IHI European HealthCare Incubator Network

IHI JU Call 13 Topic HORIZON-JU-IHI-2026-13 funds the establishment of a pan‑European HealthCare Incubator Network to identify, de-risk and accelerate early‑stage healthcare companies via Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP). Eligible consortia must be public‑private partnerships including at least one partner from an EU Member State and two partners from EU or Horizon Europe associated countries, and demonstrate industry contributions meeting the IHI requirement (minimum 45% of eligible costs at full proposal). FSTP targets start‑ups at TRL 3–5 with milestone‑based grants up to €2,000,000 per third party (€1,000,000 initial plus up to €1,000,000 follow‑on) and the action is expected to allocate at least 75% of IHI funding to FSTP. The submission model is two‑stage with deadlines 2026‑10‑08 (stage 1) and 2027‑04‑21 (stage 2) and proposals must follow IHI templates and annex requirements on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Call: Innovative Health Initiative JU Call 13

Quick overview

What it funds:establishment and operation of a pan-European HealthCare Incubator Network that links public incubators, industry and funders; provides mentorship, infrastructure access and regulatory navigation; and runs Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) open calls to de-risk and accelerate early-stage healthcare companies (TRL 3–5) across multiple therapy areas.

Who can apply:Consortia led by eligible legal entities established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries (universities, research organisations, incubators, SMEs, industry partners). Full proposals must integrate the pre-identified industry/private members or approved contributing partners and secure industry contributions (in-kind and/or financial) for eligibility ¹.

1. 1Call model: two-stage (short proposal then invited full proposal) — deadlines: 2026-10-08 and 2027-04-21 (second stage).
2. 2Action type: HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions (IHI JU).

How much:IHI JU action-level budget for this topic is large (indicative contribution around €35 000 000 for the main action in 2026 budget lines). The Network must allocate at least 75% of IHI JU funding supplemented by industry financial contributions to FSTP, and per-startup FSTP grants are structured as milestone-based initial grants €100 000–1 000 000 with a possible milestone-based follow-on grant up to €1 000 000, total maximum per third party up to €2 000 000.

Footnotes

1. 1IHI JU requires that at least 45% of a full proposal's eligible costs (and costs for action-related additional activities) come from industry contributions (in-kind and/or financial) from private members and/or approved contributing partners. See IHI Guide for contributing partners and IHI Annexes on contributions for details IHI Guide for contributing partners.

Call and Administrative Details

Call title:Innovative Health Initiative JU Call 13. Topic identifier: HORIZON-JU. Type of action: HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions (RIA). Deadline (two-stage): Stage 1 short proposals: 2026-10-08; Stage 2 full proposals: 2027-04-21. Submission model: two-stage. Expected grant instrument: HORIZON Action Grant (budget-based). Planned opening date: 2026-07-02. Call status: Open.

IHI JU funding envelope (topic-level / indicative):The specific topic HORIZON-JU is linked to a large pool within IHI JU Call 13. Budget overview in the portal shows an indicative expected grant for this topic action of €35,000,000 (min and max contribution same figure for that action). See the Funding & Tenders portal topic entry for official amounts and final WP text.

Where to apply:Apply and submit through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal electronic submission system. Part A (system webform) + Part B PDF (use IHI templates) must be uploaded. The IHI-specific annexes (Type of participants, Budget Annex, IKAA declaration, Contributing Partner letters where applicable, Essential information for clinical studies if applicable) are compulsory when indicated. Proposal templates and annexes are available in the Submission System. See the Funding & Tenders Portal topic page Topic page.

Purpose, Expected Impact and Outcomes

Objective:establish a sustainable pan-European HealthCare Incubator Network linking public incubators (academia, foundations) and industry incubators (pharma, medtech, biotech) to identify, de-risk, fund (via Financial Support to Third Parties FSTP) and accelerate early-stage healthcare companies (TRL 3–5). Expected impacts include: deliver early technology solutions addressing unmet public health needs across multiple therapy areas; harness digital health and data-sharing technologies (AI, big data) and contribute to the European Health Data Space; leverage IHI JU industry scale to create a pipeline of validated startups with an industry quality seal; strengthen EU health industry competitiveness, regulatory and reimbursement navigation, and investor readiness; create sustainable incubator network that feeds into other EU support structures (EIC, EIT Health, Startup Hubs).

Expected outcomes (all must be addressed):1) A sustainable European HealthCare Incubator Network coordinating public and private incubators; 2) A strong de-risking and mentoring programme leveraging industry expertise; 3) An agile Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) mechanism (cascade funding); 4) Access to infrastructures, services and training; 5) Collaboration frameworks with EIC, EIT Health and national/regional programmes; 6) An industry quality seal for validated startups; 7) New strategic partnerships between startups, corporates, investors and incubators; 8) A portfolio of early-stage companies with improved business, market and technological readiness.

Scope and Focus

Targeted beneficiaries of FSTP:European early-stage companies (startups) with core technologies at TRL 3–5 addressing unmet public health needs. Technology scope (non-exhaustive): new modalities, screening platforms, early clinical validation, AI/ML for drug discovery, quantum-enabled tools, advanced biologics, next-generation screening technologies, novel delivery systems, enabling computational tools and other transformative platform technologies applicable across multiple therapeutic areas.

Network activities:governance setup (Network Coordination Forum, Advisory Board), partner mapping and incubator integration plan, transparent open competitive calls for FSTP (launch first by month 6), standardised contracts and milestone-based funding templates, mentoring programme delivered free for FSTP recipients, regulatory navigation and MDR/IVDR/EMA/CE support, infrastructure access catalogue, visibility and investor matchmaking, sustainability and impact measurement, alumni support and policy recommendations for regulators.

Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) — Key Rules

FSTP mechanism:Beneficiaries provide milestone-based grants to third-party startups. Form of support: grants only (no further cascade funding). IHI JU requires that at least 75% of the IHI JU funding (supplemented by private industry financial contribution) under the action be allocated to FSTP, as estimated by IHI JU to deliver the topic outcomes.

Per-third party maximum:€2,000,000 (split as initial grant up to €1,000,000 and potential follow-on grant up to €1,000,000). Initial grants range from €100,000 to €1,000,000 (milestone-based). Follow-on grants are awarded on technical milestones and strategic relevance and are also milestone-based (€100,000–1,000,000).

Sub-project duration:indicative up to 36 months (cannot exceed main grant duration). Payments: milestone-based disbursements with technical and financial reporting frequency matching the main grant. Beneficiaries must be able to provide evidence of payments (account extracts, bank statements, etc.). Third parties must not re-transfer the funding to other entities. Third parties must not be already FSTP recipients under the same action and must not be receiving other EU funding for the same subproject.

FSTP eligibility (minimum criteria for applicants to FSTP calls):Startups must operate at TRL 3–5 at submission; must not have previously received FSTP under this action; the proposed subproject must not be funded by other EU grants. Award evaluation will consider scientific/technical excellence addressing unmet healthcare needs, innovation and differentiation, regulatory strategy, team capabilities and investment readiness.

FSTP Selection and Governance

FSTP calls must be openly advertised (project website and EU Funding & Tenders Portal) for a minimum of 2 months. Results (name and country of third parties, dates, nature and duration of sub-projects) must be published on the Network public website. Applicants should present clear FSTP governance in their proposal, describing: management of FSTP; eligible activities; role of the Advisory Board; call cadence and timing to ensure sub-projects can be completed within the main action; evaluation and selection procedures; eligibility of costs; maximum funding per call; expert selection procedure; transparency and conflict-of-interest safeguards; standardised contract templates and IP safeguards; milestone and payment schedules; monitoring and audit protocols.

Evaluation arrangement:an independent expert evaluation committee is to be established, nominated and selected by the Network in consultation with the Advisory Board. The committee evaluates sub-projects and protects against conflicts of interest.

Eligibility and Financial Rules for IHI JU Projects (applicants)

Eligible applicants:legal entities established in EU Member States or countries associated to Horizon Europe (including Canada, Switzerland, the UK, South Korea as listed by the Horizon Europe rules where relevant). See the Horizon Europe Programme Guide/General Annexes for full country lists. All participants must be registered in the Participant Register (PIC). Proposal consortia must include at least one legal entity established in an EU Member State and at least two other legal entities established in different Member States or associated countries to be eligible.

IHI JU-specific eligibility:For two-stage calls, pre-identified industry consortium members named in the topic are typically not eligible to receive JU funding (they are expected to join at stage 2). Companies with annual turnover ≥ €500 million (or entities directly or indirectly controlled by such companies) are generally not eligible for funding in two-stage calls where specified (see topic text and SBA Article 125). For single-stage calls, eligibility to receive funding follows standard Horizon Europe rules (entities established in Member States, associated countries or eligible low- and middle-income countries).

IHI JU industry contribution (45% threshold) — eligibility requirement:For full proposals (single-stage calls or stage 2 of two-stage calls) the consortium must demonstrate that constituent or affiliated entities of IHI JU private members and/or contributing partners provide collectively at least 45% of the action’s eligible costs and costs for action-related additional activities (IKOP + FC paid + IKAA). This is a mandatory eligibility criterion. IHI JU recommends targetting 50% to provide a safety margin during project implementation. The consortium must complete the IHI Annex to the Budget & Type of Participants to evidence compliance.

Budget structure and templates

Applicants must complete:Part A webform (system-generated) and Part B narrative (IHI template). For full proposals (and as required at stage 1 for IHI two-stage calls), applicants must complete the IHI Annex to the Budget and Type of Participants (Excel), the Declaration of In-Kind Contribution Commitment (if applicable), the IKAA Annex (where IKAA is present), and the Type of Participants annex (stage 1). Use the IHI budget annex to report items not captured by standard Part A (IKOP, non-EU IKOP, FC paid, IKAA). The Part A and Annex must be consistent; Part A prevails in case of conflict.

Specific budget checks performed automatically in the IHI budget annex:total eligible costs = total estimated income; % non-EU IKOP ≤ 20% (programme-level limit; call may define tighter limit); total FC paid = total FC received unless FC is received from outside the consortium; IKAA share of total in-kind from private members (IKAA/(IKAA+IKOP)) should be ≤ 40% at programme level. Applicants should follow the IHI Annex Guidance (detailed instructions available on IHI website) when preparing budgets.

Consortium composition and roles

Eligible participant types include:university and research organisations, SMEs, mid-caps, large companies (subject to call rules), NGOs, healthcare professional organisations, patient organisations, regulators, notified bodies, HTA bodies, payers, charities, foundations and public authorities. Typical roles: coordinator (central legal signatory and liaison to the JU), beneficiaries (grant signatories), affiliated entities (legal or capital link to a beneficiary implementing parts of the action), associated partners (entities carrying out tasks at own cost; two types exist in IHI context: a) associated partners not affiliated to industry members and b) associated partners that are affiliated entities of private members/contributing partners — the latter’s contributions may count as IKOP/FC/IKAA where rules permit). Subcontractors execute specific tasks for beneficiaries under the MGA rules.

Important operational notes:IHI private members and contributing partners are expected to provide in-kind and financial contributions. Contributing Partner applications must be submitted as required by the call (for single-stage calls, a signed contributing partner application letter must be included with the proposal when the consortium lists contributing partners). Affiliated entities to private members must be declared in IHI annexes. Associated partners that are affiliates of private members should normally be captured as affiliated entities in the submission to ensure their contributions can be used for the 45% calculation.

Evaluation, selection and award

Procedure:IHI JU typically uses the Horizon Europe RIA evaluation framework (three award criteria: excellence, impact, quality & efficiency of implementation). Two-stage calls: Stage 1 short proposals are evaluated (RIA short proposals 20-page limit). The top-ranked short proposal is invited to submit a full proposal at stage 2, which will be evaluated with the integrated pre-identified industry consortium. Full proposals (RIA) are evaluated against the standard thresholds (minimum 3/5 per criterion; total 10/15) unless the topic sets different thresholds. The evaluation forms and scoring rules follow IHI JU templates and the Horizon Europe/EIC rules.

Expert panels:independent external experts evaluate and a consensus meeting and panel review are used. Conflicts of interest are tightly managed. An Advisory Board (including EIC representation) is expected within project governance to support FSTP oversight and nomination of evaluation experts for the sub-projects.

Project management, governance and deliverables

Applicants must propose a lean governance structure with Network Coordination Forum as the main decision-making body (even split public/private partners), an Advisory Board, and defined operational processes, KPIs and dashboards. A Project Management work package and a distinct Dissemination, Exploitation & Communication work package are advised. Deliverables should include the first FSTP call launch (by month 6), FSTP standardised contract templates, mentoring programme outlines, infrastructure access catalogue, sustainability and business case for post-funding operation, annual impact reports, and an industry quality seal process.

FSTP operational requirements and due diligence

FSTP calls must be transparent, follow EU rules on equal treatment and confidentiality, and publish results. Third-party subprojects are selected on excellence, impact and avoiding duplication. The coordinating entity must detail: evaluation and selection procedures, milestone and reporting schemes, controls to ensure cost eligibility, audit and oversight arrangements, conflict-of-interest safeguards, call cadence, expert selection, advertising and publication strategy. Payments to third parties are milestone-based and beneficiaries must be able to provide accounting evidence of disbursements.

IP, licensing and Right to Object

Intellectual property arrangements must be addressed:the proposal should propose standardised contract templates for third-party engagements (FSTP), IP safeguarding measures, and clear allocation of rights and access. IHI JU retains a Right to Object to transfer/exclusive licensing of results to entities in non-associated third countries if EU interests are at risk (see Annex I of the Grant Agreement / SBA Article references). Ensure IP exploitation and access-to-market paths are explained and consistent with IHI JU and MGA rules.

Ethics, data protection and security

All proposals must comply with ethical principles and relevant EU legislation (GDPR etc.). Clinical studies require the Essential Information for Clinical Studies annex in full proposals and early consultation with regulators is encouraged. Data management: projects must explain how research data (and other outputs) are managed in line with FAIR principles, including repositories, identifiers, archiving, access provisions, and IPR considerations. AI and digital health components must address technical robustness, explainability, bias mitigation, and applicable regulatory frameworks for medical devices and software as medical device (MDR/IVDR).

What applicants must include in proposals (checklist)

1. 1Part A information in the Funding & Tenders Portal (organisation/legal data, budgets, ethics & security flags).
2. 2Part B — IHI Part B template describing Excellence, Impact and Implementation (page limits: Stage 1 short proposals 20 pages; Stage 2 full proposals 50 pages).
3. 3IHI Annex: Type of participants (stage 1 short proposals) and Annex to the Budget & Type of participants (full proposals).
4. 4Declaration of in-kind contribution commitment (when private members/constituent or affiliated entities provide IKOP/IKAA/FC — compulsory for full proposals).
5. 5IKAA Annex (if IKAA is contributed by private members).
6. 6Contributing Partner application letter(s) as required by the call (for single-stage proposals listing contributing partners, a signed application letter must be included).
7. 7Essential information for clinical studies annex (compulsory in full proposals including clinical studies).
8. 8Templates and annexes available in the submission system and IHI website must be used.

Evaluation and award timing and stages

Two-stage call:Stage 1 (short proposal) — individual evaluation of excellence, impact and implementation against topic-specific requirements; consensus and panel review; top-ranked short proposal is invited to stage 2. Stage 2 (full proposal) — full evaluation of the integrated consortium (including pre-identified industry members) using full Part B and full annexes. Funding decisions are made from ranked lists and within the available IHI JU budget. Grant preparation (GAP): legal entity verification, financial capacity checks, consortium agreement signature, finalisation of IHI-specific annexes and evidence of private members’ contributions (IKOP, IKAA, FC) to confirm the 45% threshold if required.

Success rates and selection

Success rates depend on call competitiveness and available budget. The topic text shows expected number of grants and indicative funding amounts for each action line (portal budget overview). Proposals must meet admissibility, eligibility (including the IHI 45% industry contribution threshold for full proposals), and evaluation thresholds to be selected.

Project duration, reporting and audits

Project duration:defined in the Grant Agreement (FSTP sub-project duration up to 36 months, cannot exceed main grant duration). Reporting: technical and financial reporting according to the MGA schedule; milestone-based reporting for FSTP recipients. Audits and controls: grants and cascade disbursements are subject to the normal EU checks and audits; beneficiaries must provide documentary evidence for FSTP disbursements and third-party costs.

Templates and application structure

Template list and structure:Use the IHI JU Part B templates (Stage 1 short proposal Part B; Stage 2 full proposal Part B), the Annex to the Budget & Type of Participants (detailed budget tab), the Type of Participants annex (stage 1), the Declaration of In-Kind Contribution Commitment (full proposals), IKAA annex (if IKAA applies), Essential information for clinical studies annex (if clinical studies are included). Part A is generated by the portal webforms. For two-stage calls: short proposal Part B limit 20 pages; full proposal Part B limit 50 pages. Follow IHI-specific instructions for listing private members, constituent/affiliated entities, and contributing partners in the annexes.

Key applicant actions before submission

1. 1Register organisations in the Participant Register (PIC) and appoint LEARs and signatories.
2. 2Download and use the exact IHI templates in the submission system (Part B, annexes).
3. 3Complete the Annex to the Budget & Type of Participants to test 45% industry contribution eligibility for full proposals (or ensure the first-stage short proposal is designed to incorporate the pre-identified industry consortium at stage 2 for two-stage calls).
4. 4Prepare all compulsory annexes (IKAA, Declaration, Contributing Partner letters) as required by the call text and attach them to the relevant stage submission.
5. 5Ensure data management, ethical approvals and clinical study annexes are prepared where applicable.

Practical support and resources

1. 1IHI JU Guide for Applicants and SRIA (see IHI website call documents).
2. 2IHI JU Work Programme and topic-specific call text on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
3. 3IHI-specific annex templates, Excel budget annex with detailed checks and instructions (available in the submission environment and on the IHI website).
4. 4Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreement (HE-A/AGA), and Annexes B–G of Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026–2027.
5. 5Contact points: IHI infodesk (infodesk@ihi.europa.eu) and Funding & Tenders Portal IT Helpdesk for submission tool issues.

Evaluation stages (summary)

1. 11. Admissibility and formal checks (portal, annex completeness, page limits).
2. 22. Eligibility checks (country/establishment, 45% industry contribution for full proposals).
3. 33. Independent external experts — individual evaluation (scores and comments using IHI/IHE evaluation forms).
4. 44. Consensus meetings to reconcile individual expert comments and scores.
5. 55. Panel review and ranking; IHI Governing Board approves funding decisions.
6. 66. Grant Preparation (legal/financial validation, consortium agreement, final evidence for industry contributions).

Compliance and good practice — summary of must-haves in the proposal

1. 1Clear governance with Network Coordination Forum and Advisory Board (public/private split).
2. 2Concrete FSTP design, transparency rules, evaluation committee composition and conflict-of-interest safeguards.
3. 3Detailed FSTP payment and milestone schedule, accountability and audit arrangements.
4. 4Detailed mentoring, regulatory navigation, infrastructure access and training programmes for FSTP recipients.
5. 5Plan for synergies with EIC, EIT Health and national/regional initiatives and mechanisms to avoid duplication.
6. 6IP management approach and industry quality seal process (non-binding endorsements).
7. 7Sustainability plan for the Network after IHI funding ends, KPI dashboard and impact measurement.

Summary — What this opportunity is about and how to explain it

This IHI JU topic invites large, cross-sectoral consortia to build and operate a European HealthCare Incubator Network that connects public and private incubators and industry partners, provides milestone-based cascade funding (FSTP) to early-stage healthcare startups (TRL 3–5), and offers mentoring, infrastructure access, regulatory navigation and investor matchmaking to de-risk and accelerate startups towards clinical validation, regulatory readiness and follow-on funding. The action must create a sustainable governance model, harmonised FSTP call process and evaluation framework, deliver an infrastructure services catalogue and mentoring programme, and allocate the majority of funds to FSTP subprojects (IHI JU expects at least 75% of IHI JU funding supplemented with industry FC to be allocated to financial support to third parties). Individual startups can receive up to €2,000,000 (€1,000,000 initial + up to €1,000,000 follow-on). Proposals must demonstrate complementarity with EU programmes and show how they will create an industry quality seal, strategic partnerships and pathways to scale-up and EIC/EIT national support. For full proposals (single-stage or stage 2 of two-stage), an IHI-specific eligibility rule requires that at least 45% of the action’s eligible costs and costs for action-related additional activities be contributed by constituent/affiliated entities of IHI private members and/or contributing partners (IKOP + FC paid + IKAA). Applicants must use the IHI annex templates and follow Horizon Europe submission rules; evaluation will follow the RIA criteria (excellence, impact, quality & efficiency of implementation) using IHI evaluation templates.

1. 1Eligible applicant types: consortiums composed of research organisations, SMEs, mid-caps, industry partners, incubators, NGOs, patient organisations, healthcare providers, regulators, HTA bodies, and public authorities. IHI private members and contributing partners play a key role (constituent/affiliated entities).
2. 2Funding type: Grant (IHI JU action grant) with Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP/cascade funding).
3. 3Consortium requirement: Consortium (multi-party). Two-stage submission model for this topic (short proposal then full).
4. 4Beneficiary scope: Entities established in EU Member States and Horizon Europe associated countries (plus limited exceptional funding rules for third-country entities).
5. 5Target sector: Health, including biotech/medtech, pharma, digital health (AI/big data), diagnostics, advanced biologics, enabling computational tools and cross-sectoral DeepTech convergences.
6. 6Mentioned countries: EU and Horizon Europe associated countries; specific references in topic text to Canada, Switzerland, UK and South Korea as countries associated to HE funding eligibility where relevant.
7. 7Project stage: Early-stage companies TRL 3–5 for FSTP; Network creation, incubation, validation, and scale-up support for companies.
8. 8Funding amount: Indicative action-level grant contribution shown in the portal (topic-level: example entry showed €35,000,000 for this action). FSTP per start-up: up to €2,000,000 (initial up to €1,000,000 + possible follow-on up to €1,000,000).
9. 9Application type: Two-stage open call (Stage 1 short proposal, Stage 2 full proposal).
10. 10Nature of support: Monetary grants (EU action grant for the consortium; cascade grants to third-party startups) plus non-monetary services (mentoring, regulatory navigation, infrastructure access).
11. 11Application stages: Two (short proposal then full proposal), plus grant preparation (GAP) if selected.
12. 12Success rates: Not specified in topic text; depends on call budget and competition. Meeting eligibility and evaluation thresholds is required. 45% industry contribution is mandatory for full proposals.
13. 13Co-funding requirement: Yes — IHI JU requires significant private member contributions (IHI-specific 45% industry contribution threshold for full proposals; IHI estimates at least 75% of IHI JU funding supplemented with industry FC should be allocated to FSTP).
14. 14Templates: Use IHI templates for Part B (short and full), Annex: Type of participants (stage 1), Annex to the Budget and Type of participants (full), Declaration of in-kind contribution commitment, IKAA template, Essential information for clinical studies annex where applicable. Part A (webform) is generated in the submission system. Detailed budget annex instructions are provided by IHI (including automated checks for 45% threshold, % non-EU IKOP, IKAA limits).

Footnotes

1. 1IHI JU application templates, annexes, Guide for Applicants, SRIA and call documentation are available on the IHI website and in the Funding & Tenders Portal topic page. Use the submission system templates and follow the specific IHI annex instructions (Budget & Type of Participants annex) to demonstrate the 45% industry contribution for full proposals.

Who Should Apply

Eligibility Highlights

This call targets consortia capable of building a sustainable pan-European Healthcare Incubator Network linking public (academia, foundations) and industry (pharma, medtech, biotech) incubators to support early-stage healthcare companies ¹. The primary beneficiaries of the network's cascade funding will be European early-stage companies (start-ups) operating at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 to TRL 5 ².

Consortium Requirements:Applicants must form a public-private partnership consortium with at least one partner from an EU Member State and two partners from EU or Horizon Europe associated countries (including the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea) ³. Industry members must provide a minimum of 45% of project costs via in-kind contributions ⁴.

1. 1TRL 3-5 start-ups with unmet healthcare needs
2. 2Public-private incubator consortium partners
3. 3Industry members providing in-kind contributions
4. 4Entities aligned with EU Industrial and Pharmaceutical Strategies

The network will provide an 'industry quality seal' to validate start-ups, enhancing their credibility with investors and regulators, while offering mentorship on regulatory pathways (CE marking, EMA, MDR/IVDR) and commercial readiness ⁵. Start-ups must not receive other EU funding for the same subproject and must be autonomous enterprises ⁶.

Strategic Synergies:The action synergises with the EU Startup and Scale-up Strategy, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, the European Health Data Space (EHDS), and the proposed Biotech Act, ensuring continuity for start-ups into wider EU support structures like the EIC Accelerator ⁷.

Footnotes

1. 1IHI Call 13 Topic Text: IHI European HealthCare Incubator Network, defining the Network as a link between public and industry incubators.
2. 2Call Definition: Early-stage companies at TRL 3-5 are the exclusive target for FSTP funding, covering proof-of-concept to pre-clinical stages.
3. 3Horizon Europe Eligibility: Legal entities in EU Member States and associated countries (UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea) are eligible.
4. 4IHI Funding Rules: Minimum 45% of costs must be covered by in-kind contributions from industry members.
5. 5Expected Outcome: The 'industry quality seal' serves as an endorsement of investment worthiness and market validation for start-ups.
6. 6FSTP Eligibility: Start-ups must not receive other EU funding for the proposed subproject and must be autonomous.
7. 7Strategic Alignment: The action supports EU4Health, Digital Europe, and the Startup and Scale-up Strategy, linking to EIC and EIT Health.