Improve the Quality of Life of older cancer patients

The Horizon Europe call HORIZON-MISS aims to enhance the quality of life for older cancer patients aged 65 and above. Scheduled to open on February 10, 2026, and closing on September 15, 2026, this funding opportunity has a total budget of €25,000,000 and anticipates funding five projects with maximum contributions between €5,000,000 to €6,000,000 per project. The call encourages proposals targeting research and innovation actions focused on the unique care needs of older cancer patients, a demographic that is often underrepresented in clinical studies. Projects will require a consortium with a mix of various stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, researchers, patient representatives, and charities. The aim is to ensure a multidisciplinary approach that develops age-sensitive, innovative care approaches and tools, which will be applied in real-world healthcare settings through clinical trials and other methodologies. The health sector, specifically oncology and geriatrics, is the primary focus. Successful projects will address numerous factors affecting quality of life, including treatment efficacy, management of comorbidities, symptom management, and holistic patient care approaches, while considering gender-related differences in treatment outcomes. The proposals should emphasize patient-reported outcomes and involve direct input from cancer patients, survivors, and their caregivers in the research process. The application process is single-stage, requiring a complete proposal submission without preliminary evaluations. Various evaluation criteria will assess excellence, impact, and implementation, with a total cumulative scoring threshold of 12 points; minimum scoring of 4 is required in each category. The call does not explicitly require co-funding, but leveraging additional financial support from other sources is encouraged. Eligible applicants include a broad category of entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries, with provisions for participation by non-EU entities under specific conditions outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. Successful proposals will contribute to the EU's broader Cancer Mission goals, assisting in establishing evidence-based, affordable, and tailored care solutions for older cancer patients across Europe.

This is a Horizon Europe call supporting the implementation of the Cancer Mission, specifically targeting the improvement of the quality of life for older cancer patients (aged 65 and above). The call encompasses several topics, each with its own budget, action type, and expected number of grants. The call is a single-stage process with a planned opening date of February 10, 2026, and a deadline of September 15, 2026.

The primary objective is to address the gap in knowledge and resources concerning the care needs of older cancer patients, who are often underrepresented in clinical research. The call aims to foster multinational, cross-sectoral, and multidisciplinary cooperation to develop innovative, age-sensitive care approaches and tools.

Expected outcomes include:

Improved understanding of the care needs of older cancer patients.

Development of innovative, age-specific approaches and tools.

Evidence-based resources for healthcare providers and policymakers to implement tailored care.

The scope of the call includes:

Assessment of quality of life needs in older patients, considering social and health determinants.

Development, testing, and implementation of holistic approaches and tools in real-life settings.

Consideration of gender-related differences in treatment outcomes and quality of life.

Emphasis on patient-reported outcomes and quality of life in clinical trials.

Attention to pain management, cognitive and social support, and mental health services.

Rehabilitation strategies addressing mobility, osteoporosis, cardiovascular health, and other concerns.

Consideration of health literacy and the needs of families and caregivers.

Provision of scientific evidence for affordable and accessible treatment and follow-up care.

Data sharing through the EU dataset catalogue of the European Health Data Space and the UNCAN.eu platform.

The call encourages the involvement of a diverse range of stakeholders, including physicians, psychologists, nurses, academia, patients and caregivers, patient representatives, behavioral scientists, SMEs, insurance companies, charities, foundations, research organizations, civil society, and health authorities. Direct involvement of cancer patients and survivors is essential.

Successful proposals will be asked to join the 'Quality of life' cluster for the EU Cancer Mission and should include a budget for networking and joint activities. Applicants must provide details of clinical studies in a dedicated annex.

General conditions for participation include:

Admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout.

Eligibility criteria for countries, as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Other eligible conditions, financial and operational capacity, and exclusion criteria.

Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds, with thresholds of 4 for Excellence, Impact, and Implementation, and a cumulative threshold of 12.

Submission and evaluation processes, and indicative timelines for evaluation and grant agreement.

Legal and financial set-up of the grants, including potential objections to transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme. Application forms and evaluation templates are available in the Submission System. Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide and Model Grant Agreements (MGA), specifically the Lump Sum MGA. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027, the HE Programme Guide, the HE Framework Programme 2021/695, and various EU financial regulations and decisions.

The call includes seven specific topics:

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-01:Budget of €35,000,000, Research and Innovation Actions, contributions of €8,000,000 to €9,000,000, and an indicative number of 4 grants.

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-02:Budget of €15,000,000, Research and Innovation Actions, contributions around €15,000,000, and an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-03:Budget of €22,186,000, Research and Innovation Actions, contributions of €7,000,000 to €8,000,000, and an indicative number of 3 grants.

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-04:Budget of €15,000,000, Research and Innovation Actions, contributions around €5,000,000, and an indicative number of 3 grants.

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-05:Budget of €7,000,000, Innovation Actions, contributions around €7,000,000, and an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-06:Budget of €5,000,000, Coordination and Support Actions, contributions around €5,000,000, and an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-MISS:Budget of €25,000,000, Research and Innovation Actions, contributions of €5,000,000 to €6,000,000, and an indicative number of 5 grants.

This Horizon Europe call is a significant opportunity for researchers, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders to contribute to improving the quality of life for older cancer patients. It addresses the critical need for more evidence-based approaches and tools tailored to the unique challenges faced by this population. By fostering collaboration and innovation, the call aims to translate research findings into practical solutions that can be implemented in healthcare systems across Europe and associated countries, ultimately enhancing the well-being of older adults living with cancer.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types for this opportunity are broad and include a mix of stakeholders from various disciplines and sectors. Specifically mentioned are physicians, psychologists, nurses, academia, patients and their caregivers, patient representatives, behavioural scientists, SMEs, insurance companies, charities and foundations, research organisations, civil society, and regional and national health authorities.

Funding Type:The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) under the Horizon Europe Programme, utilizing a lump sum grant agreement (HORIZON-AG-LS).

Consortium Requirement:The opportunity requires multinational, cross-sectoral, and multidisciplinary cooperation, implying a consortium of multiple applicants is necessary.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries. 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, specifically focusing on cancer and improving the quality of life for older cancer patients (aged 65 and above). It also touches on social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines.

Mentioned Countries:The opportunity explicitly mentions EU Member States and Associated Countries. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have made specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Project Stage:The project stage encompasses a range from development and testing to implementation and scale-up, particularly focusing on innovative approaches and tools in real-life settings, including pragmatic clinical trials. Prehabilitation strategies should also be considered.

Funding Amount:The funding amounts vary depending on the specific HORIZON action.

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-01:€35,000,000 with contributions of €8,000,000 to €9,000,000 and 4 indicative number of grants

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-02:€15,000,000 with contributions of around €15,000,000 and 1 indicative number of grants

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-03:€22,186,000 with contributions of €7,000,000 to €8,000,000 and 3 indicative number of grants

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-04:€15,000,000 with contributions of around €5,000,000 and 3 indicative number of grants

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-05:€7,000,000 with contributions of around €7,000,000 and 1 indicative number of grants

HORIZON-MISS-2026-02-CANCER-06:€5,000,000 with contributions of around €5,000,000 and 1 indicative number of grants

HORIZON-MISS:€25,000,000 with contributions of €5,000,000 to €6,000,000 and 5 indicative number of 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 to support research, innovation, coordination, and networking activities.

Application Stages:The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates:The success rates can be estimated based on the indicative number of grants and the understanding that Horizon Europe calls are highly competitive. The success rate is likely to be below 10%.

Co-funding Requirement:The information does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, supporting the implementation of the Cancer Mission, aims to improve the quality of life for older cancer patients (65+). It seeks proposals for research and innovation actions (RIA), innovation actions (IA), and coordination and support actions (CSA) that address the care needs of this demographic. The call encourages multinational, cross-sectoral, and multidisciplinary cooperation, requiring consortia that include a diverse range of stakeholders such as physicians, psychologists, nurses, academia, SMEs, patient representatives, and health authorities. Projects should focus on developing and implementing innovative, age-sensitive care approaches and tools, with a strong emphasis on clinical studies, patient-reported outcomes, and the integration of social sciences and humanities. Successful projects will join the EU Cancer Mission's 'Quality of life' cluster and must budget for networking and joint activities. Funding is provided as a lump sum grant, with varying budgets for different action types, and the application process involves a single-stage submission. The call is open to entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries, as well as non-EU/non-Associated Countries with specific funding arrangements. The overall objective is to fill the evidence, knowledge, and resource gaps in managing older cancer patients and to provide scientific evidence for affordable and accessible care tailored to their needs.