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Strategic Analysis
A winning proposal must position the consortium as a transformative pan-European super-incubator orchestrator, bridging public health ecosystems and private industrial heavyweights (pharma, medtech, biotech) under balanced governance. Success hinges on presenting an agile, transparent Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) cascade mechanism coupled with an authoritative 'Industry Quality Seal' and dedicated corporate mentorship to systematically de-risk TRL 3-5 healthcare innovations toward private follow-on investment and clinical adoption.
TRL 3 → 5
Provide early, industry-informed insights into whether a start-up’s concept or product has the potential to address an unmet clinical/healthcare need and therefore represents a viable market opportunity.
Offer access to specialised mentorship and coaching , including expertise from large-cap pharma and med‑tech on pre-clinical development, regulatory pathways, market access considerations, and overall technology maturation.
Facilitate potential access to industrial capital, facilities, and infrastructural resources .
Connect start-ups with high-quality early-stage innovators across the ecosystem, stimulating collaboration and shared learning.
Strengthen fundraising prospects through association with leading industry partners as well as enhanced visibility
Establish the Network Coordination Forum (composition, terms of reference, meeting cadence) as the main governing and decision-making body of the consortium, including an even split between public and private partners.
Establish an Advisory Board (AB) to provide advice on the Network’s activities including: the implementation of the eligibility and award criteria, the nomination of independent experts in the FSTP evaluation committee, and the overall evaluation process for awarding the FSTP. The AB should include representatives from relevant European Commission Executive Agencies such as the European Innovation Council (EIC), and independent experts with relevant European-wide innovation expertise.
Develop a formal EU incubator network partner map as well as a mechanism for collaborating with further incubators as relevant.
Create and update throughout the duration of the action an integration plan detailing how existing incubators are connected and leveraged.
Prepare and implement the call, publish and launch the first call by month 6, and co-ordinate the evaluation and selection of third parties in line with the ‘Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP)’ section of this topic; publish and launch additional calls as needed.
Implement objective criteria when an additional milestone-based follow-on grant could be made available to accelerate development, validation, and industrial uptake.
Establish a standardised contract template for third-party engagements via FSTP (including the relevant Intellectual Property (IP) considerations such as measures to safeguard it), milestone-based funding release schedules and clear oversight/audit protocols.
Prepare a transparent onboarding workflow for early-stage companies funded through the project (timelines, governance guardrails).
Create a mentoring programme for the FSTP recipients. The mentoring programme should be performed by expert consortium members. The applicants should identify a structure, mentor rota, matching process, milestones and evaluation for the mentoring programme. The mentoring programme is free of charge for the FSTP recipients, and additional to the FSTP funding.
Provide regulatory navigation support (e.g. regulatory guidance on CE marking and clinical evidence generation, support with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ethical approvals, CE/ EMA pathway support, MDR/ IVDR training). Early engagement with regulators, such as EMA and national authorities, should be actively promoted and facilitated.
Provide mentoring for (pre)clinical validation, go-to-market planning, reimbursement strategies and commercial considerations. Such mentoring should be delivered by relevant experts from the pre identified industry consortium and contributing partners.
Provide expertise related to securing investments and ensuring readiness for commercialisation and market deployment (market research, value proposition, business case and business model, prospects for growth, intellectual property protection, competitor analysis etc.).
Provide access to infrastructures, facilities and specialised services, thereby strengthening selected start-ups’ research and development capacity, accelerating technology maturation and validation, and supporting the translation of innovative ideas into robust, market-relevant solutions.
Build up an infrastructure access catalogue (labs, equipment, shared services) and hybrid R&D options.
Design and implement visibility, outreach and networking opportunities for the selected start-ups, to match them with relevant venture capital funds, big buyers, accelerators and other industry players within and outside the consortium, with the final objective of providing growth and/or exit opportunities to the selected start-ups.
Establish a collaboration with relevant European Commission services/agencies, to enhance alignment across respective funding portfolios, for example channelling FSTP awarded start-ups towards subsequent fast track applications to EU funded initiatives and programmes, such as the European Innovation Council (EIC) or EIT Health programmes.
Create a funding and collaboration map (VCs, corporate investors, public bodies) with regional/broad reach to support start-up networking during the project’s lifespan.
Develop training modules on (pre)clinical validation and develop a business development toolkit (go-to-market plans, reimbursement strategies, commercial models).
Industry quality seal: start-ups incubated through the action should receive, at the end of their participation in the action, a signal of validation and endorsement from the Network, in recognition of the start-up’s value and investment worthiness for the whole health industry sector. The ‘quality seal’ can be provided in the form of a letter of intent or any other form deemed appropriate by the applicants, insofar as the quality seal would increase the start-up’s visibility and credibility with potential investors and provide market validation that could help unlock future interest in the selected start-ups. This would not constitute a formal commitment or investment decision by the action’s beneficiaries, but rather a form of industry endorsement signalling that the startup is credible, promising, and valuable to the broader sector.
Develop a sustainability strategy for the Network beyond the funded period (business case, governance, revenue / hosting model), with the objective of identifying scenarios to ensure long-term sustainability of the Network and the continuous accessibility of the deliverables implemented in the project.
Design project-wide key performance indicators (KPI) and implement a dashboard with agreed metrics by category. Examples of categories are:
commercial and economic viability of the Network,
scientific and/or technological progress of the start-ups,
IP applications,
talent and human capital development,
ecosystem effects between start-ups, universities and industry.
Develop annual impact and lessons-learned reports as well as go-to-market playbooks for incubated early stage companies.
Support an alumni network of start-ups that have progressed through the Network, designed to facilitate connections between the start-ups and potential investors and funding partners.
Prepare training and knowledge transfer materials to ensure ongoing operation of the Network.
Develop and validate a framework/guidance to support early-stage engagement with regulators in a simpler and more accelerated way, including the development of recommendations for policy makers.
Initial Grant: Via a competitive FSTP call, each startup could receive a milestone-based grant ranging from EUR 100,000 to EUR 1,000,000. Funding is disbursed only when agreed technical and development milestones are met.
Follow-on grant: Those start-ups receiving an initial grant which demonstrate exceptional potential and strategic relevance could unlock an additional grant. This follow-on grant may also range from EUR 100,000 to EUR 1,000,000, is also tied to milestones, and aims to accelerate further development, validation, and industrial adoption.
specify how FSTP will be managed;
provide a list of the different types of activities for which a third party may receive financial support and describe the results to be obtained;
detail the role of the Advisory Board in line with the tasks indicated above;
detail how it will organise the call(s) to select the third party and lay out the cadence of calls – note that the timing of the call(s) should allow for the completion of the awarded sub-projects within the lifetime of the main action;
describe the organisation of the team launching and implementing the FSTP call(s);
detail how the principles of transparency, equal treatment, non-conflict of interest and confidentiality will be respected;
clearly delineate / detail the calls’ logic, including:
evaluation, selection and award procedure for FSTP subprojects;
implementation of the eligibility and award criteria indicated below (including contribution to the achievement of the general objectives of IHI JU and consideration for the scale of innovation and the strategic importance of the supported technologies, quality of the proposed plan of activity and alignment with the funding request);
costs eligibility criteria;
maximum funding per call;
procedure for the selection of experts.
specify how it will advertise the call(s) including the following requirements:
the call(s) should at least be published on the project website and the EU Funding and Tenders portal for a minimum of 2 months;
the results of the call(s) should be published at least on the Network public website, in particular: the name and country of the third parties, the dates, the nature of the sub-projects funded and their duration.
operate at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3, 4, or 5 at the time of submission;
have NOT previously received FSTP funding under this action;-
are NOT receiving other EU funding for the proposed subproject.
scientific and technical excellence addressing unmet healthcare needs and contributing to the achievement of the IHI JU general objectives [6] ;
innovation and differentiation and quality of the regulatory strategy and pathway to market;
team capabilities, investment readiness and compatibility with industry in-kind offering.
successful completion of initial FSTP grant, including achievement of pre‑defined technical milestones from the initial grant and demonstrated advancement along the agreed TRL pathway;
demonstrated exceptional potential and strategic relevance and a clear justification that additional funding will materially accelerate outcomes.
Beneficiaries may provide Financial Support to Third Parties only in the form of grants
Additional cascade funding is not foreseen. Third parties receiving financial support should not allocate or transfer the financial support, whether partially or in full, to another entity.
The indicative duration of the sub-projects is up to 36 months. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other durations to allow for the proper level of funding for maturing of business plans and solutions. However, the duration of the sub-projects will not exceed the duration of the Grant Agreement
The FSTP should be reimbursed to the third party on a milestone-based approach:
Applicants should also detail the procedures regarding the nature and frequency of controls to ensure that third-parties respect the costs eligibility criteria and other compliance obligations and outline how they will support third parties, ensuring they are informed of the reporting and compliance requirements, particularly the cost eligibility criteria.
The beneficiaries should be able to provide evidence of the FSTP disbursements, in particular extracts from their accounts and extracts from the third-party accounts as well as the bank statements of both beneficiaries and third-parties showing the financial support amount.
A sustainable European HealthCare Incubator Network (hereafter, the ‘Network’) linking incubators from the public sector (academia, foundations etc.) and industry (pharma, medtech, biotech) to leverage and catalyse otherwise fragmented efforts and increase the reach of early-stage healthcare companies and academic players across Europe. By providing tailored mentorship and networking, resources and funding mechanisms, the Network will identify high-potential innovations and establish clear pathways for the scale-up and sustainable development of early-stage healthcare companies, supporting the next wave of European innovations.
A strong programme for de-risking pipelines and mentoring high potential start-ups, with the objective of making start-ups more attractive as investment propositions, and more capable of attracting essential scale-up finance through private or public investors. This should be achieved by leveraging the Network’s unique access to multi-sectorial corporate expertise and mentorship from multiple large-cap companies with tailored funding.
An agile framework for funding promising start-ups through the mechanism of Financial Support to Third Parties (‘FSTP’ or ‘cascade funding’).
Access to high-quality services and infrastructures, provided by the consortium, to accelerate the most promising innovations.
A framework of collaboration with other relevant funding and innovation programmes (e.g. the European Innovation Council (EIC), EIT Health, and national and regional initiatives) to raise selected start-ups’ awareness of potential future additional opportunities for support.
An ‘industry quality seal’ marking industry-validated promising start-ups, de-risked and connected to potential future funders and venture capital funds, that should enhance their ability to secure follow‑on financing and successful further development.
New opportunities for strategic partnerships between selected start-ups and partner companies, incubators, investors, venture capital funds, and other interested third parties.
A portfolio of early-stage companies with improved business, market and technological readiness. This is achieved through targeted access to expertise, infrastructure and services, mentorship, training, and FSTP-supported resources, culminating in sustainable innovations that can be implemented at scale.
deliver innovative, early technology solutions that contribute to addressing strategic unmet public health needs across multiple therapy areas to improve prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment
leverage the unique network and scale of IHI JU members to create a pipeline to support innovative startups in the health industry, fully integrated into European initiatives in support of start-ups and entrepreneurship
drive early cross-sector health R&D and innovation to strengthen the European healthcare industry’s global competitiveness, contributing to the EU Industrial Strategy and Pharmaceutical Strategy objectives
create a sustainable network of European healthcare incubators to guide and support highly talented and innovative early-stage companies
harness digital health and data-sharing technologies (e.g., AI and big data) to enable interoperable health solutions, contributing to the European Health Data Space (EHDS) and improved evidence based care
generate a portfolio of early‑stage companies that have undergone rigorous multi‑industry validation, significantly increasing their credibility with investors, regulators, and healthcare systems. This ‘industry quality seal’ should enhance the selected startups’ ability to secure follow‑on financing
by integrating corporate expertise into a pan‑European incubator network, the action should reduce fragmentation, support faster clinical and eventually commercial decision‑making, and enable more innovators to navigate regulatory and reimbursement pathways successfully. This should contribute to the objectives of the EU to accelerate the translation of research into deployable health technologies. The Network should serve as a feeder mechanism into wider EU support structures, ensuring that promising companies can transition smoothly into later‑stage funding and scale‑up opportunities. This complementarity should maximise the added value of EU public funding while avoiding duplication and reinforcing Europe’s position as a globally competitive hub for health innovation.
EU Industrial Strategy
highThe EU Industrial Strategy aims to drive Europe's twin digital and green transitions while reinforcing the open strategic autonomy and global competitiveness of EU industry. It focuses on supporting ecosystems—including health—through innovation, resilient supply chains, and scaling up small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Evaluators expect proposals to show how networking healthcare incubators strengthens industrial competitiveness, facilitates SME market uptake, and bridges innovation gaps across European health ecosystems.
European Health Data Space (EHDS)
highThe EHDS is a proposed framework to facilitate the secure and trustworthy exchange of health data across the EU for both primary use (healthcare delivery) and secondary use (research, innovation, policy-making). It aims to empower individuals with control over their health data and foster innovation.
Proposals dealing with health data should demonstrate how they align with the principles and objectives of the EHDS, particularly regarding secure data sharing, interoperability, and patient data governance. Projects should consider how they can contribute to or leverage the EHDS infrastructure once established.
Life Science strategy
highThe Life Science strategy outlines the European Commission's vision for unlocking the potential of biosciences and health research to deliver innovative health solutions and economic prosperity. It emphasizes cross-sectoral collaboration, translational science, and faster clinical translation.
Evaluators look for concrete mechanisms that connect academic spin-offs, healthcare incubators, and industry partners to streamline translational pipelines and accelerate life science commercialization across Europe.
proposed Biotech Act
highThe EU Biotech Act initiative aims to create an innovation-friendly environment for biotechnology and biomanufacturing across the EU. It seeks to streamline regulatory processes, facilitate access to finance, and accelerate the commercialization of novel biotechnological solutions from lab to market.
Evaluators expect proposals to articulate how the incubator network accelerates translational pathways for biotech start-ups, navigates regulatory pathways, and supports scaling up bio-based health innovations in Europe.
EU Startup and Scale-up Strategy
highThe EU Startup and Scale-up Initiative aims to give Europe's innovative entrepreneurs every opportunity to become world-leading companies. It focuses on removing regulatory barriers, improving access to finance, and fostering cross-border partnerships within European innovation ecosystems.
Evaluators expect clear strategies for incubation, mentorship, access to early-stage capital, and cross-border expansion services that support health startups to scale across multiple European markets.
Medical Device Regulation (MDR)
highRegulation (EU) 2017/745 establishes a robust, transparent, and sustainable regulatory framework for medical devices to ensure high standards of safety and quality while supporting innovation. It imposes strict clinical evaluation, post-market surveillance, and traceability requirements across the product lifecycle.
Evaluators expect proposals involving healthcare incubators to provide concrete regulatory support services, helping early-stage start-ups generate necessary clinical evidence, design compliant quality management systems, and navigate conformity assessment procedures under MDR.
In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR)
highRegulation (EU) 2017/746 governs in vitro diagnostic medical devices, reinforcing pre-market scrutiny, performance evaluation, and notified body oversight across the EU. It introduces a risk-based classification system and demanding clinical performance evidence requirements for diagnostic tools.
Evaluators expect incubators to provide clear regulatory roadmaps and diagnostic validation resources for start-ups developing assays, companion diagnostics, or software tools, ensuring they comply with stringent IVDR certification requirements.
Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085
highCouncil Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 establishes the European Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe, including the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI). It defines the governance, rules, operational objectives, and public-private partnership mechanisms governing joint collaborative research actions.
Evaluators expect proposals to align with the core legal and operational objectives of the IHI Joint Undertaking, demonstrating genuine cross-sectoral collaboration between public research, healthcare providers, and participating industry partners.
Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe
mediumThe Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe aims to ensure access to affordable, innovative, and safe medicines while supporting the competitiveness and sustainability of the EU pharmaceutical industry. It addresses challenges such as antimicrobial resistance, medicine shortages, and the need for patient-centric innovation. The strategy also promotes digital transformation and regulatory modernization in the pharmaceutical sector.
Evaluators expect proposals to address low-value pharmaceutical care, such as overprescribing, inappropriate use of medicines, or inefficiencies in drug procurement and distribution. Proposals should demonstrate how they align with the strategy’s goals of improving affordability, accessibility, and sustainability in pharmaceutical care. Evidence of collaboration with stakeholders (e.g., healthcare providers, regulators, industry) and a focus on patient outcomes will strengthen the proposal.
Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan
mediumEurope's Beating Cancer Plan establishes a comprehensive EU framework addressing the entire disease pathway, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life for cancer patients and survivors. It mobilizes research, cross-border health data, and digital health tools to reduce health inequalities.
Evaluators look for alignment with oncology innovation pathways, showing how incubated healthcare technologies and clinical solutions can contribute to early detection, personalized oncology therapies, or patient care management.
Healthier Together – EU Non-Communicable Diseases Initiative
mediumThe Healthier Together initiative supports EU Member States in identifying and implementing effective policies and actions to reduce the burden of major non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and chronic respiratory conditions. It focuses on prevention, screening, and integrated chronic care management.
Evaluators expect proposals supporting health incubators to demonstrate how emerging ventures target major chronic health burdens, advance cost-effective digital therapeutics, or improve continuous care delivery for NCDs.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
mediumGDPR sets strict guidelines for data privacy and protection, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children. It mandates transparency, consent, and security in data processing.
Proposals must demonstrate compliance with GDPR, especially when collecting and processing data from children and young adults. Evaluators will prioritize projects that incorporate privacy-by-design principles and ensure ethical data handling.
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described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System :
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and in the ''Conditions of the Calls for proposals and Calls management rules'' section of the IHI JU Work Programme (WP)
described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes and in the ''Conditions of the Calls for proposals and Calls management rules'' section of the IHI JU Work Programme (WP)
described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
described in the ''Conditions of the Calls for proposals and Calls management rules'' section of the the IHI JU Work Programme (WP)
Where relevant, templates of the reference documents and associated guidance can be found on the IHI JU website.
Regarding the application forms for submitting proposals, the relevant templates and annexes are available to download in the submission system of the Funding and Tender Opportunities portal.
The IHI JU 13th Call for proposals full topics text is available here.
Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Evaluation form (RIA Actions – single and two-stage Calls procedure)
IHI JU Evaluation form for Research and Innovation Actions
Proposal Templates Part A and Part B (RIA Actions – single and second stage of two-stage procedure)
1. For 1st stage of two-stage calls
Compulsory annex for Short proposals. The “type of participants” is an IHI specific annex related to Short proposals (first stage of two-stage calls). It can be found here. Instructions on how to fill in this template can be found here.
2. For 2nd stage of two-stage calls
a) Annex to the Budget and Type of participants
Compulsory annex for Full proposals, which complements the budget figures already included in the proposal budget in PART A. Its purpose is to correctly guide the consortium in providing IHI-specific budget items (e.g. IKOP, IKAA, FC PAID, FC RECEIVED) and to comply with IHI additional eligibility criteria (e.g. 45% industry contribution).
The excel document template can be found here.
Instructions on how to fill in the budget can be found here.
Instructions on how to fill the type of participants can be found here.
b) Annex: Declaration of in-kind contribution commitment
Compulsory annex for the second stage of two-stage calls and single-stage calls.
The word document template can be found here.
c) Annex: In-kind contributions to additional activities (IKAA)
Compulsory annex for the second stage of two-stage calls and single-stage calls and when the proposal includes IKAA.
The ‘’In-kind contributions to additional activities (IKAA)’’ is an IHI specific annex.
The excel template can be found here.
d) Annex: Essential information for clinical studies
Compulsory annex for the second stage of two-stage calls and single-stage calls which must be uploaded as a separate document in the submission system. If your proposal does not include clinical studies, please upload a statement declaring that your proposal does not include clinical studies.
The information on clinical studies annex can be found here.
d) Annex: Ethics
Optional annex for the second stage of two-stage calls and single-stage calls. Part A of the proposal includes an ethics self-assessment. However, if the proposal raises many serious ethical issues, the character count in Part A may not be enough for applicants to provide all the information needed. If this is the case for you, you should provide any additional information on the ethical aspects of your proposal in a separate document and upload it as an ethics annex. Note that there is no specific template for this annex.
3. Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 of 19 November 2021 establishing the Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe and repealing Regulations (EC) No 219/2007, (EU) No 557/2014, (EU) No 558/2014, (EU) No 559/2014, (EU) No 560/2014, (EU) No 561/2014 and (EU) No 642/2014 (in short Single Basic Act ‘SBA’ or Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085).
Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA)
Horizon Europe Reference Documents :
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – General Annexes
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Evaluators will rigorously examine the operational robustness of the FSTP mechanism (clear multi-stage milestone disbursement from €100k to €1M, transparent onboarding, and conflict-of-interest firewalls) and the balanced public-private governance within the Network Coordination Forum. Crucially, they will look for genuine industry commitment to provide specialized infrastructures, pre-clinical/regulatory mentoring (EMA, MDR/IVDR), and an impactful long-term sustainability model beyond EU grant funding.
Everything the call asks for, seen from the call's point of view. Each line shows what answers it, and which partner carries it.
This matrix lists everything the call asks for: outcomes, impacts, scope, the requirements buried in the call text, and policy alignment. Sign up free and GrantForge tracks each line against the concept you build.
| Requirement | Covered by | Carried | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope activities | |||
| SC1Provide early, industry-informed insights into whether a start-up’s concept or product has the potential to address an unmet clinical/healthcare need and therefore represents a viable market opportunity. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC2Offer access to specialised mentorship and coaching , including expertise from large-cap pharma and med‑tech on pre-clinical development, regulatory pathways, market access considerations, and overall technology maturation. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC3Facilitate potential access to industrial capital, facilities, and infrastructural resources . | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC4Connect start-ups with high-quality early-stage innovators across the ecosystem, stimulating collaboration and shared learning. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC5Strengthen fundraising prospects through association with leading industry partners as well as enhanced visibility | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC6Establish the Network Coordination Forum (composition, terms of reference, meeting cadence) as the main governing and decision-making body of the consortium, including an even split between public and private partners. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC7Establish an Advisory Board (AB) to provide advice on the Network’s activities including: the implementation of the eligibility and award criteria, the nomination of independent experts in the FSTP evaluation committee, and the overall evaluation process for awarding the FSTP. The AB should include representatives from relevant European Commission Executive Agencies such as the European Innovation Council (EIC), and independent experts with relevant European-wide innovation expertise. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC8Develop a formal EU incubator network partner map as well as a mechanism for collaborating with further incubators as relevant. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC9Create and update throughout the duration of the action an integration plan detailing how existing incubators are connected and leveraged. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC10Prepare and implement the call, publish and launch the first call by month 6, and co-ordinate the evaluation and selection of third parties in line with the ‘Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP)’ section of this topic; publish and launch additional calls as needed. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC11Implement objective criteria when an additional milestone-based follow-on grant could be made available to accelerate development, validation, and industrial uptake. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC12Establish a standardised contract template for third-party engagements via FSTP (including the relevant Intellectual Property (IP) considerations such as measures to safeguard it), milestone-based funding release schedules and clear oversight/audit protocols. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC13Prepare a transparent onboarding workflow for early-stage companies funded through the project (timelines, governance guardrails). | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC14Create a mentoring programme for the FSTP recipients. The mentoring programme should be performed by expert consortium members. The applicants should identify a structure, mentor rota, matching process, milestones and evaluation for the mentoring programme. The mentoring programme is free of charge for the FSTP recipients, and additional to the FSTP funding. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC15Provide regulatory navigation support (e.g. regulatory guidance on CE marking and clinical evidence generation, support with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ethical approvals, CE/ EMA pathway support, MDR/ IVDR training). Early engagement with regulators, such as EMA and national authorities, should be actively promoted and facilitated. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC16Provide mentoring for (pre)clinical validation, go-to-market planning, reimbursement strategies and commercial considerations. Such mentoring should be delivered by relevant experts from the pre identified industry consortium and contributing partners. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC17Provide expertise related to securing investments and ensuring readiness for commercialisation and market deployment (market research, value proposition, business case and business model, prospects for growth, intellectual property protection, competitor analysis etc.). | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC18Provide access to infrastructures, facilities and specialised services, thereby strengthening selected start-ups’ research and development capacity, accelerating technology maturation and validation, and supporting the translation of innovative ideas into robust, market-relevant solutions. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC19Build up an infrastructure access catalogue (labs, equipment, shared services) and hybrid R&D options. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC20Design and implement visibility, outreach and networking opportunities for the selected start-ups, to match them with relevant venture capital funds, big buyers, accelerators and other industry players within and outside the consortium, with the final objective of providing growth and/or exit opportunities to the selected start-ups. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC21Establish a collaboration with relevant European Commission services/agencies, to enhance alignment across respective funding portfolios, for example channelling FSTP awarded start-ups towards subsequent fast track applications to EU funded initiatives and programmes, such as the European Innovation Council (EIC) or EIT Health programmes. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC22Create a funding and collaboration map (VCs, corporate investors, public bodies) with regional/broad reach to support start-up networking during the project’s lifespan. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC23Develop training modules on (pre)clinical validation and develop a business development toolkit (go-to-market plans, reimbursement strategies, commercial models). | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC24Industry quality seal: start-ups incubated through the action should receive, at the end of their participation in the action, a signal of validation and endorsement from the Network, in recognition of the start-up’s value and investment worthiness for the whole health industry sector. The ‘quality seal’ can be provided in the form of a letter of intent or any other form deemed appropriate by the applicants, insofar as the quality seal would increase the start-up’s visibility and credibility with potential investors and provide market validation that could help unlock future interest in the selected start-ups. This would not constitute a formal commitment or investment decision by the action’s beneficiaries, but rather a form of industry endorsement signalling that the startup is credible, promising, and valuable to the broader sector. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC25Develop a sustainability strategy for the Network beyond the funded period (business case, governance, revenue / hosting model), with the objective of identifying scenarios to ensure long-term sustainability of the Network and the continuous accessibility of the deliverables implemented in the project. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC26Design project-wide key performance indicators (KPI) and implement a dashboard with agreed metrics by category. Examples of categories are: | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC27commercial and economic viability of the Network, | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC28scientific and/or technological progress of the start-ups, | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC29IP applications, | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC30talent and human capital development, | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC31ecosystem effects between start-ups, universities and industry. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC32Develop annual impact and lessons-learned reports as well as go-to-market playbooks for incubated early stage companies. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC33Support an alumni network of start-ups that have progressed through the Network, designed to facilitate connections between the start-ups and potential investors and funding partners. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC34Prepare training and knowledge transfer materials to ensure ongoing operation of the Network. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC35Develop and validate a framework/guidance to support early-stage engagement with regulators in a simpler and more accelerated way, including the development of recommendations for policy makers. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC36Initial Grant: Via a competitive FSTP call, each startup could receive a milestone-based grant ranging from EUR 100,000 to EUR 1,000,000. Funding is disbursed only when agreed technical and development milestones are met. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC37Follow-on grant: Those start-ups receiving an initial grant which demonstrate exceptional potential and strategic relevance could unlock an additional grant. This follow-on grant may also range from EUR 100,000 to EUR 1,000,000, is also tied to milestones, and aims to accelerate further development, validation, and industrial adoption. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC38specify how FSTP will be managed; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC39provide a list of the different types of activities for which a third party may receive financial support and describe the results to be obtained; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC40detail the role of the Advisory Board in line with the tasks indicated above; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC41detail how it will organise the call(s) to select the third party and lay out the cadence of calls – note that the timing of the call(s) should allow for the completion of the awarded sub-projects within the lifetime of the main action; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC42describe the organisation of the team launching and implementing the FSTP call(s); | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC43detail how the principles of transparency, equal treatment, non-conflict of interest and confidentiality will be respected; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC44clearly delineate / detail the calls’ logic, including: | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC45evaluation, selection and award procedure for FSTP subprojects; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC46implementation of the eligibility and award criteria indicated below (including contribution to the achievement of the general objectives of IHI JU and consideration for the scale of innovation and the strategic importance of the supported technologies, quality of the proposed plan of activity and alignment with the funding request); | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC47costs eligibility criteria; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC48maximum funding per call; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC49procedure for the selection of experts. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC50specify how it will advertise the call(s) including the following requirements: | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC51the call(s) should at least be published on the project website and the EU Funding and Tenders portal for a minimum of 2 months; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC52the results of the call(s) should be published at least on the Network public website, in particular: the name and country of the third parties, the dates, the nature of the sub-projects funded and their duration. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC53operate at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3, 4, or 5 at the time of submission; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC54have NOT previously received FSTP funding under this action;- | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC55are NOT receiving other EU funding for the proposed subproject. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC56scientific and technical excellence addressing unmet healthcare needs and contributing to the achievement of the IHI JU general objectives [6] ; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC57innovation and differentiation and quality of the regulatory strategy and pathway to market; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC58team capabilities, investment readiness and compatibility with industry in-kind offering. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC59successful completion of initial FSTP grant, including achievement of pre‑defined technical milestones from the initial grant and demonstrated advancement along the agreed TRL pathway; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC60demonstrated exceptional potential and strategic relevance and a clear justification that additional funding will materially accelerate outcomes. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC61Beneficiaries may provide Financial Support to Third Parties only in the form of grants | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC62Additional cascade funding is not foreseen. Third parties receiving financial support should not allocate or transfer the financial support, whether partially or in full, to another entity. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC63The indicative duration of the sub-projects is up to 36 months. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other durations to allow for the proper level of funding for maturing of business plans and solutions. However, the duration of the sub-projects will not exceed the duration of the Grant Agreement | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC64The FSTP should be reimbursed to the third party on a milestone-based approach: | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC65Applicants should also detail the procedures regarding the nature and frequency of controls to ensure that third-parties respect the costs eligibility criteria and other compliance obligations and outline how they will support third parties, ensuring they are informed of the reporting and compliance requirements, particularly the cost eligibility criteria. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC66The beneficiaries should be able to provide evidence of the FSTP disbursements, in particular extracts from their accounts and extracts from the third-party accounts as well as the bank statements of both beneficiaries and third-parties showing the financial support amount. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Expected outcomes | |||
| EO1A sustainable European HealthCare Incubator Network (hereafter, the ‘Network’) linking incubators from the public sector (academia, foundations etc.) and industry (pharma, medtech, biotech) to leverage and catalyse otherwise fragmented efforts and increase the reach of early-stage healthcare companies and academic players across Europe. By providing tailored mentorship and networking, resources and funding mechanisms, the Network will identify high-potential innovations and establish clear pathways for the scale-up and sustainable development of early-stage healthcare companies, supporting the next wave of European innovations. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO2A strong programme for de-risking pipelines and mentoring high potential start-ups, with the objective of making start-ups more attractive as investment propositions, and more capable of attracting essential scale-up finance through private or public investors. This should be achieved by leveraging the Network’s unique access to multi-sectorial corporate expertise and mentorship from multiple large-cap companies with tailored funding. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO3An agile framework for funding promising start-ups through the mechanism of Financial Support to Third Parties (‘FSTP’ or ‘cascade funding’). | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO4Access to high-quality services and infrastructures, provided by the consortium, to accelerate the most promising innovations. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO5A framework of collaboration with other relevant funding and innovation programmes (e.g. the European Innovation Council (EIC), EIT Health, and national and regional initiatives) to raise selected start-ups’ awareness of potential future additional opportunities for support. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO6An ‘industry quality seal’ marking industry-validated promising start-ups, de-risked and connected to potential future funders and venture capital funds, that should enhance their ability to secure follow‑on financing and successful further development. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO7New opportunities for strategic partnerships between selected start-ups and partner companies, incubators, investors, venture capital funds, and other interested third parties. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO8A portfolio of early-stage companies with improved business, market and technological readiness. This is achieved through targeted access to expertise, infrastructure and services, mentorship, training, and FSTP-supported resources, culminating in sustainable innovations that can be implemented at scale. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Other requirements | |||
| No other requirements in this call. | |||
| Expected impacts | |||
| EI1deliver innovative, early technology solutions that contribute to addressing strategic unmet public health needs across multiple therapy areas to improve prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI2leverage the unique network and scale of IHI JU members to create a pipeline to support innovative startups in the health industry, fully integrated into European initiatives in support of start-ups and entrepreneurship | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI3drive early cross-sector health R&D and innovation to strengthen the European healthcare industry’s global competitiveness, contributing to the EU Industrial Strategy and Pharmaceutical Strategy objectives | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI4create a sustainable network of European healthcare incubators to guide and support highly talented and innovative early-stage companies | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI5harness digital health and data-sharing technologies (e.g., AI and big data) to enable interoperable health solutions, contributing to the European Health Data Space (EHDS) and improved evidence based care | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI6generate a portfolio of early‑stage companies that have undergone rigorous multi‑industry validation, significantly increasing their credibility with investors, regulators, and healthcare systems. This ‘industry quality seal’ should enhance the selected startups’ ability to secure follow‑on financing | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI7by integrating corporate expertise into a pan‑European incubator network, the action should reduce fragmentation, support faster clinical and eventually commercial decision‑making, and enable more innovators to navigate regulatory and reimbursement pathways successfully. This should contribute to the objectives of the EU to accelerate the translation of research into deployable health technologies. The Network should serve as a feeder mechanism into wider EU support structures, ensuring that promising companies can transition smoothly into later‑stage funding and scale‑up opportunities. This complementarity should maximise the added value of EU public funding while avoiding duplication and reinforcing Europe’s position as a globally competitive hub for health innovation. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Underlying policies | |||
| POL1eu industrial strategyThe EU Industrial Strategy aims to drive Europe's twin digital and green transitions while reinforcing the open strategic autonomy and global competitiveness of EU industry. It focuses on supporting ecosystems—including health—through innovation, resilient supply chains, and scaling up small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). | · | · | Sign up to track |
| POL2european health data space (ehds)The EHDS is a proposed framework to facilitate the secure and trustworthy exchange of health data across the EU for both primary use (healthcare delivery) and secondary use (research, innovation, policy-making). It aims to empower individuals with control over their health data and foster innovation. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| POL3life science strategyThe Life Science strategy outlines the European Commission's vision for unlocking the potential of biosciences and health research to deliver innovative health solutions and economic prosperity. It emphasizes cross-sectoral collaboration, translational science, and faster clinical translation. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| POL4proposed biotech actThe EU Biotech Act initiative aims to create an innovation-friendly environment for biotechnology and biomanufacturing across the EU. It seeks to streamline regulatory processes, facilitate access to finance, and accelerate the commercialization of novel biotechnological solutions from lab to market. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| POL5eu startup and scale-up strategyThe EU Startup and Scale-up Initiative aims to give Europe's innovative entrepreneurs every opportunity to become world-leading companies. It focuses on removing regulatory barriers, improving access to finance, and fostering cross-border partnerships within European innovation ecosystems. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| POL6medical device regulation (mdr)Regulation (EU) 2017/745 establishes a robust, transparent, and sustainable regulatory framework for medical devices to ensure high standards of safety and quality while supporting innovation. It imposes strict clinical evaluation, post-market surveillance, and traceability requirements across the product lifecycle. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| POL7in vitro diagnostic regulation (ivdr)Regulation (EU) 2017/746 governs in vitro diagnostic medical devices, reinforcing pre-market scrutiny, performance evaluation, and notified body oversight across the EU. It introduces a risk-based classification system and demanding clinical performance evidence requirements for diagnostic tools. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| POL8council regulation (eu) 2021/2085Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 establishes the European Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe, including the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI). It defines the governance, rules, operational objectives, and public-private partnership mechanisms governing joint collaborative research actions. | · | · | Sign up to track |
The binding rules of this call. Items marked auto are verified by GrantForge from the call and the template. The others are yours to confirm.
5 key insights you must internalise before writing. Each is grounded in the call text and tells you what evaluators will actually look for. Share these with your consortium before drafting.
Evaluators will rigorously scrutinize the operational robustness of your Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) mechanism. You must design a transparent, milestone-gated disbursement structure for both the initial and follow-on grants (€100k to €1M), explicitly detailing conflict-of-interest firewalls and onboarding workflows.
Source: Evaluation_pre_award
The consortium governance must strictly feature a Network Coordination Forum with an exact even split between public and private partners. Furthermore, your Advisory Board must explicitly include representatives from the European Innovation Council (EIC) to advise on FSTP evaluation, or the proposal will fail to meet structural scope requirements.
Source: Scope
A core expected outcome is the creation of an Industry Quality Seal to validate incubated start-ups for future investors. Proposals must define the exact criteria and format of this endorsement—such as a formal letter of intent from industry partners—to prove the network can successfully de-risk ventures and mobilize private follow-on capital.
Source: Scope / Expected Outcomes
Because this is a two-stage call, your Stage 1 scientific objectives and consortium composition are binding and evaluated on a strict 20-page limit. You must also include the IHI-specific Type of participants annex at Stage 1, as failing to provide this compulsory document will result in immediate rejection at the admissibility check.
Source: Eligibility
Evaluators will look for genuine, documented industry commitment to provide specialized regulatory mentoring for early-stage companies. Your consortium must include corporate experts capable of directly guiding start-ups through EMA pathways, MDR, and IVDR compliance, rather than relying on generic regulatory advice.
Source: Evaluation_pre_award
Talk to the Grant Coach to build your concept. There is no set order: start wherever your project starts. The sections below mirror what the conversation produces, and your coverage tracks the progress. You can refine everything once your project workspace is created.
The problems this call frames, and who they affect. Your concept and plan address them.
Incubation capacity across Europe remains siloed and regionally uneven, preventing early-stage ventures from accessing multi-national industry-grade expertise and infrastructure.
Start-ups operating at TRL 3-5 struggle with complex regulatory frameworks (MDR/IVDR, EHDS, EMA), non-dilutive milestone funding, and clinical validation requirements, causing high attrition before Series A.
Venture investors lack reliable, objective validation of technological and clinical viability, leading to risk aversion and insufficient private capital mobilization for early healthcare technologies.
Innovators and SMEs developing promising healthcare solutions at TRL 3-5 in need of de-risking, funding, and corporate mentorship.
Academic, university, and regional incubation centres seeking pan-European integration and access to industrial capabilities.
Pharma, medtech, and biotech corporations looking to de-risk external pipelines and co-develop disruptive innovations.
Private equity, VC funds, and corporate venture arms seeking high-grade, de-risked early-stage deal flow.
Translational medicine researchers, clinical academics, and biomedical research institutions benefiting from standardized commercialization and validation pathways.
End-users and clinical systems gaining accelerated access to safer, more effective, and cost-efficient diagnostic and therapeutic innovations.
The long-term impacts your project should drive, and the policies they serve.
De-risk European health startups through milestone FSTP and corporate validation, unlocking substantial private follow-on capital.
Increase survival and growth rates of health technology ventures through access to shared industry infrastructure and mentoring.
Coordinate specialized R&I infrastructure access across member states, overcoming national disparities in translation capability.
Translate critical pre-clinical innovations into certified, accessible treatments and diagnostic tools addressing unmet medical needs.