Establishing Ortho and Cardiology Ambulatory Surgical Centres in Europe

The EU funding opportunity titled "HORIZON-JU-IHI-2025-11-05-two-stage" is part of the Horizon Europe program under the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking. The focus is on establishing ambulatory surgical centres for orthopaedic and cardiology procedures to enhance healthcare efficiency and patient outcomes. This call is specifically aimed at stakeholders engaged in the health sector, including industry members, universities, research institutions, hospitals, and healthcare providers, while excluding entities from the UK and Canada.

The grant is categorized as a research and innovation action with an indicative budget of EUR 37,209,000, allowing for up to EUR 12,351,000 per project. The application process consists of two stages: the first stage requires a short proposal with a limit of 20 pages, while the second stage allows for a full proposal of up to 50 pages. The application deadlines are October 9, 2025, for the first stage and April 29, 2026, for the second stage.

Proposals must be submitted by consortia, and at least 45% of eligible costs must come from industry partners, indicating a co-funding component. The success rates for funding are typically between 10-39% in competitive calls like this one. The objective is to drive cross-sectoral health innovation, fund infrastructure for ASCs, develop digital solutions, and create a sustainable network for these centres.

The project stage targets development and demonstration, focusing on establishing facilities, conducting studies, generating clinical databases, and integrating digital health tools. The initiative addresses critical healthcare challenges, aiming to transition certain surgical procedures from traditional hospitals to cost-effective ASCs, thereby mitigating the issues of overcrowding and rising costs.

Key activities funded by this grant may include establishing multi-stakeholder advisory boards, conducting safety studies for ASC procedures, generating and disseminating best practices, and developing interoperable digital health solutions. The expected outcomes encompass a comprehensive understanding of ASCs' requirements, training programs for healthcare professionals, and the establishment of clinical databases to inform future practices and policies within the European healthcare landscape.

The EU funding opportunity HORIZON-JU-IHI-2025-11-05-two-stage, titled "Establishing Ortho and Cardiology Ambulatory Surgical Centres in Europe," falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program and the Innovative Health Initiative JU Call 11 (HORIZON-JU-IHI-2025-11-two-stage). It is a HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-JU-RIA) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement. The call is open for submission and follows a two-stage deadline model. The opening date is June 17, 2025. The deadline for the first stage is October 9, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time, and the deadline for the second stage is April 29, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected impact of this action includes contributing to IHI JU SRIA objectives, driving cross-sectoral health innovation for a competitive European health industry, infrastructure funding initiatives establishing ASCs in orthopaedics and cardiology, a new long-term healthcare strategy with planning and funding in HCP recruitment and training, digital solutions and medical technology for efficient ASC services, implementing new payment systems allowing for patient referral to ASC based on medical and clinical decisions and provider capacity, establishing a sustainable network of ASCs followed by the creation of national and regional ASCs associations, regulation and accreditation of ASC facilities, comprehensive and interoperable digital solutions supporting people-centred care, disclosing entire patient treatment pathways and experiences including points of access for patients, and a treatment database/registry as a source of evidence enabling research, decision making, further development and improvement of ASCs. The action also supports the EU political priority to boost European competitiveness and contribute to the European Commission’s European Health Data Space Regulation (EHDS) and the EU Artificial Intelligence Act.

The expected outcomes include a consensus-based understanding on the hurdles, needs, and requirements to establish ASCs within a European healthcare setting, a comprehensive framework and know-how for establishing ASC facilities, training schemes and programs for all health care providers (HCPs) involved in ASCs in orthopaedics and cardiology, the creation of a clinical database and generation of economical evidence, and the availability of an interoperable IT technology solution required to integrate clinical data from multiple stages of the patient journey and related digital health solutions.

The target group for the outcomes includes hospital managers, healthcare system providers, medical technologies and digital companies, HCPs establishing ASCs, patient groups and carer associations, HCPs and researchers working on incorporating advanced medical technology, and reimbursement bodies as well as HTA bodies.

The scope of this action focuses on ASCs specialized in orthopaedics for knee and hip joint replacement surgery as well as ASCs specialized in cardiology for cardiac ablation procedures and elective rhythmology. The action aims to address the increasing healthcare costs and limited procedural capacity due to the EU’s ageing population and rising burden of diseases. It also aims to solve problems associated with inpatient treatments in hospitals.

Effective implementation of ASCs faces multiple hurdles including reimbursement models, stakeholder acceptance, evidence, human resource readiness, digital infrastructure, protocols, patient readiness, and home recovery and care system.

Applicants should envisage the following activities as part of the action funded under this topic: Establish a multistakeholder advisory board, demonstrate the safety of targeted procedures for patients performed in ASC facilities through the conduct of two medical cohort studies, generate and share protocols and best practices, create a network of selected ASCs, collect real world evidence (RWE) to demonstrate and model the cost-effectiveness of ASCs vs hospital-based procedures, develop a shared framework for clinical data interoperability, and provide a sustainability strategy for the maintenance, update, and validation of the project’s results beyond the project duration.

The proposal page limits and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. At stage 1 of a two-stage Call, the limit for RIA short proposals is 20 pages; at stage 2 of a two-stage Call, the limit for RIA full proposals is 50 pages.

Legal entities established in the UK and Canada are not eligible to receive funding.

Templates of the reference documents and associated guidance can be found on the IHI JU website. The relevant templates and annexes for submitting proposals are available to download in the submission system of the Funding and Tender Opportunities portal.

The evaluation form for Research and Innovation Actions (single and two-stage Calls) is the IHI JU Evaluation form for Research and Innovation Actions.

For 1st Stage of two-stage Calls, only Part A of the proposal template is applicable. The IHI JU Proposal template (RIA/SP) – Part B is used for the short proposal. The Annex: Type of Participants is a compulsory annex.

For 2nd Stage of two-stage Calls, only Part A of the proposal template is applicable. The IHI JU Proposal template (RIA/FP) - Part B is used for the full proposal. The Annex to the budget and type of participants is a compulsory annex. The Declaration of in-kind contribution commitment is a compulsory annex. The In-kind contributions to additional activities (IKAA) is an optional annex. The Essential information for clinical studies is a compulsory annex. The Ethics annex is an optional annex.

The Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is the HE General MGA v1.2. Additional documents include Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085, the IHI JU Work Programme (WP), the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), the IHI JU Guide for Applicants, and the IHI JU FAQs.

The budget for HORIZON-JU-IHI-2025-11-01-two-stage is EUR 20,202,000, and the indicative number of grants is 1. The budget for HORIZON-JU-IHI-2025-11-04-two-stage, HORIZON-JU-IHI-2025-11-02-two-stage, HORIZON-JU-IHI-2025-11-03-two-stage, and HORIZON-JU-IHI-2025-11-05-two-stage is EUR 37,209,000, with indicative contributions of around EUR 8,825,000, EUR 7,127,000, EUR 8,906,000, and EUR 12,351,000 respectively, and an indicative number of grants of 1 for each.

This funding opportunity aims to address the increasing strain on European healthcare systems due to an aging population and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases. It seeks to promote the establishment and effective implementation of Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) specializing in orthopedics and cardiology. By shifting appropriate surgical procedures from traditional hospitals to these outpatient facilities, the initiative hopes to reduce costs, improve patient access, and minimize hospital-acquired infections. The program encourages collaborative projects that involve various stakeholders, including healthcare providers, technology companies, patient groups, and reimbursement bodies, to develop standardized protocols, training programs, and interoperable digital solutions. Ultimately, this initiative envisions a more efficient, patient-centered healthcare landscape with ASCs playing a key role in delivering high-quality surgical care.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, based on the scope and target groups, eligible applicants could include hospital managers, healthcare system providers, medical technology companies, digital companies, health care providers (HCPs), patient groups, carer associations, researchers, reimbursement bodies, and HTA (Health Technology Assessment) bodies. This suggests a broad range of potential applicants, including public and private entities involved in healthcare.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]. The call is for HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-JU-RIA).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to favor a consortium approach, as it aims to establish a multi-stakeholder advisory board and create a network of selected ASCs. The call specifies that applicants should establish a multi-stakeholder advisory board.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is primarily focused on the European healthcare setting. The actions aim to establish ASCs within a European healthcare setting. While non-EU/non-Associated Countries may have specific provisions, the core focus is on EU and associated countries.

Target Sector: The program targets the health sector, specifically focusing on orthopaedics (knee and hip joint replacement surgery) and cardiology (cardiac ablation procedures and elective rhythmology). It also involves medical technology, digital health solutions, and healthcare resource management.

Mentioned Countries: The United Kingdom and Canada are explicitly mentioned as countries whose legal entities are not eligible for funding under this specific topic. The primary geographic focus is the European Union and associated countries.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is likely at the development and demonstration stages. The call aims to establish ASC facilities, demonstrate the safety of procedures, generate protocols, create networks, and collect real-world evidence, suggesting projects should be beyond the initial idea or research phase and ready for practical implementation and validation.

Funding Amount: For HORIZON-JU-IHI-2025-11-05-two-stage, the budget is EUR 37,209,000. The indicative contribution for this topic is around EUR 12,351,000. For HORIZON-JU-IHI-2025-11-01-two-stage, the budget is EUR 20,202,000, with an indicative contribution of around EUR 20,202,000.

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

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to support research and innovation actions, infrastructure development, training programs, and the implementation of digital health solutions.

Application Stages: The application process involves two stages, as indicated by the "two-stage" deadline model. At stage 1, the limit for RIA short proposals is 20 pages. At stage 2, the limit for RIA full proposals is 50 pages.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text mentions the need to comply with IHI additional eligibility criteria, such as a 45% industry contribution, suggesting a co-funding element, potentially through in-kind contributions or other financial mechanisms.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe program, specifically the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) Joint Undertaking. It aims to address the increasing healthcare costs and capacity issues in European hospitals by promoting the shift of certain surgical procedures to ambulatory surgical centres (ASCs). The focus is on orthopaedics (knee and hip joint replacement) and cardiology (cardiac ablation and elective rhythmology). The call seeks to fund research and innovation actions that will contribute to establishing a sustainable network of ASCs, developing best practices, generating real-world evidence, and implementing interoperable digital health solutions.

The expected impacts include driving cross-sectoral health innovation, infrastructure funding for ASCs, new healthcare strategies, implementation of innovative payment systems, establishment of ASC networks, regulation and accreditation of ASC facilities, and the creation of treatment databases.

Eligible applicants include a broad range of stakeholders, such as hospital managers, healthcare providers, medical technology companies, patient groups, and researchers. The funding type is a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based, and the application process involves a two-stage submission. Legal entities from the UK and Canada are not eligible for funding under this specific call.

The call emphasizes the need for a consortium approach, with the establishment of a multi-stakeholder advisory board and the creation of a network of ASCs. The geographic focus is primarily on the European healthcare setting, with the aim of scaling successful models across Europe. The projects should be at the development and demonstration stages, ready for practical implementation and validation.

The total budget for the topic is EUR 37,209,000, with an indicative contribution of around EUR 12,351,000 for HORIZON-JU-IHI-2025-11-05-two-stage and EUR 20,202,000 for HORIZON-JU-IHI-2025-11-01-two-stage. The application process involves two stages, with specific page limits for short and full proposals. A 45% industry contribution is required, suggesting a co-funding element.

In essence, this call is a strategic initiative to transform outpatient surgical care in Europe by promoting the establishment and standardization of ASCs, improving patient access, reducing healthcare costs, and enhancing the overall efficiency of healthcare systems.