Earlier and more precise palliative care

Overview

The HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-04 is a funding opportunity under Horizon Europe, focusing on improving earlier and more precise palliative care for cancer patients. This call aims to enhance the quality of life for patients, caregivers, and families by supporting the development of innovative palliative care models. The funding supports research and innovation actions that include the integration of digital tools, artificial intelligence, and real-time communication to improve care delivery.

Eligible applicants include a wide range of entities located in EU Member States and associated countries, such as universities, research institutes, hospitals, small and medium-sized enterprises, and other legal entities capable of conducting research. The call is structured as a single-stage submission process, with an open application type. The total budget for this opportunity is €15 million, with an expectation to fund three grants of approximately €5 million each.

The call emphasizes the importance of testing innovative care models in real-world clinical settings and conducting implementation research. Successful proposals will be expected to collaborate with the EU Cancer Mission's 'Quality of Life' project cluster, facilitating networking and sharing of best practices among funded projects.

The expected outcomes include the development of personalized care models that address barriers such as late interventions and provide guidelines for optimal patient referral and care that takes into account individual patient needs. Applications will be evaluated based on excellence, impact, and implementation feasibility, aiming for a competitive selection process with potentially low success rates. Proposals should be submitted by September 15, 2026, and will be evaluated in a single round.

The funding is designed to streamline cost management through a lump sum approach, wherein beneficiaries receive direct financial support without the need to justify specific expenditures. Additional non-monetary support includes access to European Commission initiatives and technical assistance.

Overall, this opportunity seeks transformative changes in palliative care through innovative research, alignment with the broader EU Cancer Mission, and comprehensive collaboration across diverse stakeholders.

Detail

This is a Horizon Europe call supporting the implementation of the Cancer Mission, specifically targeting earlier and more precise palliative care. The call aims to improve the quality of life for cancer patients, their families, and carers by developing innovative models for palliative care.

The call is structured around several topics, each with a specific budget, action type, and expected number of grants. All topics follow a single-stage submission process with a planned opening date of February 10, 2026, and a deadline of September 15, 2026.

Here's a breakdown of the topics:

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-01: This topic is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (RIA) with a budget of 35,000,000 EUR. It aims to award approximately 4 grants, with contributions ranging from 8,000,000 to 9,000,000 EUR per grant.

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-02: This topic is also a HORIZON RIA with a budget of 15,000,000 EUR. It intends to fund 1 grant of around 15,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-03: This is another HORIZON RIA, with a budget of 22,186,000 EUR. It plans to award 3 grants, with contributions ranging from 7,000,000 to 8,000,000 EUR each.

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-04: This HORIZON RIA has a budget of 15,000,000 EUR and aims to fund 3 grants of around 5,000,000 EUR each. This specific topic, HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-04, focuses on delivering results that will lead to patients benefiting from better access to earlier, more person-centred palliative care models including digital remote tools and options for home-based care, carers benefiting from real-time information tools and better communication, and clinicians benefiting from guidelines on optimal patient referral and care predictions. Proposals should develop innovative models for earlier, more precise/personalised and integrated palliative care, including digital remote tools, to predict patients’ care preferences, to assign clear roles of carers and to avoid obstacles such as insufficient or inequal access. Testing and validation of these models in real-world settings through implementation research and clinical trials is expected, with due consideration for age, sex and gender differences. Attention should be given to address staff training, roles and adherence of conditions. Usage of AI and digital remote tools (such as explanatory videos, messaging, etc.) to allow real-time communication and to predict care needs and resources. Adoption of guidelines for optimal referrals, efficient and sustainable workforce allocation and retention (access to & dissemination of the guidelines should be provided through the future European Cancer Patient Digital Centre). Collaboration with EU4Health projects to create synergies and to facilitate implementation.

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-05: This topic is a HORIZON Innovation Action (IA) with a budget of 7,000,000 EUR. It aims to fund 1 grant of around 7,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-06: This topic is a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (CSA) with a budget of 5,000,000 EUR. It aims to fund 1 grant of around 5,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-07: This topic is a HORIZON RIA with a budget of 25,000,000 EUR. It aims to award approximately 5 grants, with contributions ranging from 5,000,000 to 6,000,000 EUR per grant.

The general conditions for admissibility include proposal page limits and layout, eligible countries, and other eligibility requirements, all detailed in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and the Application Form. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are also specified.

The evaluation and award process involves award criteria, scoring, thresholds, submission, and evaluation processes, with an indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement. The legal and financial setup of the grants involves lump sum contributions.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme. Application and evaluation forms, as well as the model grant agreement (MGA), are available in the Submission System. Additional documents, including the HE Main Work Programme, HE Programme Guide, HE Framework Programme, EU Financial Regulation, and guidelines on lump sums, are also provided.

Applicants are encouraged to read all provisions carefully and utilize available resources such as 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, ETSI Research Helpdesk, and Partner Search.

In summary, this funding opportunity seeks to foster innovative research and development in palliative care for cancer patients, aligning with the EU Cancer Mission's goals. It encourages the use of AI and digital tools, collaboration with EU4Health projects, and participation in the 'Quality of Life' project cluster. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and the application process involves specific requirements and guidelines detailed in the provided documents and resources.

This opportunity is about improving palliative care for cancer patients by funding projects that develop and test new care models. These models should be more personalized, start earlier in the cancer journey, and use technology like AI to help both patients and healthcare providers. The EU wants these projects to work together and share what they learn to make palliative care better across Europe. If you're a researcher or innovator in healthcare, especially in cancer care and technology, this is a chance to get funding to make a real difference in people's lives.

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Breakdown

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the "General conditions" and "Specific conditions" sections, it can be inferred that the opportunity is geared towards research and innovation actions. Therefore, eligible applicants could include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The mention of "clinical studies" suggests that hospitals and healthcare providers could also be eligible. The call is part of Horizon Europe, so eligibility is defined in the Horizon Europe rules.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a "HORIZON Lump Sum Grant." The call includes HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA), HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA).

Consortium Requirement: The content does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the mention of "Partner Search" suggests that consortia are possible and perhaps encouraged.

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. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is health, specifically related to cancer and palliative care. The program also targets the use of ICT, particularly AI and digital remote tools, in healthcare.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the opportunity is part of the Horizon Europe program, which generally includes EU member states and associated countries. The text mentions "non-EU/non-Associated Countries" with specific funding provisions.

Project Stage: The project stage appears to be focused on development, validation, and demonstration, with an emphasis on testing and validating innovative models in real-world settings through implementation research and clinical trials.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary by topic, as detailed in the "Budget overview" section:
HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-01: EUR 8,000,000 to EUR 9,000,000 (4 grants)
HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-02: around EUR 15,000,000 (1 grant)
HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-03: EUR 7,000,000 to EUR 8,000,000 (3 grants)
HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-04: around EUR 5,000,000 (3 grants)
HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-05: around EUR 7,000,000 (1 grant)
HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-06: around EUR 5,000,000 (1 grant)
HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-07: EUR 5,000,000 to EUR 6,000,000 (5 grants)

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

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant. There is also mention of non-monetary services such as networking, attendance at meetings, and joint activities within the 'Quality of Life' project cluster.

Application Stages: There is a single stage for the application process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the "Budget overview" section provides the "Indicative number of grants" for each topic, which can be used to estimate the potential success rate based on the number of expected applications.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not explicitly stated.

Summary: This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe program, specifically targeting the implementation of the Cancer Mission. It seeks to fund research and innovation actions aimed at developing innovative models for earlier, more precise, and better-integrated palliative care for cancer patients. The call encourages the use of AI and digital remote tools to empower clinicians, improve communication, and deliver patient-centered care. Successful projects will join the 'Quality of Life' project cluster and will receive lump sum grants to support their activities. The call is open to a variety of organizations, including universities, research institutes, SMEs, and healthcare providers, from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU countries with specific funding arrangements. The application process involves a single-stage submission, and proposals will be evaluated based on excellence, impact, and implementation criteria. The overall goal is to improve the quality of life for cancer patients, their families, and carers by transforming palliative care through innovative models and technologies.

Short Summary

Impact
The funding aims to improve the quality of life for cancer patients, their families, and caregivers by developing innovative models for earlier, more precise, and better-integrated palliative care.
Applicant
Applicants should possess expertise in health research, particularly in oncology, palliative care, and the use of digital technologies such as AI for patient care.
Developments
The funding will support research and innovation actions focused on developing and validating innovative palliative care models, including the integration of digital remote tools and AI.
Applicant Type
This funding is designed for research organizations, universities, SMEs, hospitals, and healthcare providers operating within EU Member States and associated countries.
Consortium
The funding typically requires multi-partner consortia to leverage diverse expertise and resources, although a single-stage submission process is in place.
Funding Amount
The funding amount is fixed at €5 million per project, with approximately 3 projects expected to be funded, totaling €15 million.
Countries
The funding is relevant for EU Member States and associated countries, with potential participation from non-EU countries under specific provisions.
Industry
This funding targets the health sector, specifically cancer and palliative care, as part of the EU Cancer Mission.

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