy to support sustainable business growth. |
| Access to finance | Enterprise Europe Network | Free advisory support / local availability may vary | Advisory support for SMEs seeking funding opportunities, finance guidance and investment-readiness support. Access may depend on the local EEN contact point and service availability. |
3. EU Funding & I3 Project Preparation
This section supports participants in understanding European funding opportunities and preparing stronger project concepts, with particular relevance for future interregional innovation initiatives and Strand 2a I3 applications.
| Resource | Access | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly I3 Instrument Support Facility virtual events – European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) | Free access | Official webinars and materials on the I3 Instrument, including interregional innovation investments, project management, financial reporting, communication, access to finance and proposal preparation. |
| European Commission – EU Funding for Beginners | Free access | Introductory guidance for organisations seeking to understand EU funding opportunities and basic application principles. |
| Access to EU funding | Enterprise Europe Network | Free advisory support / local availability may vary | Support for SMEs seeking to access and apply for EU funding programmes, especially in research, innovation and development contexts. |
4. Pitching, Communication & Market Readiness
This section helps SMEs and organisations present their value proposition, market potential and investment needs more effectively. The selected resources focus on marketing strategy, customer segmentation, business communication, sales, pitching and investor-oriented communication. They are particularly useful for participants preparing pitch decks, market presentations, investment discussions or commercialisation strategies.
| Resource | Access | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Startup Growth: Digital Marketing Strategy & Business Communication for Startups – EIT Campus | Free enrolment / Coursera conditions may apply | Course listed on EIT Campus and delivered through Coursera. Learning path on digital marketing, business communication, stakeholder engagement and strategic positioning. |
| EIT Campus – Marketing Strategy for Entrepreneurs | Free enrolment / Coursera conditions may apply | Course listed on EIT Campus and delivered through Coursera. Practical course focused on marketing and sales for technology-based companies. It covers customer analysis, segmentation, positioning, competition, negotiation, digital marketing and market expansion. Useful for SMEs and innovation actors seeking to improve their market positioning and commercial readiness. |
| Apply for Angel Investors and/or Venture Capital. Objectives and Descriptions | Free access | Training resource offered by EIT Manufacturing Academy. Short module focused on angel investors and venture capital, relevant for SMEs and startups preparing funding rounds or investment discussions. The EIT Manufacturing Academy listing marks it as free. |
5. Digital Transformation & Innovation Readiness
This section supports organisations in assessing and improving their digital readiness. It is especially relevant for SMEs and cultural heritage organisations working with AI, data, immersive technologies, digital visitor experiences or platform-based cultural services.
| Resource | Access | Description |
|---|---|---|
| European Digital Innovation Hubs Network | Services and eligibility may vary | EDIHs support SMEs and public organisations with digital transformation services, including technical expertise, testing, “test before invest”, training, skills development and financing advice. Access conditions may depend on each local hub and type of service. |
| Culture & Creativity Courses – EIT Campus | Paid courses / access conditions may vary | Selected courses from the EIT Culture & Creativity catalogue focusing on AI in creative processes, foresight, digital content creation, audiovisual innovation and responsible creative technologies. Examples of courses:
Embedding AI in the Design of the Creative Process – EIT Campus / EIT Culture & Creativity Smart and Sustainable AI Content Creation for Audio-Visual – EIT Campus / EIT Culture & Creativity Foresight Studio: Designing the Next Decade – EIT Campus / EIT Culture & Creativity |
6. Intellectual Property & Exploitation of Results
This section helps participants understand how to manage, protect and exploit digital heritage assets, creative content and project results. It is particularly relevant for organisations working with digital collections, 3D models, AI-generated content, storytelling, archives, museums and cultural data.
| Resource | Access | Description |
|---|---|---|
| European IP Helpdesk – Training, E-learning Modules and Webinar | Free access | Free training, e-learning modules and webinar recordings on intellectual property and IPR. Relevant for organisations managing digital heritage assets, creative content, AI-generated materials, cultural data and project results, especially in relation to copyright, licensing, ownership and exploitation.
Regular Webinar Schedule – IP Helpdesk – European Commission |
Disclaimer
The training resources listed in this section are provided by external European platforms and initiatives, including EU Academy, EIT Campus, EISMEA, Enterprise Europe Network, European Digital Innovation Hubs and the European IP Helpdesk. MetaHeritage does not own these resources and only redirects participants to the official providers’ websites. For EU Academy resources, content owned by the European Union may be reused under the European Commission reuse policy and, unless otherwise indicated, under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence, provided that appropriate credit is given and any changes are indicated. Users should always consult the original provider pages for the most up-to-date information on course content, access conditions, registration requirements and availability. Where specific content includes third-party materials, identifiable private individuals, logos, trademarks, software, or other materials not owned by the EU, additional permissions may be required from the relevant rights holders. The inclusion of a course or resource in this MetaHeritage capacity-building section does not imply endorsement, eligibility guarantee or responsibility for changes made by the external provider.
