A European flagship initiative leveraging AI and health data for cardiovascular health and related non-communicable diseases: Advancing Risk Prediction, Prevention, Treatments, Personalised Care and Rehabilitation

The EU4Health Programme is launching a call for proposals identified as EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-04, focusing on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and health data to improve cardiovascular health and tackle related non-communicable diseases. The initiative aims to advance risk prediction, prevention, treatments, personalized care, and rehabilitation.

Eligible applicants include a wide array of organizations, such as universities, research institutions, hospitals, NGOs, industry partners, and public health organizations, all of which must demonstrate financial and operational capacity. The funding is categorized as an EU4H Action Grant, specifically budget-based, allowing for direct financial support for project activities.

The expected scope involves a consortium of multiple partners, encouraging collaboration across different expertise areas. The geographical eligibility primarily includes EU Member States and associated countries, focusing on cross-border initiatives within the Union.

The target sectors are centered around health, particularly cardiovascular diseases and related non-communicable diseases, with a strong emphasis on the application of AI in health data management. The initiative also looks to create and validate solutions ready for deployment in clinical settings.

The total funding amount allocated for the project is €20 million, with a typical EU co-financing rate of up to 60% of total eligible costs, potentially rising to 80% in exceptional cases. The application process is a single-stage submission, slated to open on September 23, 2025, with a deadline of January 6, 2026.

Expected outcomes include the generation of high-quality datasets relevant to cardiovascular health, validated AI solutions for early detection and personalized care, and strategic guidelines for the integration of AI in healthcare systems. The initiative aims not only to improve health outcomes but also to foster trust in health AI through compliance with stringent data protection standards.

Overall, this call seeks to enhance the European healthcare landscape by preparing for a future that extensively utilizes AI and health data to optimize cardiovascular health management while addressing pressing health challenges across the EU.

This is a description of the EU4Health Programme (EU4H) Call for EU4H SANTE Action Grants 2025 (EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ), specifically focusing on the topic "A European flagship initiative leveraging AI and health data for cardiovascular health and related non-communicable diseases: Advancing Risk Prediction, Prevention, Treatments, Personalised Care and Rehabilitation" with the topic ID EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-04. The action type is EU4H-PJG EU4H Project Grants, utilizing an EU4H Action Grant Budget-Based [EU4H-AG] Model Grant Agreement. The deadline model is single-stage. The planned opening date is 23 September 2025, and the deadline is 06 January 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected impact of this initiative includes: Improved health outcomes through earlier diagnosis and more targeted prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), leading to reduced disease progression, complications, and avoidable mortality. Greater equity by enhancing access to personalised diagnostics and AI-supported care pathways, especially in underserved regions or Member States with limited innovation capacity. Efficiency and sustainability of health systems through better use of resources via predictive and preventive approaches, reducing the burden of chronic conditions on healthcare infrastructures. Increased trust in European health AI by ensuring compliance with data protection, safety, and transparency standards, fostering responsible AI use for health in line with the AI Act and EHDS Regulation, and supporting the uptake and development of specifications and standards for interoperability, risk management, and data governance.

The expected outcome is the generation of tangible, scalable results supporting the adoption of AI-driven personalised care for cardiovascular diseases and related non-communicable conditions, while laying the foundations of a trusted European data ecosystem for health innovation.

The expected results in the data dimension include: Creation of a large-scale, federated, high-quality dataset for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, aligned with the EHDS framework, that is representative, inclusive, and interoperable, enabling the development, training, and benchmarking of AI tools across borders. Definition and uptake of minimum technical specifications for cardiovascular datasets, including structured phenotypes, genetic and biometric markers, and metadata quality labelling.

The expected results in the AI adoption dimension include: Validated AI solutions: A portfolio of AI tools will be piloted in real-world clinical settings, with demonstrated effectiveness in early detection, risk prediction, and personalised prevention of cardiovascular and related chronic diseases. Deployment frameworks: The initiative will produce practical guidelines and protocols to facilitate the integration and scale-up of AI applications across diverse healthcare systems, covering governance, interoperability, clinician training, patient engagement, and continuous performance monitoring. Strategic guidance: The publication of a roadmap and a blueprint for large-scale integration will inform health authorities, hospitals, and policymakers on how to responsibly and sustainably adopt AI tools, supporting informed decisions at national and Union levels. Robust evidence base: The project will generate comparative data on safety, performance (e.g. sensitivity, specificity, cost-effectiveness), usability and acceptability, informing both clinical practice and health policy.

The initiative is structured around two complementary and mutually reinforcing objectives: Objective 1 is to structure, federate, and enable access to high-quality health data across the Union to support the development, training, validation, and deployment of AI tools focused on cardiovascular diseases and related non-communicable diseases (such as diabetes and obesity), aligning with and preparing for the future application of the EHDS. Objective 2 is to identify, validate, and scale up mature AI applications capable of improving the risk prediction, early detection, personalised prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of cardiovascular and related chronic diseases.

The scope of this initiative is to leverage AI and health data to accelerate the early detection, prediction, personalised prevention, integrated management, and rehabilitation of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including rare and complex forms.

The conditions for this call include: Admissibility Conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, as described in section 5 of the call document and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. Eligibility conditions related to eligible countries and other eligible conditions, as described in section 6 of the call document. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria, as described in section 7 of the call document. Evaluation and award processes, including submission and evaluation processes, award criteria, scoring and thresholds, and indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, as described in sections 8, 9, and 4 of the call document and the Online Manual. Legal and financial set-up of the grants, as described in section 10 of the call document.

The call document and annexes include: The Call document itself. Application form templates, including the Standard application form (EU4H) available in the Submission System and a Detailed budget table (EU4H). Model Grant Agreements (MGA), specifically the EU4H MGA. Additional documents such as the EU4H Work Programme, EU4H Regulation 2021/522, 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, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview for the topic indicates the following: EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-01 EU4H Project Grants with a budget of 3,000,000 EUR. EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-02 EU4H Project Grants with a budget of 7,440,000 EUR. EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-03 EU4H Project Grants with a budget of 7,440,000 EUR. EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-04 EU4H Project Grants with a budget of 20,000,000 EUR. EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-05 EU4H Project Grants with a budget of 2,000,000 EUR. EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-06 EU4H Project Grants with a budget of 750,000 EUR. EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-07 EU4H Project Grants with a budget of 1,200,000 EUR. EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-08 EU4H Project Grants with a budget of 14,386,810 EUR. EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-09 EU4H Project Grants with a budget of 600,000 EUR. All topics are single-stage, with an opening date of 2025-09-23 and a deadline of 2026-01-06.

There are partner search announcements available for collaboration on this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics after logging into the Portal, as well as any user having an active public Person profile. The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

For support, applicants are advised to read all provisions carefully before preparing their application and can contact HaDEA-HP-CALLS@ec.europa.eu for help related to this call. Additional resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, IT Helpdesk for technical issues, and the Online Manual for a step-by-step guide through the Portal processes.

In summary, this EU4Health Programme call aims to foster a European model of AI-enabled healthcare for cardiovascular and related chronic diseases. It seeks to leverage health data and AI to improve risk prediction, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation, ultimately leading to better health outcomes, greater equity, and more efficient health systems. The call encourages the development and validation of AI tools, the creation of interoperable health data ecosystems, and the establishment of guidelines for the responsible and sustainable adoption of AI in healthcare across Europe. The call provides funding opportunities for projects that align with these objectives and contribute to the broader vision of a trusted and effective European health AI landscape.

Eligible Applicant Types: The provided text does not explicitly list eligible applicant types. However, based on the nature of EU funding and the focus on health, AI, and data, eligible applicants could include universities, research institutes, healthcare providers (hospitals, clinics), technology companies (especially those specializing in AI and data analytics), public health organizations, and possibly SMEs and large enterprises involved in relevant sectors. Public-private partnerships could also be eligible. The mention of LEARs (Legal Entity Appointed Representatives) suggests that established organizations with a legal presence in eligible countries are likely targets.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically identified as "EU4H Project Grants" (EU4H-PJG) under the EU4Health Programme. The "Type of MGA" (Model Grant Agreement) is "EU4H Action Grant Budget-Based [EU4H-AG]", indicating that the grant amount is determined based on the project budget.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, given the complexity and scope of the initiative, which involves data federation, AI tool development, validation, and deployment across different healthcare systems, it is highly probable that a consortium of multiple applicants with complementary expertise is preferred, if not required. The partner search announcements further suggest that collaboration is encouraged.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The text refers to the "Union" and "Member States," indicating that the primary geographic eligibility is for entities located in the European Union. However, without explicit information in section 6 of the call document (mentioned under "Eligible Countries"), it is difficult to assess if associated countries or EU third countries are also eligible.

Target Sector: The primary target sectors are health and ICT, specifically focusing on:
 *  Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)
 *  Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and obesity
 *  Artificial Intelligence (AI)
 *  Health data
 *  Personalized care
 *  Biotech/Medtech
 *  Data governance and interoperability

Mentioned Countries: The text refers to the "Union" and "Member States," implying all EU member states are within the scope of the opportunity. No specific countries are explicitly named.

Project Stage: The project stage targets both validation and scale-up. The call aims to "identify, validate, and scale up mature AI applications," suggesting that projects should have progressed beyond the initial research phase and be ready for real-world clinical testing and deployment. The emphasis is on "tangible, scalable results."

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic. Based on the "Budget overview," the funding ranges are:
 *  EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-01: €3,000,000
 *  EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-02: €7,440,000
 *  EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-03: €7,440,000
 *  EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-04: €20,000,000
 *  EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-05: €2,000,000
 *  EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-06: €750,000
 *  EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-07: €1,200,000
 *  EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-08: €14,386,810
 *  EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-09: €600,000

Application Type: The application type is an "Action Grant" with a "single-stage" submission process. This means applicants submit a full proposal in one go, rather than going through a preliminary expression of interest phase. The call is "Forthcoming" and will open on 23 September 2025.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to fund their projects. The grants are budget-based, meaning the amount awarded will depend on the project's financial needs as detailed in the proposal.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage, meaning there is only one submission deadline and evaluation phase.

Success Rates: The text does not provide any information about success rates.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

In summary, this EU4Health Programme call (EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ) is a significant funding opportunity focused on leveraging Artificial Intelligence and health data to improve the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of cardiovascular diseases and related non-communicable diseases across the European Union. The call aims to establish a European model for AI-enabled healthcare by creating a large-scale, federated health data ecosystem and deploying validated AI solutions in clinical settings. The initiative has two main objectives: first, to structure and enable access to high-quality health data for AI applications, and second, to validate and scale up mature AI tools for risk prediction and personalized care. The call is structured as a single-stage action grant, with varying budget allocations for different project topics, ranging from 600,000 EUR to 20,000,000 EUR. The call is expected to open on September 23, 2025, with a deadline of January 6, 2026. Applicants should carefully review the call documents, including the call document, application form templates, model grant agreement, and additional documents related to EU regulations and guidelines, to ensure their proposals meet the admissibility and eligibility criteria. Collaboration and the formation of consortia with diverse expertise are likely beneficial for addressing the multifaceted challenges of this initiative.