Collaborative grants (EU)

Innovative Health Initiative

Profile: Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) is a public-private partnership (PPP) between the European Union (represented by the European Commission) and European life science industries (i.e. trade associations COCIR, EFPIA / Vaccines Europe, EuropaBio and MedTech Europe). All IHI projects should be PPPs strengthening industry collaboration with academics and other actors in the healthcare system.

Target group: consortia consisting of the relevant stakeholders (e.g. scientists from academia, research organisations, diverse industry sectors, SMEs, mid-sized companies, hospitals and patients’ organisations) who want to participate in ground-breaking, cross-sectoral collaborative projects that deliver tangible benefits for patients on a European level as described in the call topic text. Please see the IHI website for upcoming and open call topics.

Amount: the total budget for IHI 2021-2027 is € 2.4 billion. The IHI contribution per proposal varies per call topic. All projects require a 45% contribution of the total project budget provided by the constituent or affiliated entities of private members and/or contributing partners. For two stage calls the pre-identified industry consortium, providing the 45% contribution, is already identified in the call topic text. For single stage calls the consortia will need to ensure that the 45% contribution of the total budget is met.

Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe is the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation that runs from 2021 – 2027.

The programme facilitates collaboration and strengthens the impact of research and innovation in developing, supporting and implementing EU policies while tackling global challenges. It supports creating and better dispersing of excellent knowledge and technologies. It creates jobs, fully engages the EU’s talent pool, boosts economic growth, promotes industrial competitiveness and optimises investment impact within a strengthened European Research Area.

Horizon Europe is made up of three pillars:

  1. Excellent Science
  2. Global challenges and European industrial competitiveness
  3. Innovative Europe

Pillar 2 supports Research and Innovation, and consists of 7 clusters, with Cluster 1 focussing on 'Health'.

The aims of this cluster include improving and protecting the health and well-being of citizens of all ages by generating new knowledge, developing innovative solutions and integrating where relevant a gender perspective to prevent, diagnose, monitor, treat and cure diseases.

Further aims include developing health technologies, mitigating health risks, protecting populations and promoting good health and well-being in general and at work.

Finally, this cluster also aimsto make public health systems more cost-effective, equitable and sustainable, prevent and tackle poverty-related diseases and support and enable patients' participation and self-management.

For most calls for proposals, you must apply as a team of at least 3 partner organisations from different countries. Some calls for proposals follow a 2-stage application procedure: you first submit a concept note. If your concept is successful, you draft and submit the full project proposal.

You can find all calls for proposals, the specific call topics, the deadlines and application forms on the Funding and Tenders portal.

EIC Pathfinder and Transition

Profile: the European Innovation Council (EIC) under the Horizon Europe programme provides funding for breakthrough technologies and game changing innovations to SMEs and start-ups, as well as universities and research organisations.

The EIC Pathfinder provides the possibility to explore bold ideas for radically new technologies with potential to create new markets. The programme takes forward breakthrough deep tech projects with a high degree of scientific and technological ambition and risk (TRL 1-4). The EIC Pathfinder Open is open for projects in any field of science, technology or application without predefined thematic priorities, whereas the EIC Pathfinder Challenges support portfolios of project within a predefined thematic area.

The EIC Transition programme funds innovation activities that go beyond the experimental proof of principle in laboratory. The goal is to validate technologies and develop business plans for specific applications (TRL 3-6). The EIC Transition is open for projects with identified EU-funded results from EIC Pathfinder, ERC Proof of Concept or RIA projects.

Target group: research teams of at least three legal entities can apply to the EIC Pathfinder Open.
You can apply for EIC Pathfinder Challenges and the EIC Transition either as:

  • single legal entity;
  • small consortia of two independent entities;
  • consortium of minimum three and maximum five independent legal entities.

Amount
EIC Pathfinder: € 3M (Pathfinder Open) or € 4M (Pathfinder Challenges). Most projects have a duration of 3-4 years.
EIC Transition: € 2.5M for a project duration of 1-3 year(s).
Additional Booster grants are available (€ 50,000) to commercialise results and collaborate with other projects.