Call for proposals for operating grants in 2027 to non-governmental organisations: financial contribution to the functioning of health non-governmenta...

EU4Health 2027 Operating Grant (call identifier EU4H-2027-SANTE-OG, reference OA-g-26-91) provides mono‑beneficiary operating support to established non-profit health NGOs to fund their functioning and work programme during 2027 and is managed by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). The call has an indicative budget of €1.8 million, a single-stage electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal, opening 4 November 2026 and closing 19 January 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time. Grants reimburse eligible operating costs using a budget-based mixed actual cost model at a standard funding rate of 60% of eligible costs, with an 80% rate possible where exceptional utility conditions are met. Applicants must be legally independent NGOs active at Union level (demonstrable coverage in at least half of EU Member States), meet governance and financial capacity requirements, and submit Part A and a Part B technical proposal with required annexes within the 70-page limit.

What it funds

Scope and expected results

Operating grants to contribute to the 2027 functioning costs of health NGOs that implement one or more specific objectives of Regulation (EU) 2021/522. Funded activities cover awareness raising, health promotion, capacity building and training, communication and dissemination, expert collaboration and networking, and production of concrete outputs (online materials, manuals, factsheets, teacher materials, twinning assistance, training courses, guidance and peer-to-peer activities).

Footnotes

1. 1Call documentation, application templates and model grant agreement are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal topic page Call document and templates.

Key facts and timeline

Purpose, objectives and expected impact

Eligibility and applicant requirements

Eligibility documentary and operational requirements

Scope of eligible activities and limits

Eligible activities include organisational functioning to deliver awareness raising, communication, dissemination, capacity building, training, expert collaboration, networking and development of educational and promotional outputs. Activities must comply with Commission Guidance on funding for activities related to development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of Union legislation and policy. Financial support to third parties is not allowed under this call. Projects must be implemented in eligible countries and may run up to 12 months but not exceed the applicant’s financial year. Ethics and applicable law compliance is required for any ethics-sensitive activities.

Geographic eligibility and specific country references

Funding modalities, rates and financial rules

Application process, templates and submission

Evaluation and award criteria

Scoring, thresholds and prioritisation

Maximum total score 100 points. Individual thresholds per criterion apply (21/30, 21/30, 21/30, 7/10). Overall threshold 70/100. Proposals passing thresholds are ranked by score and may be funded within available budget; where equal scores occur, prioritisation uses Relevance then Impact then Quality sub-scores, with portfolio considerations for geographic and thematic balance if needed. Applicants will be informed of evaluation results via the Portal; complaints procedures are described in the evaluation result letter.

Form of Grant Agreement and legal/financial setup

The grant will follow the EU4H Operating Grant Model Grant Agreement (Operating Grants MGA). Grant form: operating grant MGA mono-beneficiary. Project starting date and duration will be fixed in the Grant Agreement Data Sheet. The Grant Agreement sets milestones, deliverables, reporting obligations and payment schedule. Payments: typically an initial prefinancing (prefinancing guarantee may be required depending on risk assessment), reporting-based payments and final payment subject to technical and financial reporting and audit checks. Certificates on financial statements (CFS) and other audit requirements apply depending on grant size. Liability and recovery rules, suspension and termination clauses follow the Model Grant Agreement and Financial Regulation.

Funding rates, co-funding and exceptional utility

Standard funding rate is 60% of eligible costs. A higher funding rate of 80% can be requested if the proposed activities are of exceptional utility as defined in the Work Programme and call conditions. One criterion for exceptional utility is that at least 30% of the budget is allocated to activities in Member States whose GNI per inhabitant is less than 90% of the EU average. The call document requires applicants to justify financial need and demonstrate EU added value. Co-funding: applicants are expected to contribute the remaining share of eligible costs from other sources (own resources, income generated by the action, financial contributions from third parties). The call text and MGA set no absolute uniform co-funding percentage beyond the funding rate: the non-EU share must be covered by the applicant.

Project maturity and expected project stage

Application modality, stages and probabilities

Indicative administrative and evaluation timeline

Budget and financial specifics (detailed)

Evaluation thresholds, indicators and reporting requirements

Award criteria thresholds as above. Specific action-level indicators to be included in regular reporting: number of staff participating in EU4Health objective-related activities, number of activities/actions supported per specific objective, number of outputs delivered for awareness-raising and communication (including access/download statistics), outputs for capacity-building and training (and participant counts, improved knowledge and satisfaction rates), number of beneficiaries reached (including vulnerable groups). Deliverables must be uploaded in the Portal and linked to continuous reporting milestones. Final reporting will include technical report and financial statements for the action period and may require certificates depending on grant size.

Evaluation and award: practical considerations and tips

Proposals must clearly demonstrate EU added value, measurable deliverables, quality of project design and feasibility within the 12-month maximum duration, and a demonstrated capacity to operate at Union level. Provide detailed evidence of membership/coverage in at least half of Member States and geographic balance. Explain why EU funding is necessary and include a realistic, cost-effective budget aligned to activities and outputs. Include monitoring indicators and evaluation methods, CVs of core team, recent annual activity and financial reports to demonstrate operational and financial capacity, and evidence of independence from industry where required. Ensure all mandatory annexes are uploaded correctly to avoid inadmissibility. Do not include activities that concern the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of Union legislation beyond the allowed guidance; follow Commission Guidance closely.

Structured answers to the requested categorisation fields

Practical checklist for applicants

Risks, exclusions and compliance

Applicants must not be subject to exclusion grounds such as bankruptcy, grave professional misconduct, fraud, links to criminal organisations, irregularities or breach of social security or tax obligations. Entities subject to EU restrictive measures or conditionality measures are ineligible. Misrepresentation during the award procedure or involvement in call preparation that distorts competition will lead to rejection. The Financial Regulation requirements, rules on double funding and no-profit rule apply. Applicants must keep records for the retention periods stated in the MGA and be open to checks, audits and investigations by granting authority, OLAF, EPPO and the European Court of Auditors.

This call applies the interpretative guidance on the definition of non-governmental organisations under Article 2(49) of the Financial Regulation to determine NGO status and related evidence requirements; applicants should consult that interpretative note and be prepared to provide statutory documentation, activity reports and other evidence of non-profit status, independence from government and Union-level activity coverage where requested 1.

Summary: What is this opportunity about and how to explain it

This is an EU4Health operating grants call for 2027 providing organisational funding to health-focused non-governmental organisations that implement one or more specific objectives of the EU4Health Programme and Regulation (EU) 2021/522. The grants are mono-beneficiary operating grants intended to finance a portion of the beneficiaries’ functioning and core activities in 2027, including awareness-raising, communication, capacity building, training, patient feedback mechanisms and the production of online and educational materials with measurable outputs. Applicants must be non-profit, voluntary, independent-from-government organisations active at Union level and provide documentation to demonstrate statutory purpose, Union-level reach and the necessity of EU financial support. The call has an indicative budget of €1,800,000, a single-stage submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal with a deadline of 19 January 2027, and standard award criteria focusing on Relevance, Quality and Impact. Funding normally covers 60% of eligible costs with the possibility of 80% funding in cases of exceptional utility subject to conditions and evidence. Proposals must be complete, use Portal templates for Part A and Part B and required annexes, observe page limits and formatting rules and be submitted electronically. Successful applicants will pass evaluation thresholds and proceed to grant preparation where legal validation, financial capacity checks and potential adjustments will be finalised before signature. Interested NGOs should prepare strong evidence of EU added value, demonstrable Union-level activity, a clear workplan with deliverables and indicators, compliant budgets and the mandatory supporting documentation to satisfy admissibility, eligibility, operational and financial capacity checks.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call documentation, application templates and the Model Grant Agreement are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal topic page for EU4H-2027-SANTE-OG and in the Portal Submission System; applicants should consult the call document and annexes for the authoritative legal and procedural requirements. See the topic page: EU4H-2027-SANTE-OG Topic Page

Opportunity summary

This is a single-stage call for operating grants under the EU4Health Programme. It provides annual financial support for the functioning and work programme of one eligible health non-governmental organisation during 2027, rather than financing a narrowly defined standalone project. The call is managed by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency, HaDEA. Operating grants are recognised within EU4Health as support for organisations whose statutory activities contribute to Union health policy objectives.15

The opportunity is relevant to established European health NGOs that already have a substantial public health mission, Union-level reach, demonstrable governance and financial independence, and the capacity to deliver measurable health policy results across several countries.

The official opportunity page is EU Funding and Tenders Portal topic page.

Key facts

The €1.8 million is the total indicative budget for the call, not an automatic entitlement or a guaranteed amount per applicant. The granting authority may decide not to allocate the entire budget, depending on the proposals received and the evaluation results.15

Policy purpose and funded activities

The objective is to enable health NGOs to participate in activities implementing one or more specific objectives of Regulation (EU) 2021/522 establishing the EU4Health Programme. The grant supports the organisation’s eligible operating programme, including activities that contribute to health promotion, disease prevention, health literacy, healthcare improvement and patient engagement.

Eligible operating activities may include:

Applicants must show how their statutory and operational activities contribute to at least one specific objective of Regulation (EU) 2021/522. Activities must also comply with Commission guidance on funding activities related to the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of Union legislation and policy.

Expected results and indicators

The proposal must translate the organisation’s operating programme into concrete, measurable outputs and outcomes. The call specifically expects evidence of Union added value, transnational relevance and benefits for patients, vulnerable groups, health professionals, policymakers or the general public.

Strong applications should establish baselines, targets, data collection methods, responsible staff and reporting schedules for each relevant indicator. Outputs should be quantifiable, accessible and connected to an identified public health need.

Who can apply

Eligible applicants must be private legal entities established in an EU Member State, including overseas countries and territories, or in an eligible non-EU country participating in or associated with the EU4Health Programme. The current call documentation refers to eligible EEA countries and other countries associated with EU4Health.16

Only applications from a single applicant are allowed. The operating grant is therefore a mono-beneficiary grant. The applicant may use affiliated entities, associated partners, subcontractors or other permitted implementation arrangements, but these do not change the requirement that the application is submitted by one principal beneficiary.

The applicant must satisfy all of the following substantive conditions:

The requirement for activity in at least half of the Member States is a material eligibility condition. A national NGO with no credible Union-level membership, activity or impact is unlikely to qualify, even if its health activities are otherwise relevant.

Independence and governance requirements

The applicant must demonstrate that no more than 30 percent of its core funding is received from private sector donors. If private sector core funding exceeds 30 percent but remains below 50 percent, the applicant must provide evidence that private donors do not influence its governance, decisions or regular activities. Core funding includes financing for salaries, premises, equipment, communications and normal day-to-day operations.

The applicant must also demonstrate legal independence, absence of conflicts of interest involving its governing body, and appropriate safeguards against commercial or industry influence. These requirements make governance evidence and funding-source transparency central parts of the application.

Geographic scope and exceptional utility

Activities must take place in eligible EU4Health countries. The call is designed for activities with a genuine European or transnational dimension, benefits extending beyond one country, potential for reuse in other countries, or contribution to cross-border cooperation.

The standard reimbursement rate is 60 percent of eligible costs. An applicant may request an 80 percent rate where its operating activities qualify as being of exceptional utility. The stated exceptional utility condition is that at least 30 percent of the budget is allocated to activities in Member States whose GNI per inhabitant is below 90 percent of the EU average.

The exceptional utility rate is not automatic. The proposal should identify the relevant activities, Member States, budget amounts and calculation method, and explain why those activities are integral to the organisation’s EU4Health contribution rather than being peripheral geographic expenditure.

Funding amount and co-financing

The call does not publish a fixed minimum or maximum grant amount per organisation in the available budget information. The requested grant must be justified by the organisation’s eligible operating programme, detailed budget, rate of use and available co-financing. The total amount awarded will depend on the quality and financial realism of the proposal and the available call budget.

At the standard 60 percent rate, an organisation requesting €300,000 would need to demonstrate €500,000 in total eligible costs and €200,000 in other financing. At the 80 percent rate, a €300,000 grant would correspond to €375,000 in total eligible costs and €75,000 in other financing. These examples are mathematical illustrations and do not represent grant ceilings.

The budget must be balanced and supported by sufficient own resources, income or third-party contributions. The grant may not generate a profit. Revenues and other contributions will be taken into account when calculating the final grant amount, and excess payments may be recovered.

Eligible and ineligible costs

The grant uses a budget-based mixed actual cost model. Eligible actual costs and applicable unit costs are reimbursed at the funding rate fixed in the Grant Agreement. For operating grants, there is no separate indirect-cost category because the grant supports the organisation’s overall functioning, including costs that would normally be treated as overheads.

The main eligible budget categories are:

The following restrictions are particularly relevant:

Receiving an operating grant may affect the organisation’s ability to claim indirect costs under EU action grants. Organisations combining operating grants with action grants should verify that their accounting system can separate costs correctly and assess whether the operating grant compensates for any loss of indirect-cost recovery.

Duration and implementation

The project may last for up to 12 months but cannot exceed the applicant’s financial year. The exact start date and duration will be set in the Grant Agreement. The normal start date is after grant signature, although a retroactive start may exceptionally be authorised for justified reasons. It cannot be earlier than the proposal submission date or before the beginning of the beneficiary’s financial year.

The call timetable indicates evaluation from January to March 2027, notification of results in March 2027 and grant agreement signature around the end of April 2027. These dates are indicative and may change.

Evaluation and award criteria

Admissible and eligible proposals will be evaluated in a one-step evaluation and ranked according to a maximum of 100 points. A proposal must pass every individual threshold and the overall threshold.

Where proposals receive the same score, priority is first given to the relevance score, followed by impact, project design and implementation, and project team and cooperation arrangements. The granting authority may also consider portfolio balance, thematic synergies and geographical coverage.

Required application documents

Applications must be submitted electronically through the Funding and Tenders Portal. Paper applications are not accepted. The application must be complete and use the forms available inside the live Submission System, rather than relying solely on publicly available example templates.

Part B is limited to a maximum of 70 pages. Evaluators will disregard additional pages. The application should be readable, accessible and printable, and the figures in the online summary budget must match the detailed budget table. Where there is a discrepancy, the online summary budget prevails.

Participant registration and legal checks

The applicant must register in the Participant Register before submission and obtain a Participant Identification Code. Legal entity validation, bank account validation, financial capacity checks and other compliance checks may be performed before grant signature.

The applicant must have stable and sufficient resources to implement the work programme and contribute its share. Financial capacity may be assessed using accounts, financial statements, audit reports, business plans and other evidence. The granting authority may request additional information, impose enhanced financial responsibility, require a prefinancing guarantee, reduce or withhold prefinancing, or reject the proposal if capacity is inadequate.

Applicants must also demonstrate operational capacity through staff qualifications, relevant experience, previous projects, activity reports and the resources needed to deliver the operating programme. False declarations, serious professional misconduct, tax or social security arrears, fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest and significant failures under previous EU contracts or grants can lead to exclusion.

Payments and grant management

The grant normally provides prefinancing of approximately 50 percent of the maximum grant amount after the Grant Agreement enters into force, subject to the applicable conditions. There are normally no interim payments. The balance is calculated after the project ends using the eligible costs and revenues established through reporting.

The final grant may be reduced for underperformance, ineligible costs, non-compliance, failure to deliver commitments or other breaches of the Grant Agreement. If earlier payments exceed the final grant amount, the difference may be recovered.

Reporting must cover both financial implementation and measurable results. Records must be retained to substantiate activities, personnel effort, procurement, outputs, participation, dissemination, costs and other performance information.

Strategic assessment for applicants

This is a selective opportunity aimed at mature organisations with a recognised European role. The most significant barriers are the Union-level activity requirement, the requirement to demonstrate balanced geographical coverage, the industry independence test, the need for two years of governance and financial records, and the need to link the organisation’s core work clearly to EU4Health objectives.

The application should not read like a generic annual report or a list of unrelated NGO activities. It should present a coherent annual operating programme with a clear theory of change, measurable indicators, realistic staffing and costs, a defensible rate of use, and evidence that EU support is necessary to maintain or expand activities serving Union health objectives.

Potential weaknesses and compliance risks

Submission and support

The application must be submitted through the Funding and Tenders Portal by 19 January 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time. The relevant non-IT contact is HaDEA-HP-CALLS@ec.europa.eu. Technical submission issues should be addressed through the Portal IT helpdesk. The official EU4Health programme information confirms that EU4Health funding opportunities are published through the Commission and Funding and Tenders channels.46

Overall conclusion

This €1.8 million call is a focused opportunity for established, independent and genuinely European health NGOs seeking co-financing for their 2027 operating programme. It is most suitable for organisations with broad Member State coverage, strong public health credentials, documented governance, stable accounts and a clear pipeline of measurable activities in health promotion, prevention, communication, training, patient engagement and expert networking.

Applicants should treat the call as a competitive institutional funding application, not as a conventional project grant. Eligibility evidence, European added value, financial independence, operational credibility, measurable results and a tightly reconciled budget will be decisive. The 80 percent funding rate should be pursued only where the exceptional utility condition can be demonstrated directly through the budget and work programme.

Sources used

The primary source is the official Funding and Tenders Portal topic page. Supporting public sources confirm the €1.8 million EU4Health operating grant budget for health NGOs and the programme context.156