Strategic Funding Partners

€528.2 million for health research: from new treatments to better diagnosis

02 November 2026 · Strategic Funding Partners

Published 02 November 2026 · SFP Pulse · Weekly Research

> New treatments, better diagnosis and healthier lives: 14 Horizon Europe Health topics offer €528.2 million in indicative funding.

From helping people with disabilities live independently to developing treatments for drug-resistant infections, the newly opened Horizon Europe Health topics cover a wide range of needs. Together, the 14 topics offer €528.2 million in indicative funding for research and innovation. This week, we look at the work they could support and how applicants can start preparing. We also cover a change to the EIC Accelerator submission route, a chance to shape future hydrogen policy and a question about who gets a place in Europe's research partnerships.

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€528.2 million for health research: from new treatments to better diagnosis

Fourteen Horizon Europe Health topics opened on 29 October, with €528.2 million in indicative funding. They range from clinical trials for neurodegenerative diseases to portable tests that can be used at the point of care. Others seek treatments for drug-resistant infections, research into independent living for people with disabilities, and AI methods to predict how chronic diseases progress and respond to treatment.

Horizon Europe's Health programme supports research and innovation across prevention, diagnosis and treatment, as well as the technologies and services that make healthcare more accessible and sustainable. For universities, healthcare organisations, patient bodies and biotech, medtech or AI-health companies, the first step is to find the topic that fits their work and identify the clinical, data and user expertise needed to develop a proposal. The conditions differ: one climate-health topic uses pre-commercial procurement, so procurers apply together and suppliers may compete for later tenders rather than applying for a direct research grant.

The 24–25 November Health brokerage offers a chance to meet potential partners, followed by an information day on 26 November. There is time to prepare, but check your application route: ten single-stage topics have a complete-proposal deadline of 17 February 2027, 17:00 Brussels time. For four two-stage topics, that is the first-stage deadline, with the second stage due on 16 September 2027, 17:00 Brussels time. Their respective indicative budgets are €341.6 million and €186.6 million. If you would like help assessing a topic or bringing a team together, talk to SFP. Proposal Builder Plus combines consortium building with proposal support.

Sources: HaDEA's Health announcement and Health work programme.

Could you be the expert HaDEA is looking for?

The European Health and Digital Executive Agency, HaDEA, is looking for experts to assess proposals in digital technologies and industrial innovation. Its 26 October invitation covers autonomous mobility, AI-enabled energy platforms, scaling advanced AI models and integrated photonics, within Horizon Europe's Digital, Industry and Space cluster.

Evaluators bring their subject knowledge to the assessment of proposals. If you work in one of these areas, whether in academia, a research organisation, a company, an SME or a public body, review the expertise HaDEA is seeking and register or update your European Commission expert profile. Registration does not guarantee selection.

For specialists in advanced AI models, there is also a topic survey with a preferred response date of 8 November. That request sits within the AI-specific invitation, while the wider recruitment covers all four areas. The agency's page sets out the next steps; if the survey is still unavailable, use the current instructions there rather than relying on the form alone.

Source: HaDEA expert invitation.

Information

EIC's 2026 short-proposal route closes on 4 November

The European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator's 2026 short-proposal route closes on 4 November at 17:00 Brussels time. A successor topic for 2027 is expected to open during November, but its exact opening date has not yet been announced. If you are a start-up or SME preparing a short proposal, check the current portal notice before deciding whether to submit through the 2026 route or wait for the next one.

The Accelerator supports high-risk, high-impact innovations through grants, investment and business support. It uses separate short- and full-proposal stages. The separate 4 November full-proposal batch is for applicants with a qualifying GO or invitation, not for those submitting their first short proposal. The successor topic is HORIZON-EIC-2027-ACCELERATOR-01.

Source: Funding & Tenders short-proposal notice.

Climate resilience: taking research towards the people who need it

The Commission presented its EU Framework for Climate Resilience on 27 October, setting out a response to the climate risks facing public authorities, infrastructure operators and businesses. Alongside a proposed climate resilience law, it brings assessment and adaptation tools into the picture. Research teams have a part to play in making those tools useful to the people who need to manage risks and make decisions.

One route brings the organisations that need solutions closer to the businesses developing them. A €20 million Bridging coordination and support action would fund a consortium to engage buyers and organise later competitive support for businesses working on climate resilience. At least 80% of the consortium's requested contribution must go towards those third-party grants. The Commission's accompanying research announcement also points to an EIC Accelerator Challenge; together, the two actions account for €70 million, not a single competition.

The Bridging consortium call has been open since 6 October and closes on 16 February 2027. Intermediaries and resilience-focused partnerships can consider applying to run the support platform. Businesses developing climate services should watch for the later competitions rather than mistake the consortium call for a direct grant to them. Public purchasers and infrastructure operators can also use the framework's tools to consider where research could meet their needs.

Sources: Commission framework announcement, research and innovation context and Bridging topic.

What is holding hydrogen projects back? The Commission wants evidence

The Commission opened a call for evidence and targeted consultation on 26 October as it develops a renewed Hydrogen Strategy. The targeted consultation runs until 23 November at 23:59 CET, giving organisations working on renewable and low-carbon hydrogen a chance to explain what is slowing deployment.

The strategy aims for a more resilient and competitive hydrogen value chain, with greater predictability for investors. That gives producers, technology providers, infrastructure operators and project promoters a concrete question to answer: what would need to change to make their projects easier to develop and finance? Financial institutions, authorities and research organisations can contribute their evidence too.

If your organisation has encountered those barriers, use the consultation to describe them and their effect on a project. The official page sets out the policy exercise and provides a contact alternative while its questionnaire route is unavailable. This is an opportunity to shape the conditions for future investment, rather than submit a project for funding.

Source: Commission hydrogen consultation.

Canada joins Europe's supercomputing partnership

Canada became the 39th participating state of EuroHPC on 30 October, joining the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking. The partnership pools European and national resources for supercomputing infrastructure and related research. Its announcement confirms access to high-performance computing, AI and quantum resources and collaboration with European scientists.

For Canadian and European research teams working on computing-intensive projects, membership provides a basis for cooperation across the Atlantic. It does not automatically award computing time or a grant: those follow their own procedures. If you are considering a project that needs substantial computing power, start with the relevant EuroHPC access route and check its conditions.

Source: EuroHPC announcement.

New guidance helps European films reach audiences across borders

EACEA published its Films on the Move presentation on 28 October, giving applicants guidance on Creative Europe's support for cross-border film distribution. Coordinated by sales agents, the action is intended to help European films reach audiences beyond their home market.

The published presentation takes sales agents and distributors through the application, annexes and evaluation. If you are developing a distribution plan, read it alongside the call documents to see what you need to explain and how the application will be assessed.

Sources: EACEA applicant materials and Films on the Move presentation.

Find the missing expertise in your industrial research team

NCP4Industry's 2 November update points applicants to the pitch presentations from its 27 October brokerage, with long-term matchmaking planned from early November. For companies, universities and research organisations preparing industrial proposals, it provides a starting point for finding people whose capabilities could complement their own.

Explore the partner-finding material with a specific gap in mind: what does your team still need to do, and who could contribute? The published pages differ on the matchmaking end date, so use the organiser's latest arrangements when planning a meeting.

Source: NCP4Industry brokerage update.

Applications and outcomes

€2.88 billion requested for a €600 million energy infrastructure round

CINEA reported on 26 October that the 2026 Connecting Europe Facility Energy round received 67 applications requesting €2.88 billion, against €600 million available. With applications closed since 30 September, attention now turns to which cross-border infrastructure projects will move forward.

The programme supports cross-border energy infrastructure: projects of common interest connect EU energy markets, while projects of mutual interest link the EU with neighbouring countries. The 67 applications request almost five times the available budget, so the requested funding is not an indication that those projects will all receive support.

For utilities, infrastructure promoters, public authorities and financing partners, the figures show the scale of the proposals seeking a share of this round. Evaluation results are expected in January 2027, with successful grant signatures expected by July.

Source: CINEA submission update.

Defence scale-ups seek €175 million in the EIC's first defence equity round

Nine applications from seven countries are now in the EIC's first STEP Scale Up Defence round, according to its 29 October update. Together they request €175 million in equity investment against a €100 million 2026 budget. The next milestone is shortlisted interviews, expected in January 2027, followed by results in February.

The Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform route aims to help critical defence technologies scale through equity investment and attract private investment alongside it. For defence-technology companies considering how to finance growth, this first round shows that the EIC route is taking investment applications, rather than offering a conventional project grant. The €175 million has been requested, not awarded; the applications are still being evaluated.

Source: EIC defence submission overview.

Six regional innovation partnerships move closer to funding

Six proposals from the €9.8 million I3 capacity-building call have reached grant-agreement preparation, EISMEA announced on 30 October. Their final project announcements are expected by December, once that preparation is successfully completed.

The Interregional Innovation Investments instrument helps regional ecosystems work together and scale innovation. Its capacity-building strand encourages less-developed regions to take part, and the emerging proposals span biomanufacturing, batteries and biodiversity.

For a regional authority, cluster or research organisation, the selection shows how the strand supports collaboration across regions, including in places building the capacity to participate. The six proposals are preparing grant agreements, not yet signed projects. Their final announcements, expected by December after successful preparation, should give readers a clearer picture of the partners and planned work.

Source: EISMEA I3 update.

From accelerator introductions to €5 million in cross-border funding

A network of 13 accelerators, 430 investor meetings and €5 million in cross-border funding secured over two years: those are the outcomes EISMEA reports in its 26 October account of BEYOND. The project brought accelerators and start-ups together across regions through Horizon Europe's European Innovation Ecosystems programme.

BEYOND combined mentoring with investor access and partnerships across regions. For a start-up, that kind of network can connect the search for advice with introductions beyond its home market. For accelerator managers and regional innovation bodies, the case study shows how a group of accelerators organised cross-border support rather than each working alone.

The €5 million is finance reported as secured through the activity over two years, not a new EU grant allocation. Readers interested in building similar connections can explore the case study's account of how the network worked.

Source: EISMEA's BEYOND case study.

Talk of the week

Bigger partnerships, smaller front door? A large European partnership can bring together the resources and expertise to tackle an ambitious problem. But what happens if the organisations with something valuable to contribute cannot find a way in?

That question sits behind Science Europe's 26 October post, which shared a consultation document on European partnerships. The association, which represents research funding and performing organisations, raises concerns about access for smaller and new participants, national matching funding and clarity for associated countries. The document is dated 16 October and carries a Draft label. It is a contribution to the discussion, not an agreed set of rules.

Separately, CEPS's 29 October post encouraged discussion of pooling resources and risk, and argued that competitiveness and global challenges should be complementary priorities. As the next framework programme is negotiated, both contributions point us towards a question: how can partnerships work at scale without making it harder for new organisations to take part?

Our take: the headline budget is only the beginning. If you are a smaller research organisation or company exploring a partnership, ask early how it is governed, where national co-funding comes from and what each potential partner depends on to participate. Those conversations can help a team identify gaps while there is still time to address them.

What to watch

November offers chances to ask questions, meet potential partners and prepare proposals. Times below are CET. Some registration routes could not be tested, and several joining links were unavailable when checked; the organiser pages provide the latest access arrangements.

3–6 November

9–13 November

17–26 November

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