Call identifier: EIT Health 26-28
Objective of the call
The call supports patient-centred digital and AI-enabled medical devices and in-vitro diagnostic solutions that address an unmet medical need and are ready for clinical validation. Projects should generate evidence of safety and efficacy, prepare regulatory approval and establish a credible route to market.
Solutions must fall under MDR (EU 2017/745) or IVDR (EU 2017/746), be at Innovation Maturity Level (IML) 6 overall and aim to reach IML 7 by project end. They must be pre-CE-marked for the intended use covered by the project. Devices already CE-marked for a different intended use, indication or risk class can qualify where a new regulatory assessment is required.
Wellness or lifestyle products without medical oversight, non-medical applications and healthcare management software without a direct effect on patient diagnosis, treatment or care are outside scope.
Eligible applicants
Applications must come from at least two independent legal entities established in different countries. The consortium must cover at least two sides of the Knowledge Triangle (industry, education and research), including an industry partner, and be led by a for-profit commercialising company with the business capabilities and legal rights to bring the innovation to market.
Funding is available to eligible entities in EU Member States, linked Overseas Countries and Territories, Horizon Europe Associated Countries and certain low- and middle-income countries. Other countries may participate without funding, subject to call restrictions; exceptional funding requires EIT approval where participation is essential. Individuals cannot apply.
Additional conditions for micro and small commercialising companies
- At least four full-time-equivalent permanent, salaried employees at submission, with contracts committing at least 50% of their working time to the company; consultants and freelancers do not count.
- A full-time CEO dedicated to the company, under an employment contract or an equivalent full-time arrangement.
- No publicly traded shares and no ongoing IPO process.
- At least €250,000 in external equity or other dilutive funding raised during the previous three years, reduced to €150,000 for companies established in RIS countries. Grants and other non-dilutive funding do not count.
Eligible activities and funding conditions
Supported activities and eligible costs
- Pivotal clinical studies, patient recruitment, data collection and analysis.
- Final verification, interoperability and security testing, product refinement and intellectual-property protection.
- Regulatory strategy, quality management and preparation and submission of the regulatory dossier.
- Market analysis, pricing, business-model development, communication, dissemination and exploitation.
Costs follow the Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement. Funding uses a cost-reporting model. Subcontracting may cover only a limited part of the action and cannot replace the beneficiaries’ own implementation capacity.
Funding conditions
- Total call budget: up to €5.1 million, for up to six projects.
- Maximum EIT Health grant: €850,000 per project, covering up to 50% of total project costs. The consortium must secure the remaining financing from non-EIT Health sources.
- If the commercialising company is micro or small, it must receive €400,000–€500,000 of the grant.
- Maximum duration: 20 months, from 1 May 2027 to no later than 31 December 2028.
Mandatory financial sustainability contribution
The commercialising company must sign a Financial Sustainability Contribution Agreement before funding can be released to the consortium. For micro and small companies, this is a Grant to Option to Equity Agreement: EIT Health receives options that convert into company equity at defined events or maturity. For medium and large companies, a Revenue Sharing Agreement applies, with total payments equal to the project funding received plus an agreed mark-up of at least 15%. Revenue sharing is triggered by sales above €10,000 within five years after project end; the detailed agreement governs payment terms.
Mandatory outcomes and deliverables
Projects must aim to launch an innovation generating at least €10,000 in sales and benefit at least 150,000 European patients/citizens within three years after funding. At least one IP asset must be filed or registered during the project. Micro/small commercialising companies must also target at least €500,000 in additional investment by three years after funding.
Required deliverables include ethics approvals, data-management plans, a study-initiation package, communication/dissemination/exploitation planning, patient-recruitment reports, a market and business strategy, a final clinical-study report and proof of regulatory-dossier submission by project end.
Deadline for submission
13 January 2027, 16:00 Brussels time. Applications opened on 14 October 2026.
Submit in English through the EIT Health application platform using a valid PIC and the provided, unaltered upload templates.
Selection comprises admissibility and eligibility checks, remote expert evaluation, an online pitch and an Ethical, Legal and Social Issues review. Up to 15 proposals scoring at least 70/100 in remote evaluation may be invited to pitch; the final pitch score must also reach at least 70/100 for funding consideration.
Indicative dates: eligibility notification 27 January 2027; remote-evaluation results 17 February; pitches 8–12 March; final results 31 March; project start 1 May 2027.
Information webinar: 28 October 2026, 12:00 CET. Q&A: 1 December 2026, 15:00 CET.