Global collaboration action towards better prevention, treatment and clinical management of HIV co-infections or co-morbidities in sub-Saharan Africa

This summary presents a detailed overview of the funding opportunity under the Global Health EDCTP3 2026 HIV Co-Infections and Co-Morbidities Research Grant, which is part of the Horizon Europe program. The initiative aims to address the significant health challenges posed by HIV and related co-infections and co-morbidities in sub-Saharan Africa.

Eligible applicants include research institutions, universities, public and private organizations, and enterprises from specific countries, particularly within the EU, EEA, associated countries, and EDCTP Association member states. Importantly, each consortium must include entities from different eligible countries, necessitating participation from at least one EU member state and one sub-Saharan African country, emphasizing the priority of African-led research.

The funding type is a direct financial grant, classified as a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based, with a total allocation of €25 million specifically for HIV-related research. The opportunity is structured as a two-stage application process: the first stage requires submission of outline proposals by March 4, 2026, and successful applicants will be invited to submit full proposals by September 17, 2026. The expected funding is approximately five grants of €5 million each.

This funding opportunity targets late-stage clinical development (Phase IIb and beyond) focusing on clinical research to enhance treatment outcomes for individuals living with HIV, many of whom also experience concurrent health challenges such as tuberculosis, malaria, and non-communicable diseases. The initiative encourages research on innovative treatment methods, including long-acting injectable formulations, and aims to improve public health policies and practices through evidence-based findings.

The proposal must reflect strong collaboration among diverse stakeholders, integrating healthcare services and clarifying access plans to ensure developed health technologies are available and affordable in low-resource settings. Furthermore, the inclusion of substantial co-funding from contributing partners is mandatory.

Overall, the call is designed to foster international collaboration and leverage resources to significantly improve health outcomes for individuals living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, contributing to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3, which focuses on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all.

This EU funding opportunity, HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-01-HIV-03-two-stage, aims to address the burden of disease in sub-Saharan Africa related to HIV co-infections and co-morbidities. It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program and is a HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Action (RIA) with a two-stage submission process. The call opens on January 14, 2026, with the first-stage deadline on March 4, 2026, and the second-stage deadline on September 17, 2026. The total budget allocated for this topic is 25,000,000 EUR, and it is expected to fund around 5 projects.

The primary goal is to contribute to SDG 3, which focuses on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. This will be achieved through increased international cooperation, catalyzing research synergies, and leveraging resources and investment. Proposals should demonstrate effective in-kind and/or financial contributions from contributing partners to enhance the impact of research activities.

Applicant consortia must include contributions from contributing partners that align with their commitments outlined in the letter of endorsement. These contributions can be financial or in-kind. A first draft of the endorsement letter must be submitted to the Programme Office before the second-stage application deadline. Contributing partners become part of the applicant consortium and participate in the project as beneficiaries or affiliated entities. Global Health EDCTP3 contributing partners can be countries, international organizations, or any public or private legal entity, excluding Global Health EDCTP3 members or their affiliated entities.

The background highlights that HIV remains a major health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, with a growing number of people living with HIV and related co-infections and co-morbidities, including infectious pathogens like tuberculosis, malaria, and non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. These conditions often lead to polypharmacy, complicating treatment and increasing the risk of drug interactions. The call emphasizes the urgent need to improve prevention, treatment, and clinical management through accelerated clinical research.

Expected outcomes include:

Improved prevention and/or treatment outcomes for HIV co-infections or co-morbidities in sub-Saharan Africa.
Better integration of healthcare services and support programs for people living with HIV in different healthcare systems in sub-Saharan Africa.
Improved management of people living with HIV and related co-infections or co-morbidities, particularly safer polypharmacy use.
Enhanced and informed public health management decision-making by policy makers and public health authorities.

The scope of the call focuses on generating evidence on the efficacy, immunogenicity, safety, and clinical utility of novel/improved products for healthcare professionals and clinicians in sub-Saharan Africa. This includes preventing HIV co-morbidities or advanced HIV disease. Proposals should address effective service integration in healthcare systems, including safer polypharmacy use, and should focus on late-stage (phase IIb and thereafter) clinical development.

The target population is people with HIV, including those with advanced disease and those on long-term treatment. All infectious diseases and co-morbidities in this population are within scope, except for Tuberculosis (covered in other calls). The research can be conducted in any age group, but should be inclusive and ensure the participation of vulnerable research participants. Social and societal dimensions, including strategies for social inclusion and stigma mitigation, are to be considered, as well as sex and gender differences and the effects of age.

Proposals should address how the generated data will support public health authorities and policy makers in updating clinical guidelines and designing relevant HIV policies. Cost-effectiveness and implementation research is within scope, especially for innovations like long-acting injectables and monoclonal antibodies.

Epidemiological and surveillance studies with new cohorts and development or evaluation of diagnostics are out of scope, but continuation of surveillance of existing cohorts and the use of diagnostics as part of standard care are permissible. The prevention and treatment of HIV infection itself or clinical management exclusively focusing on HIV infection is also out of scope. Preclinical studies are generally out of scope, but preparatory activities enabling clinical studies can be considered.

Proposals are expected to leverage financial and/or in-kind contributions from contributing partners, with clear descriptions and budgeting for each contribution. Collaboration with the AU-EU Health Partnership’s Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, medicines and health technologies (MAV+) hub is encouraged, including technology transfer agreements with African counterparts.

When relevant, proposals should describe the desired target product profile, build on prior research findings, and include full details of development milestones, go/no-go criteria, and plans for regulatory approval and access strategies. Applicants are encouraged to consider innovations in clinical trial design and research methods.

Proposals should engage communities and relevant stakeholders and provide methodologies for translating research findings into public health practice and policy guidelines. Research consortia should have strong representation from institutions and researchers from sub-Saharan African countries, including Franco/Lusophone countries, and collaboration with international research groups is encouraged. Participation in networking and joint activities is also strongly encouraged.

Eligibility conditions include adherence to proposal page limits and layout guidelines, as well as specific country eligibility requirements. Consortia must include at least three independent legal entities from different eligible countries, including one from a Member State or associated country to Horizon Europe that is a member of the EDCTP Association, and one from a sub-Saharan African country that is a member of the EDCTP Association. If the coordinator is not established in a sub-Saharan African country, the designation of a scientific project leader established in a sub-Saharan African country member of the EDCTP Association is mandatory.

Evaluation criteria include excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency of implementation. Specific conditions related to scores and weighting apply, with thresholds for individual criteria and an overall threshold. The evaluation process also considers the inclusion of effective in-kind and/or financial contributions from contributing partners and the leveraging of these contributions.

Grants awarded under this topic must include an access plan demonstrating strategies to ensure that developed products and services are affordable, available, and accessible to the public at fair and reasonable conditions. Participants are also subject to additional exploitation obligations and the JU has the right to object to transfer/exclusive licensing.

Applicants should be aware that information regarding their proposals may be shared with members of the JU Committee of the EDCTP Association and contributing partners.

This funding opportunity seeks to bolster research and innovation efforts aimed at tackling HIV co-infections and co-morbidities in sub-Saharan Africa. It emphasizes collaboration between European and African researchers, the involvement of contributing partners, and the development of accessible and affordable health technologies and services. The ultimate goal is to reduce the burden of disease and improve the lives of people living with HIV in the region.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include legal entities established in specific countries (EU member states, associated countries to Horizon Europe, and constituent states of the EDCTP Association). International European research organizations are also eligible. Other international organizations are eligible if their participation is considered essential. Global Health EDCTP3 contributing partners can be a country, an international organisation or any public or private legal entity, other than the Global Health EDCTP3 members or their constituent or affiliated entities.

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

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required. The consortium must include at least three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country, where legal entities are eligible to receive funding. It must also include at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State, or in an associated country to Horizon Europe that is a member of the EDCTP Association, and at least one independent legal entity established in a sub-Saharan African country that is a member of the EDCTP Association.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and their outermost regions, overseas countries and territories (OCTs) linked to member states, countries associated to Horizon Europe, and constituent states of the EDCTP Association (primarily sub-Saharan African countries). Legal entities from other low- and middle-income countries may be eligible if specified in the call or if their participation is essential.

Target Sector: The target sector is health, specifically focusing on HIV, related co-infections, and co-morbidities in sub-Saharan Africa. It also includes research and innovation actions, clinical studies, healthcare service integration, and public health management.

Mentioned Countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Egypt, Morocco, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Conakry, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Aruba, Bonaire, Curação, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Territories, Greenland, New Caledonia, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna Islands.

Project Stage: The proposals should address late-stage (phase IIb and thereafter) clinical development. Preclinical studies are generally out of scope, but preparatory activities conducted during the preclinical phase to enable clinical studies can be considered.

Funding Amount: The indicative contributions are around EUR 5,000,000 for 5 grants, EUR 8,475,000 for 4 grants, and EUR 10,000,000 for 3 grants. The total budget for the HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-01-HIV-03-two-stage topic is EUR 25,000,000. The total budget for the HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-01-LRTI-02-two-stage topic is EUR 33,900,000. The total budget for the HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-01-TB-01-two-stage topic is EUR 30,000,000.

Application Type: The application type is a two-stage open call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to support their research and innovation actions.

Application Stages: The application process involves two stages.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but the indicative number of grants provides some context. For example, the HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-01-HIV-03-two-stage topic aims to fund around 5 projects with a total budget of EUR 25,000,000.

Co-funding Requirement: Proposals are expected to include effective in-kind and/or financial contributions from contributing partners. Leveraging of financial and/or in-kind contributions from contributing partners that are equal or greater than the requested JU contribution is considered during the evaluation.

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe program, specifically targeting global collaboration to address HIV co-infections and co-morbidities in sub-Saharan Africa. The goal is to reduce the burden of disease by supporting research and innovation actions that lead to improved prevention, treatment, and clinical management of these conditions. The call encourages consortia with strong representation from sub-Saharan African institutions and researchers, as well as collaboration with international research groups. The projects should focus on late-stage clinical development (Phase IIb and beyond) and generate evidence on the efficacy, immunogenicity, safety, and clinical utility of novel or improved products. Furthermore, the call emphasizes the importance of integrating healthcare services, ensuring access to affordable health technologies, and informing public health policies. Applicants are expected to leverage financial and in-kind contributions from contributing partners to enhance the impact of their research activities. The call also promotes transparency and accountability by involving contributing partners in the evaluation process and sharing project information.