Development of novel vaccines for viral pathogens with epidemic potential

The EU grant opportunity focuses on the development of novel vaccines for viral pathogens with epidemic potential, identified as HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-DISEASE-04. This call encourages applications from eligible applicants including research institutions, universities, companies (especially SMEs and start-ups), non-profit organizations, and public entities located in EU member states and associated countries. Notably, entities from the USA and third countries where targeted viruses are endemic are also eligible.

Funding is provided through a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (RIA) grant, with a total budget of €44.2 million for 2026. It is anticipated that around five projects will receive funding, with individual grants ranging from €9 million to €11 million.

The application process is a single-stage call that will open on February 10, 2026, and close on April 16, 2026. Proposals must address specific viral pathogens, including Junin, Lassa, Andes, Hantaan, Sin Nombre, Hendra, Enterovirus D68, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses. Research areas include in vitro characterization of vaccine candidates, in vivo testing, and first-in-human clinical safety studies, adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices.

The motivation behind this call is to enhance Europe’s health security by fostering vaccine development in response to emerging and re-emerging viral infections. This initiative also aligns with the broader European Medical Countermeasures Strategy and aims to diversify and accelerate the vaccine research and innovation ecosystem.

Applicants are encouraged to form consortia to leverage diverse expertise for comprehensive project implementation. Success rates for similar calls are historically around 10-25%, indicating a competitive landscape for funding. Co-funding requirements may vary based on the type of applicant. Detailed guidance can be found in the Horizon Europe Work Programme documentation. Overall, this grant represents a significant opportunity for collaborative research efforts targeting critical global health challenges.

This is a Horizon Europe (HORIZON) call, specifically under Cluster 1 Health (Single stage 2026) (HORIZON HLTH 2026 01). The topic is "Development of novel vaccines for viral pathogens with epidemic potential" with topic ID HORIZON HLTH 2026 01 DISEASE 04. It is a HORIZON RIA (Research and Innovation Actions) grant, with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget Based [HORIZON AG] Model Grant Agreement. The deadline model is single stage. The planned opening date is 10 February 2026, and the deadline date is 16 April 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcome is a better understanding of and access to experimental vaccines for emerging or re emerging viral infections, and candidate vaccines available for clinical deployment.

The scope includes proactive development of vaccine based antiviral prophylactics and therapeutics, strengthening the Research and Innovation ecosystem within the EU, and supporting the implementation of the European Medical Countermeasures Strategy.

Applicants should target one of the following viruses: Junin mammarenavirus, Lassa mammarenavirus, Andes virus, Hantaan virus, Sin Nombre virus, Hendra virus, Enterovirus D68, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus.

Proposals should address the following research areas: in vitro characterization of vaccine candidates, in vivo tests in animal models, in vivo tests in a non human primate model (if requested by regulators), production of vaccine candidates according to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and first in human clinical safety studies. Attention should be paid to critical biological and social factors such as sex, age, ethnicity and disability.

Participation of third countries where viruses addressed in the proposal are endemic or where outbreaks have occurred or are ongoing is encouraged. The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) may contribute to the proposals selected for funding with work on strategic technologies for economic security and innovative industrial ecosystems, particularly activities on innovation in vitro biotechnologies. The participation of start ups, micro, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) is encouraged. All projects are expected to engage with regulatory bodies. Proposals should advance research by leveraging already existing and emerging state of the art research infrastructures such as those having contributed to the services developed under the ISIDORe project. Applicants should provide details of their clinical studies in the dedicated annex using the template provided in the submission system.

The admissibility conditions are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposal page limits and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. Eligible countries are 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. Any legal entity established in the United States of America is eligible to receive Union funding. If projects use satellite based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding, or as an associated partner. Other eligibility conditions are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

To ensure a balanced project portfolio covering the viruses targeted in this topic, grants will be awarded (within available budget) to proposals not only in order of ranking but at least also to those proposals that are the highest ranked within different viruses targeted, provided that the proposals attain all thresholds. Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. The thresholds for each criterion will be 4 (Excellence), 4 (Impact) and 4 (Implementation). The cumulative threshold will be 12. Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes. The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5. Legal and financial set up of the grants are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

The application and evaluation form templates include a standard application form (HE RIA, IA) and a standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA). Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide and Model Grant Agreement (MGA). Call specific instructions and information on clinical studies (HE) are available. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026 2027 – 1. General Introduction, HE Main Work Programme 2026 2027 – 4. Health, HE Main Work Programme 2026 2027 – 15. General Annexes, HE Programme Guide, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme, 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 lists several topics, their budget in EUR for the year 2026, the stage (Single stage), opening date (2026 02 10), deadline (2026 04 16), contributions, and indicative number of grants. The topic HORIZON HLTH 2026 01 DISEASE 04 has a budget of 44,200,000 EUR, with contributions ranging from 9,000,000 to 11,000,000 EUR, and an indicative number of 5 grants.

There are 5 partner search announcements. LEARs, Account Administrators or self registrants can publish partner requests. The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header. There are 0 item(s) found in Topic Q&As.

General FAQ and support information are provided, including links to the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk, the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment, and Partner Search.

This Horizon Europe call focuses on developing novel vaccines for viral pathogens with epidemic potential. It aims to support research and innovation actions that contribute to tackling diseases and reducing the disease burden by improving our understanding of viral infections and making candidate vaccines available for clinical deployment. The call encourages projects that target specific viruses, conduct thorough in vitro and in vivo testing, adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for vaccine production, and undertake first in human clinical safety studies. The call also emphasizes the importance of considering biological and social factors, engaging with regulatory bodies, and leveraging existing research infrastructures. The overall goal is to diversify and accelerate the development of vaccines for emerging and re emerging viral infections, strengthening the EU's role in global health security.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include startups, micro enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and any legal entity established in the United States of America. The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) may also participate as a member of the consortium. Participation of third countries where viruses addressed in the proposal are endemic or where outbreaks have occurred or are ongoing is encouraged.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Public Procurement of Innovative Solutions (HORIZON-PPI).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to require a consortium, as it mentions the Joint Research Centre (JRC) participating as a member of the consortium and encourages the participation of SMEs.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Eligible countries are 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. In recognition of the opening of the US National Institutes of Health’s programmes to European researchers, any legal entity established in the United States of America is eligible to receive Union funding. Participation of third countries where viruses addressed in the proposal are endemic or where outbreaks have occurred or are ongoing is encouraged.

Target Sector: The target sector is health, specifically focusing on tackling diseases and reducing disease burden through the development of novel vaccines for viral pathogens with epidemic potential.

Mentioned Countries: United States of America. Third countries where viruses addressed in the proposal are endemic or where outbreaks have occurred or are ongoing.

Project Stage: The project stage ranges from in-vitro characterization of vaccine candidates to first-in-human clinical safety studies, indicating a focus on development, validation, and demonstration stages.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from approximately €1.9 million to €11 million.
HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-CARE-01: €3,000,000 to €8,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-CARE-03: around €10,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-DISEASE-02: around €8,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-DISEASE-03: €6,000,000 to €8,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-DISEASE-04: €9,000,000 to €11,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-DISEASE-09: €3,000,000 to €4,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-DISEASE-11: €6,000,000 to €7,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-DISEASE-15: around €1,900,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-ENVHLTH-01: €7,000,000 to €8,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-ENVHLTH-04: €7,000,000 to €8,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-ENVHLTH-05: around €3,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-IND-03: €4,000,000 to €6,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-STAYHLTH-02: €9,000,000 to €10,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-STAYHLTH-03: €1,500,000 to €1,900,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-TOOL-03: €5,000,000 to €8,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-TOOL-05: €6,000,000 to €8,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-TOOL-06: around €2,900,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-TOOL-07: around €3,900,000

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to support their research and innovation activities.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the potential competitiveness.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not explicitly stated, but applicants should refer to Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes for legal and financial set-up, which may contain information on co-funding requirements.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call focuses on "Development of novel vaccines for viral pathogens with epidemic potential" (HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-DISEASE-04). It aims to support activities that contribute to tackling diseases and reducing the overall disease burden by improving the understanding, access, and availability of experimental vaccines for emerging and re-emerging viral infections. The call encourages the diversification and acceleration of the global research and development portfolio for prophylactics and therapeutics, strengthening the EU's leading role in this field. The scope includes in-vitro characterization, in-vivo testing, GMP production, and first-in-human clinical safety studies. The call encourages the participation of SMEs and the use of existing research infrastructures. Eligible applicants, which include entities from the EU, associated countries, and the USA, must submit their proposals by April 16, 2026. The funding is provided through HORIZON-RIA grants, with a budget of €44,200,000 and an indicative number of 5 grants, ranging from €9,000,000 to €11,000,000. The call emphasizes the importance of addressing specific viruses, including Junin mammarenavirus, Lassa mammarenavirus, Andes virus, Hantaan virus, Sin Nombre virus, Hendra virus, Enterovirus D68, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus.