Clinical research by Comprehensive Cancer Infrastructures for the benefit of patients with common cancers

HORIZON-MISS is a Horizon Europe Cancer Mission Innovation Action calling for multi-country clinical research programmes addressing lung, bowel, breast or prostate cancer. The call uses a lump sum model with an indicative topic budget of €20 million and an expected EU contribution of €7 to €10 millionper project, with an indicative three grants; planned opening 10 February 2027 and deadline 21 September 2027. Proposals must pilot and upscale interventions in at least four EU Member States or Associated Countries including one with less developed comprehensive cancer infrastructure, co-design with patients, disaggregate and register data in the European Health Data Space, and leverage European research infrastructures. Eligible applicants are legal entities established in EU Member States and Associated Countries forming multi-disciplinary consortia and must submit a single-stage application via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.

Clinical research by Comprehensive Cancer Infrastructures for the benefit of patients with common cancers

Call at a glance

HORIZON-MISS-2027-02-CANCER-02 (Supporting the implementation of the Cancer Mission)

Type of action: Horizon Europe Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA). Grant format: Lump sum. Submission model: single-stage. Planned opening: 10 February 2027. Deadline: 21 September 2027, 17:00 Brussels time.

What it funds:Multi‑country clinical research programmes led by comprehensive cancer infrastructures focused on lung, bowel, breast or prostate cancer, including innovative diagnostics, radiotherapy/surgery/chemotherapy, therapeutic cancer vaccines, implementation of clinical guidelines, and piloting/upscaling of diagnostic or treatment programmes across EU Member States and Associated Countries.

Who can apply:Consortia of comprehensive cancer infrastructures (national/regional cancer centres, hospitals, university medical centres, research institutes and similar entities) from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Proposals must include a mix of stakeholders (clinicians, researchers, patients/patient representatives, SMEs, innovators, payers/policymakers or equivalent) and propose piloting/upscaling in at least four different countries, one of which must be a country with no or less developed comprehensive cancer infrastructure.

Proposals must co-design programmes with patients/caregivers, disaggregate data by sex/gender/age and relevant socio-economic variables, deposit dataset metadata in the EU Health Data Space catalogue, use European research infrastructures and follow open science. Applicants should describe clinical study details in the required annex (information-on-clinical-studies template) and include a budget for networking and participation in the EU Cancer Mission Diagnosis and treatment cluster.

1. 1Total topic budget: €20,000,000 (indicative).
2. 2EU contribution per grant: between €7,000,000 and €10,000,000.
3. 3Indicative number of grants: 3.
4. 4Grant payments follow lump sum rules; applicants must submit a detailed budget table to justify the proposed lump sum shares per work package.

Applicants should consult the topic page and Horizon Europe Work Programme annexes for detailed eligibility, admissibility, evaluation thresholds (Excellence 4, Impact 4, Implementation 4; cumulative 12), application templates and lump sum guidance before preparing proposals. Apply via the Funding & Tenders Portal: Funding & Tenders Portal.

Clinical research by Comprehensive Cancer Infrastructures for the benefit of patients with common cancers

Opportunity Overview

This is a Horizon Europe Cancer Mission topic supporting multi-country clinical research led by comprehensive cancer infrastructures targeting common cancers: lung, bowel, breast, and prostate. The action aims to reduce disparities in clinical research capacity and access to innovative diagnostics and treatments across EU Member States and Associated Countries, with a strong emphasis on piloting and upscaling innovations in at least four countries, including at least one with less developed comprehensive cancer infrastructure. Projects are expected to co-create with patients, leverage European research infrastructures, follow open science principles, and contribute datasets and tools aligned with the European Health Data Space and the forthcoming UNCAN.eu platform.

Key Facts

• Programme: Horizon Europe, Supporting the implementation of the Cancer Mission (HORIZON-MISS-2027-02)
• Topic ID: HORIZON-MISS
• Type of action: HORIZON-IA Innovation Actions
• Grant model: Horizon Lump Sum Grant (HORIZON-AG-LS)
• Call status: Forthcoming
• Opening date: 10 February 2027
• Deadline: 21 September 2027, 17:00:00 Brussels time
• Deadline model: Single-stage
• Indicative topic budget: €20,000,000
• Expected EU contribution per project: €7,000,000 to €10,000,000
• Indicative number of grants: 3
• Submission portal: EU Funding & Tenders Portal Topic page

Expected Outcomes

• Patients with lung, bowel, breast, or prostate cancer benefit from evidence-based, tailored, innovative, affordable, and accessible diagnosis- and treatment-centred clinical research programmes led by comprehensive cancer infrastructures.
• Researchers, clinicians, patient representatives, civil society, charities, foundations, insurers, SMEs, and innovators co-create, support, scale, or commercialise outcomes of such clinical research programmes.
• Healthcare providers, payers, policymakers, and authorities in European regions, EU Member States and Associated Countries gain the evidence needed to pilot, upscale, or implement appropriate clinical research programmes for timely diagnosis and effective treatment of these common cancers.

Scope and Mandatory Elements

Applicants must address all scope elements and design clinical research conducted by comprehensive cancer infrastructures across EU Member States and Associated Countries focusing on at least one of the following domains. Projects must include multi-country piloting/upscaling and robust stakeholder engagement, build on EU networks and infrastructures, commit to open science and data standards, and plan participation in Cancer Mission clustering.

Permissible clinical research focus areas:Innovative diagnostics; Radiotherapy, surgery, chemotherapy; Therapeutic cancer vaccines for early-stage, advanced, metastatic, or minimal residual disease settings (including post-debulking scenarios following surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy); Implementation of appropriate clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis and treatment in countries without or with limited comprehensive cancer infrastructures.

Piloting and upscaling requirement:Extensively pilot and upscale innovative diagnostic or treatment programmes in at least four different EU Member States or Associated Countries. At least one of the four must be a country without or with a less developed comprehensive cancer infrastructure. Proposals should demonstrate how national, regional, or local context challenges will be addressed or overcome, including those related to small Member States, rural populations, cancer burden, socio-economic or environmental situations, or limited clinical research capacity.

Stakeholder and patient engagement:Define programmes together with patients and their caregivers or families using participative research models. Adapt programmes to target population needs and healthcare provision specificities at local, regional, or national levels, reflecting cultural diversity and available resources.

Data, open science, and research infrastructures:Disaggregate data by sex, gender, age, and other relevant variables (e.g., socio-economic status or ethnicity). Describe all datasets with metadata in the EU dataset catalogue of the European Health Data Space. Ensure tools and models use European research infrastructures and comply with open science principles; make them available through the future UNCAN.eu platform.

Mix of disciplines and sectors:Include an appropriate mix of stakeholders from multiple disciplines and sectors such as physicians, academia, patients and caregivers, patient representatives, engineers, behavioural scientists, SMEs, business networks, insurance companies, charities and foundations, research organisations, and civil society.

Clinical studies annex:Provide details of clinical study(ies) in the dedicated annex using the template provided in the submission system. See template guidance: Information on clinical studies (HE) Clinical studies template.

Clustering:Successful proposals will join the EU Cancer Mission Diagnosis and treatment cluster and must budget for networking, meetings, and joint activities. The Commission will facilitate coordination across projects and clusters.

Synergies and resources:Build on Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan networks that can enable cross-border clinical trials (e.g., the EU Network of comprehensive cancer centres EUNetCCC), ESFRI Research Infrastructures (e.g., BBMRI, EATRIS, ELIXIR, ECRIN), and the Knowledge Centre on Cancer (European Guidelines and Quality Assurance Schemes; ECIS; European Cancer Inequalities Registry). Identify additional resources via ERDF, the Technical Support Instrument, the Recovery and Resilience Facility, philanthropy, or the European Investment Bank Group (EIB, EIF). Useful links: Cancer Inequalities Registry ECIR; Technical Support Instrument TSI; EIB EIB; EIF EIF.

What Counts as a Comprehensive Cancer Infrastructure

National or regional infrastructures providing resources and services to support, improve, and integrate cancer care, research, training of care professionals, and education for cancer patients, survivors, and families. They may combine public or private entities such as cancer centres, hospitals, university medical centres, research departments or institutes, companies, and public health facilities.

Eligibility, Countries, and Participation

• Eligible countries: As per Horizon Europe General Annex B, EU Member States and Associated Countries are eligible for funding. Some non-EU/non-Associated Countries may participate with their own funding. The topic expects activities in at least four EU Member States or Associated Countries.
• Consortium: Horizon IA collaborative projects typically require at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different EU Member State or Associated Country. Given the scope, multi-country consortia of comprehensive cancer infrastructures and supporting partners are expected.
• Applicants: Universities, research institutes, comprehensive cancer centres, hospitals, SMEs, large industry where relevant, nonprofits, patient organisations, insurers, civil society, public authorities, and other entities with roles in clinical research and implementation.

Evaluation and Award

• Evaluation criteria: Excellence, Impact, Quality and efficiency of the Implementation. Thresholds: 4 for each criterion; cumulative threshold 12.
• Process: Single-stage submission and evaluation via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
• Indicative timeline and conditions: Governed by Horizon Europe General Annexes D and F.

Legal and Financial Setup

• Granting model: Lump sum contributions under the Horizon Lump Sum Model Grant Agreement. Payments are released upon completion of work packages as defined in Annex 1 of the Grant Agreement. See the decision authorising the use of lump sums Lump sum decision and guidance for participants Lump sums guide.
• Funding rate: For IA, standard Horizon Europe rates apply. Typically 70% of eligible costs for for-profit entities and 100% for non-profit legal entities, reflected within the lump sum calculation.
• Intellectual property: The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results, as per Annex 5 of the Grant Agreement.

Budget Overview for the 2027 Cancer Mission Call

Application Package and Templates

• Part A (online forms): Administrative data, participants, budget (requested grant amounts per participant reflect the lump sum shares).
• Part B (technical narrative): Proposal description, work plan, impact pathway, consortium, management, ethics, security. Page limits and layout as per the application form guidance.
• Lump Sum Detailed Budget Table (Excel annex): Mandatory for lump sum topics; cost estimations per work package and per participant generate lump sum shares. Download from the submission system and upload as annex to Part B. Guidance provided in the lump sums participant guide.
• Clinical studies annex: Information on clinical studies (HE) template must be completed and uploaded if the proposal includes clinical studies. Template sections include study rationale, objectives, design, population, interventions, sample size and power, regulatory and ethics strategy, operational feasibility, data management, safety reporting, governance, and milestone planning. See template Clinical studies template.
• Ethics: Address ethics in the appropriate section of Part B. Clinical studies also require the three mandatory deliverables per study: study initiation package, midterm recruitment report, and report on the status of posting results in the applicable registry(ies).
• Additional references: Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027 Missions Part (topic page 89) Work Programme 2026-2027 – Missions.

Clinical Studies Template: Detailed Outline

1. 1Title, acronym, and unique identifier(s) of the clinical study.
2. 2Study rationale; current knowledge relevant to the scientific question; outcomes of completed and ongoing studies with the same intervention and indication; evidence on mechanism of action.
3. 3Objectives: primary and secondary.
4. 4Study population: size, age, sex distribution, inclusion and exclusion criteria with justification.
5. 5Sample size and power calculation.
6. 6Study design: controlled/uncontrolled; randomised; open/blinded; parallel/cross-over; innovative designs (e.g., adaptive platform trials) with justification.
7. 7Type of intervention: medicinal product, ATMP, medical device, IVD, surgical or other intervention.
8. 8Study procedures and timeline; participant time in study.
9. 9Protocol development: scientific advice (regulatory and HTA), guidelines followed, citizen/patient involvement.
10. 10Regulatory and ethics: access to expertise across jurisdictions; approvals strategy; sponsor details; governance boards and functions.
11. 11Operational feasibility: intervention and comparator supply chain; recruitment strategy, monitoring and mitigation; number and countries of sites and their selection; competition in recruitment and underperformance management; evidence of site capacity; ancillary supplies; data management plan; safety and regulatory reporting; outsourcing and sponsor oversight.
12. 12Milestones and feasibility: timelines for submissions, approvals, site initiations, recruitment completion, follow-up, analysis, and reporting.
13. 13Mandatory clinical study deliverables: study initiation package; midterm recruitment report at 50% enrolment; report on the status of posting results in registries.

Data, Standards, and Research Infrastructures

• Data must be disaggregated by sex, gender, age, and other relevant variables (e.g., socio-economic status, ethnicity).
• All datasets must be described with metadata in the EU dataset catalogue of the European Health Data Space.
• Tools and models must leverage European research infrastructures and be shared via the UNCAN.eu platform, adhering to open science.
• Suggested infrastructures and networks: BBMRI (biobanking), EATRIS (translational research), ELIXIR (data), ECRIN (clinical research), and EUNetCCC (comprehensive cancer centres network).

Support and Resources

• Online Manual, Programme Guide, and FAQs: available via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
• National Contact Points: advisory support in EU and many third countries.
• Enterprise Europe Network: SME-focused guidance.
• European IPR Helpdesk, standards bodies’ helpdesks (CEN-CENELEC, ETSI) for standardisation strategies.
• Partner search: publish or respond to partner announcements via the Portal.

Categorisation and Structured Information

Eligible Applicant Types:Universities; research institutes; comprehensive cancer centres; hospitals and university medical centres; SMEs; large enterprises where relevant in diagnostics, devices, therapeutics or data; nonprofits and charities; patient organisations; insurers; public health facilities; civil society organisations; public authorities and agencies involved in healthcare and clinical research.

Funding Type:Grant under Horizon Europe Innovation Actions with a lump sum funding model.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium. At least three independent legal entities from three different EU Member States or Associated Countries are typically required for Horizon IA. The scope further necessitates multi-country participation by comprehensive cancer infrastructures and piloting in at least four countries.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):EU Member States and Associated Countries are eligible for funding. Some non-EU and non-Associated Countries may participate with their own funding in line with General Annex B. Pilots and upscaling must occur in at least four EU Member States or Associated Countries, including at least one with less developed comprehensive cancer infrastructure.

Target Sector:Health and healthcare; cancer; clinical research; diagnostics; radiotherapy; surgery; chemotherapy; therapeutic cancer vaccines; implementation of clinical practice guidelines; research infrastructures; health data and open science. Cross-cutting with biotech/medtech, pharma/healthcare, clinical trial operations, and digital research infrastructures.

Mentioned Countries:No specific countries by name. Regions mentioned: EU Member States, Associated Countries, and Central and Eastern European communities, regions and countries.

Project Stage:Clinical development and implementation: development, validation, demonstration, piloting, and upscaling of innovative diagnostics and treatments; implementation of guidelines; preparation for broader deployment.

Funding Amount:Expected EU contribution per project is €7,000,000 to €10,000,000. Topic budget is €20,000,000 with an indicative three grants.

Application Type:Open call with single-stage submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Nature of Support:Financial grant support (money) provided as a lump sum. Non-financial coordination and networking via Mission clusters.

Application Stages:1 stage.

Success Rates:Not specified for this topic. Success rates depend on call-wide competition and evaluation outcomes.

Co-funding Requirement:Horizon Europe IA standard funding rates apply within the lump sum. Typically 70% for for-profit entities and 100% for non-profit legal entities. Applicants may complement EU funding with other resources (ERDF, RRF, philanthropy, EIB/EIF), as encouraged by the topic.

Templates: Application Form Structure:Part A online forms; Part B narrative with sections on Excellence, Impact, and Implementation; Lump Sum Detailed Budget Table (Excel annex) with per-partner and per-work package cost estimations; Clinical studies annex (Information on clinical studies); Ethics self-assessment; Where applicable, letters of support or commitment. The clinical studies annex should include: identifiers; rationale; state of the art; objectives; population; sample size and power; design; interventions; procedures and schedule; regulatory and ethics strategy; governance and sponsor details; operational feasibility including supply chain, recruitment and site network; data management; safety and reporting; outsourcing and oversight; milestones and feasibility timeline; and the three mandatory deliverables for each clinical study (study initiation package, midterm recruitment report, results posting status report).

Evaluation Readiness and Implementation Tips

• Demonstrate clear added value for patients with lung, bowel, breast, or prostate cancers, including equity and access in less developed infrastructures.
• Detail multi-country piloting and upscaling with concrete sites, including at least one country with less developed comprehensive cancer infrastructure.
• Evidence of patient and caregiver co-creation, and cultural adaptation across settings.
• Plan data governance aligned with the European Health Data Space catalogue; ensure FAIR data and open science; detail contributions to UNCAN.eu.
• Leverage ESFRI infrastructures and cross-border clinical trials networks; align with European guidelines and quality assurance schemes where applicable.
• Include robust risk management, regulatory and ethics strategies across jurisdictions, and realistic recruitment plans supported by site performance evidence.
• Budget for Mission clustering, joint activities, and cross-project networking.

How to Apply

1. 1Access the topic page and start submission on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Topic page.
2. 2Register or ensure all organisations have a validated PIC in the Participant Register.
3. 3Prepare Part A and Part B, the Lump Sum Detailed Budget Table (Excel), and the Information on clinical studies annex for each clinical study.
4. 4Follow page limits and layout as described in the application form; adhere to General Annexes for admissibility, eligibility, award criteria, and legal setup.
5. 5Submit before the deadline: 21 September 2027, 17:00:00 Brussels time.

Summary

This Horizon Europe Cancer Mission Innovation Action funds multi-country clinical research programs developed and implemented by comprehensive cancer infrastructures to benefit patients with lung, bowel, breast, or prostate cancer. Projects must target at least one of the following: innovative diagnostics; radiotherapy, surgery, or chemotherapy; therapeutic cancer vaccines; or implementation of clinical practice guidelines in settings with limited infrastructures. A core requirement is extensive piloting and upscaling of innovations in at least four EU Member States or Associated Countries, including at least one country with less developed comprehensive cancer infrastructure, ensuring reduced inequalities and improved access to innovation. Proposals must co-create with patients and caregivers, reflect local health system specificities, disaggregate data by sex, gender, age, and socio-economic variables, and contribute datasets and tools consistent with the European Health Data Space and UNCAN.eu, leveraging European research infrastructures such as BBMRI, EATRIS, ELIXIR, and ECRIN. Applicants should include a diverse stakeholder mix, provide the dedicated clinical studies annex with comprehensive regulatory, methodological, and operational details, and plan resources for Cancer Mission clustering and joint activities. Funding is provided as a lump sum under a Horizon IA, with an expected EU contribution of €7–€10 millionper project and a total topic budget of €20 million, evaluated on excellence, impact, and implementation with thresholds of 4 per criterion and 12 cumulatively. This opportunity is designed to generate robust clinical evidence and accelerate equitable deployment of innovative cancer diagnostics and treatments across Europe, particularly addressing disparities in Central and Eastern Europe and other under-served contexts.

Clinical research by Comprehensive Cancer Infrastructures for the benefit of patients with common cancers

This call HORIZON-MISS under the EU Cancer Mission supports evidence-based clinical research programmes focused on lung, bowel, breast, or prostate cancer. It aims to deliver innovative, affordable, and accessible diagnosis and treatment solutions through comprehensive cancer infrastructures across EU Member States and Associated Countries.

Expected Outcomes

• Patients with lung, bowel, breast, or prostate cancer benefit from tailored clinical research programmes improving diagnosis and treatment.
• Researchers, physicians, patient representatives, civil society, charities, foundations, insurance companies, SMEs, and innovators co-create, support, upscale, or commercialise research outcomes.
• National and regional healthcare providers, payers, policymakers, and authorities gain evidence for piloting, upscaling, or implementing clinical programmes.

Scope and Key Requirements

Proposals must involve comprehensive cancer infrastructures conducting clinical research on lung, bowel, breast, or prostate cancer in at least one area: innovative diagnostics; radiotherapy, surgery, chemotherapy; therapeutic cancer vaccines for early-stage, advanced, metastatic, or minimal residual disease; or implementation of clinical practice guidelines in countries with limited infrastructures.

Programmes must be piloted and upscaled in at least four EU Member States or Associated Countries, including one with less developed infrastructure. They should address local challenges (e.g., rural populations, socio-economic factors), identify additional resources (e.g., ERDF, TSI, RRF, EIB, EIF, philanthropy), and be co-designed with patients using participative models reflecting cultural diversity.

Data must be disaggregated by sex, gender, age, socio-economic status, ethnicity. Datasets require metadata in the EU Health Data Space catalogue; tools and models must use European research infrastructures, follow open science, and be available via UNCAN.eu. Proposals need a mix of stakeholders (e.g., physicians, academia, patients, SMEs, charities) and clinical study details in a dedicated annex.

Successful projects join the Diagnosis and Treatment cluster, budget for networking, and build on Europe's Beating Cancer Plan networks (e.g., EUNetCCC), ESFRI infrastructures (e.g., BBMRI, EATRIS, ELIXIR, ECRIN), and Knowledge Centre on Cancer.

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

• Legal entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries.
• Comprehensive cancer infrastructures (public/private cancer centres, hospitals, universities, research institutes, companies, etc.).
• Multi-disciplinary consortia including physicians, academia, patients/caregivers, SMEs, charities, civil society.
• Detailed eligibility in General Annex B; non-EU entities may participate under conditions.

Funding Details

Type of Action:HORIZON-IA (Innovation Actions), lump sum grant (HORIZON-AG-LS).

Total Call Budget:€20 million.

Expected EU Contribution per Project:€7-€10 million; indicative number of grants: 3.

Funding Rate:70% for profit entities (100% for non-profits); lump sum covers eligible costs (personnel, subcontracting, purchases, etc.) with 25% flat indirect rate included.

Timeline

Application Process

1. 1Submit via EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
2. 2Include dedicated annex for clinical studies using provided template.
3. 3Detailed budget table for lump sum (Excel template in submission system).
4. 4Admissibility: Page limits/layout per General Annexes A/E.
5. 5Evaluation per Annexes D/F; indicative timeline in Annex F.

Proposals must demonstrate strong operational feasibility, including clinical study protocol development, regulatory/ethics expertise, recruitment strategies, data management, and milestone plans. Build on existing networks for cross-border trials.

Key Resources and Links

Primary source: EU Funding Portal. Cancer Inequalities Registry: ECIR. Knowledge Centre on Cancer: KCC. Clinical Studies Template: Template.

Work Programme: HE WP 2026-2027 Missions. Lump Sum Guidance: LS Guide.

Additional Considerations

Focus on inequalities, especially in Central/Eastern Europe. Ensure open science, patient involvement, and alignment with EU Cancer Mission clusters. Contact National Contact Points (NCPs) for support.

Footnotes

1. 1Budgets and numbers are indicative; subject to Work Programme General Annexes.