European Partnership for Pandemic Preparedness (Phase 2)

The European Partnership for Pandemic Preparedness (Phase 2) is a funding opportunity under the Horizon Europe program, specifically for the call HORIZON-HLTH-2026-03-DISEASE-13. This initiative seeks to enhance pandemic preparedness by extending the existing partnership established under a prior grant. The proposal must be submitted by the coordinator of the current consortium funded under topic HORIZON-HLTH-2024-DISEASE-12-01. However, it encourages the inclusion of additional partners such as startups and SMEs to broaden participation.

The financial support is structured as a grant, specifically a HORIZON-COFUND action, with a total budget of €63 million. This funding is allocated as €30 million for 2026 and €33 million for 2027, with a funding rate of 50% of eligible costs, necessitating matching funds from participants. Notably, eligible applicants also include legal entities from the United States, provided there is consensus within the consortium.

The targeted areas for this funding encompass a wide range of health-related research activities, including basic and pre-clinical research, clinical trials, public health measures, and social sciences. It promotes a "One Health" approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.

The application process will be a single-stage submission, with proposals opening on February 10, 2027, and closing on April 13, 2027. The unique focus of this opportunity is on leveraging existing networks and infrastructures to ensure a rapid and effective response to future health threats, while sustaining clinical research capacity across Europe.

The partnership's overarching goal is not only to improve preparation for pandemics but also to foster strong collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and health authorities, thus creating a robust ecosystem for pandemic response. This will also involve substantial engagement from diverse stakeholders, strengthening the involvement of private and philanthropic organizations in health research.

Given the focus on consolidating and further developing research capabilities, the partnership aims to address and close existing gaps in preparedness by supporting a diverse set of activities that enhance the effectiveness of pandemic response across Europe and beyond. This funding opportunity is highly competitive due to its focus on a single grant.

This is a call for proposals for the HORIZON-HLTH-2026-03-DISEASE-13 topic, titled "European Partnership for Pandemic Preparedness (Phase 2)". It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) Programme, specifically the Partnerships in Health (2026/2) (HORIZON-HLTH-2026-03) call. The action type is HORIZON-COFUND, a HORIZON Programme Cofund Action, utilizing a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement.

The call employs a single-stage submission process with a planned opening date of February 10, 2027, and a deadline of April 13, 2027, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget allocated for this topic is EUR 63,000,000, with EUR 33,000,000 budgeted for 2027 and EUR 30,000,000 for 2026. The indicative number of grants to be awarded is 1.

The expected outcomes of this topic are:

A valued operational network of clinical research sites (both interventional and observational) with the capacity to implement well-coordinated large-scale multi-country quality clinical studies in different target populations, able to smoothly transition to interventions relevant for cross-border health threats.
Enhanced collaboration and coordination among key stakeholders, including EU and national entities, scientific communities, policymakers, and funders, to strengthen research on pandemic preparedness and response, forming a strong, structured, and comprehensive ecosystem.
Recognition and rapid closure of relevant research and infrastructure gaps, breaking existing silos on pandemic preparedness research and response, adopting a One Health approach.
Utilization of research results by healthcare authorities, regulatory authorities, policymakers, and other stakeholders to develop evidence-based strategies and policies for pandemic preparedness and response.
An improved comprehensive knowledge framework integrating EU, national/regional data and information infrastructures to improve transnational research in the area of pandemic preparedness and response.
A strengthened EU as an internationally recognized actor for pandemic preparedness research and response, substantially contributing to global cooperation and coordination.

The scope of this topic is to support activities that enable or contribute to the expected impacts of destination “Tackling diseases and reducing disease burden”. It targets an action under Article 24(2) HE Regulation, aiming to add additional activities to existing grant agreements, together with additional partners (if relevant). The award of a grant to continue the partnership should be based on a proposal submitted by the coordinator of the consortium funded under topic HORIZON-HLTH-2024-DISEASE-12-01: “European Partnership for Pandemic Preparedness”. The additional activities, such as close coordination with the Clinical Trial Coordination Mechanism (CT-CM), should be subject to evaluation.

The partnership should be firmly anchored within the framework of the European Health Union package and ensure synergies with the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) and other relevant Commission services. The partnership’s activities are expected to be key enablers of the EU Global Health Strategy.

The partnership should contribute to the actions proposed in the Joint Communication on the European Preparedness Union Strategy (JOIN(2025) 130 final) and the “Strategy for European Life Sciences”. Synergies with EU programmes such as EU4Health Programme (2021-2027) or the Digital Europe Programme are encouraged.

The co-funded Partnership for Pandemic Preparedness should enable improved coordination and cooperation on national and European levels (and contributing globally), building on the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) established in the first phase of the partnership. The proposal should present the additional activities (including additional partners) to be covered by the award primarily in terms of grant agreement revisions.

The partnership should cover the full scope of preparedness research, ranging from basic and pre-clinical research, to clinical, public health, social sciences and implementation research. It will consider the interplay between environmental, ecological and climatic factors and the emergence and spread of health threats, adopting a One Health approach.

Of particular interest is the consolidation and further development of the ever-warm clinical research network, comprising both observational and interventional studies. The partnership should ensure close coordination with the CT-CM, which should facilitate providing scientific advice on clinical research needs and promote a coordinated approach to the national and EU funding of identified clinical research needs.

The partnership should strengthen the European Research Area by supporting excellence in innovative research and capacity building, widening the engagement of countries not yet involved. It should attract the engagement of a broad range of stakeholders beyond European health authorities and research funders, such as private and philanthropic actors and innovators.

The participation of start-ups, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is encouraged. The relevant European research infrastructures in the area of health should be exploited for available services, expertise and digital tools.

The partnership should consider sex and identity-related differences, the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines, and the support and involvement of citizens and civil society.

The partnership will consolidate a suitable health research data ecosystem aligned with the European Health Data Space (EHDS) and the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), supporting the harmonisation and standardisation as well as the federated access of FAIR research data. The partnership’s work should comply with the appropriate ethical, regulatory and legal frameworks.

The admissibility conditions are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. The 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.

The proposal must be submitted by the coordinator of the consortium funded under topic HORIZON-HLTH-2024-DISEASE-12-01. Any legal entity established in the United States of America is eligible to receive Union funding, subject to the agreement of the consortium of research funders from eligible EU Member States and Associated Countries.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

The evaluation will consider the existing context and the scope of the initial evaluation. If successful, the next stage will be grant agreement amendment preparations. The coordinator of the consortium funded under topic HORIZON-HLTH-2024-DISEASE-12-01 will be invited to submit an amendment to the grant agreement.

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. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

The action will be implemented as an amendment of the grant agreement concluded pursuant to Article 24(2) of the Horizon Europe Regulation. The funding rate is 50% of the eligible costs. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants, with a maximum amount of EUR 3.00 million per third party. The granting authority may object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results up to 4 years after the end of the action.

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 standard application form (HE COFUND top-up) is available in the Submission System. The standard evaluation form (HE COFUND) will be used with the necessary adaptations.

This funding opportunity aims to bolster Europe's preparedness for future pandemics by providing additional funding and support to an existing consortium already working on pandemic preparedness. The goal is to enhance coordination, expand research efforts, and strengthen the European health research ecosystem to effectively tackle emerging health threats. The funding will be used to add new activities and potentially new partners to the existing project, ensuring a comprehensive and collaborative approach to pandemic preparedness across Europe and beyond. The focus is on translating research into practical strategies and policies that can be implemented by healthcare authorities and policymakers to protect public health.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant type is primarily a consortium, specifically the coordinator of the consortium funded under topic HORIZON-HLTH-2024-DISEASE-12-01: “European Partnership for Pandemic Preparedness”. While the coordinator must submit the proposal, the inclusion of additional partners, including start-ups, micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), is encouraged. The eligibility extends to legal entities established in the United States of America, subject to agreement by the consortium of research funders from eligible EU Member States and Associated Countries. The partnership should be able to attract the engagement of a broad range of stakeholders beyond European health authorities and research funders, such as private and philanthropic actors and innovators.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON-COFUND action. This involves co-funding, where the EU provides funding to complement funding from other sources, primarily the participating organizations themselves. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required, but with a specific condition. The proposal must be submitted by the coordinator of the consortium already funded under topic HORIZON-HLTH-2024-DISEASE-12-01. Additional partners can be included to enhance the existing consortium.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries, as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. The United States of America is also explicitly mentioned as eligible for Union funding under specific conditions. 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.

Target Sector: The target sector is health, with a focus on pandemic preparedness and response. This encompasses a wide range of research areas, including basic and pre-clinical research, clinical research, public health, social sciences, and implementation research. It also includes the development of a health research data ecosystem, exploitation of European research infrastructures in health, and the application of a One Health approach. The program also targets the European Life Sciences strategy and encourages synergies with the EU4Health Programme and the Digital Europe Programme.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions the United States of America as eligible for funding under specific conditions. The primary geographic focus is on EU Member States and Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily focused on the continuation and enhancement of an existing project. This includes adding additional activities to existing grant agreements and potentially including additional partners. The activities span the full scope of preparedness research, from basic research to implementation. The project aims to consolidate and further develop existing clinical research networks and data ecosystems.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the topic is 63,000,000 EUR, with 33,000,000 EUR allocated for 2027 and 30,000,000 EUR for 2026. The indicative number of grants is 1, suggesting a large-scale project. The funding rate is 50% of the eligible costs. The maximum amount of Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) that may be awarded to any single third party for the duration of the partnership is set at EUR 3.00 million.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage HORIZON-COFUND action. This means that applicants submit a full proposal in one stage, rather than going through a preliminary selection process.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to support research and innovation activities. Beneficiaries may also provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage, where a full proposal is submitted. If the proposal is successful, the next stage involves grant agreement amendment preparations.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is 1, which suggests a highly competitive process with a low success rate.

Co-funding Requirement: Yes, co-funding is required. The funding rate is 50% of the eligible costs, meaning that the participating organizations must provide the remaining 50% through a combination of in-kind contributions and in-house activities.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe funding opportunity, HORIZON-HLTH-2026-03-DISEASE-13, aims to bolster European and global pandemic preparedness by providing additional funding to the existing “European Partnership for Pandemic Preparedness” consortium. This initiative seeks to expand the scope and impact of the ongoing project by incorporating new activities and partners. The primary goal is to enhance coordination and cooperation among key stakeholders, including EU and national entities, research communities, policymakers, and funders, to create a robust and comprehensive ecosystem for pandemic research and response.

The funding will support a wide range of research activities, from basic and pre-clinical studies to clinical, public health, and social science research, all while adopting a One Health approach. A key focus is on consolidating and developing clinical research networks capable of rapidly responding to public health emergencies. The initiative also aims to strengthen the European Research Area by fostering excellence in research, capacity building, and broader engagement across different countries.

Participation of SMEs is encouraged to strengthen their scientific foundations and innovation potential. The project will leverage European research infrastructures and promote the harmonization and standardization of health research data through alignment with the European Health Data Space and the European Open Science Cloud.

The call is specifically targeted at the coordinator of the existing consortium, with the possibility of including additional partners. While primarily focused on EU Member States and Associated Countries, legal entities from the United States of America are also eligible under certain conditions. The funding mechanism is a co-fund action, requiring the consortium to contribute 50% of the eligible costs. The total budget is 63 million EUR, with an indicative number of 1 grant, making it a highly competitive opportunity. The application process involves a single-stage submission, with successful proposals leading to an amendment of the existing grant agreement.