Innovation Uptake Call

EIT Health Innovation Uptake Call funds mature digital, data-driven and AI-powered healthcare solutions to accelerate market entry, generate real-world evidence and support adoption across European healthcare systems. The total call budget is up to €5.2 million with up to €650,000 per project and funding covering up to 50% of eligible project costs; projects must be led by a commercialising entity and implemented by a consortium of at least two independent legal entities from different countries. Activities eligible for funding include commercialisation pilots in real-world settings, usability testing, business model validation, health economics and reimbursement pathway development. Applications are submitted via the EIT Health application platform (access opens 15 July 2026) and the call closes on 16 September 2026 at 16:00 CET.

What this funds

Scope

Funding for mature digital, data-driven and AI-powered healthcare solutions ready to scale across European markets. Activities supported include commercialisation pilots in real-world healthcare settings, product usability and market adaptation, go-to-market and business model validation, reimbursement pathway development, and generation of clinical, economic and commercial evidence. Applicants should target measurable market launch and uptake results (e.g., minimal revenue and patient reach targets). ¹

Who can apply:Consortia of at least two independent legal entities from different countries; must include partners from at least two sides of the Knowledge Triangle (industry, research, education). Lead must be a commercialising entity (SME or industry). Applicants must be legal entities established in eligible Horizon Europe countries.

1. 1Minimum consortium: two independent legal entities from different countries
2. 2Knowledge Triangle requirement: include at least two of industry, research, education
3. 3Lead applicant: commercialising entity (SME or industry)
4. 4Entities must be registered in eligible Horizon Europe countries

Key expected outcomes:market launch with at least €10,000 revenue within one year post-project, reach at least 150,000 patients or citizens within three years, and demonstrable clinical, economic and commercial evidence to enable scalable deployment.

How to apply:register your organisation on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal to obtain a PIC, then submit via the EIT Health application platform. Selection includes admissibility checks, remote evaluation by experts, shortlisted online pitches, an ELSI review and final selection.

Footnotes

1. 1Official call page and documents available at EIT Health Opportunity and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Call record.

Basic Opportunity Details

Title:Innovation Uptake Call. Organiser: EIT Health under the Horizon Europe / EIT framework (Call identifier HORIZON-EIT). Call type: Multi-Topic Call published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and on the EIT Health website. Applications open on 15 July 2026 and the call closes on 16 September 2026 at 16:00 UTC. Project duration indicated as 15 months with an expected start date of 15 July 2026. Total call budget up to €5,200,000; maximum funding per project €650,000. The call adopts a single-stage submission model followed by multiple evaluation stages described below.

Key Dates and Deadlines

Call opens:15 July 2026 (application platform access opens on this date).

Call closes:16 September 2026 at 16:00 UTC.

Information events:Call Information Session: 15 July 2026, 12:30 – 13:30 CET. Open Q&A Session: 1 September 2026, 11:00 CET.

Eligibility and Applicant Requirements

Consortia requirements, applicant legal status, geographic eligibility and leadership constraints are specified and strictly enforced by EIT Health and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Eligible Applicant Types:Consortia composed of at least two independent legal entities from different countries. Required participation from at least two sides of the Knowledge Triangle: Industry, Research, and Education. Project lead must be a Commercialising Entity (SME or industry player) that will be responsible for bringing the solution to market. Applicants must be legal entities; individuals cannot apply. Entities must be established in eligible Horizon Europe countries (EU Member States, associated countries, or eligible third countries).

From these requirements, the eligible applicant types include:SMEs (startups and scaleups), private for-profit organisations, large enterprises (industry players), higher education establishments (universities), research organisations or institutes, non-profit organisations involved in education or health research, and healthcare providers where established as legal entities. Public bodies may be included if compliant with eligibility rules. Public-private partnerships are possible as consortia structures. Investors and individuals are not eligible to apply as lead applicants.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium required: minimum of two independent legal entities from different countries. Consortium must include partners representing at least two sides of the Knowledge Triangle (Industry, Research, Education).

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Entities must be established in eligible Horizon Europe countries: EU Member States, Horizon Europe associated countries, or eligible third countries as defined in the Horizon/EIT rules of participation. The call text explicitly expects organisations from eligible Horizon Europe countries; the EIT Health platform and EU Portal registration (PIC) are mandatory for participation.

Funding and Financial Conditions

Funding Type:Grant funding under the EIT / Horizon mechanism administered by EIT Health. Funding is delivered as a grant to beneficiaries.

Co-funding and Funding Rates:Funding covers up to 50% of total project costs, meaning co-funding is required from the consortium or other sources to cover the remaining project costs. SME-led projects can expect a specific targeted allocation within the grant of €400,000 to €500,000 per SME-led project, subject to eligibility and selection. Maximum funding per project is €650,000.

Financial details summary (see table below for quick reference).

Scope, Target Sectors and Project Activities

Target Sector:Health sector with emphasis on digital, data-driven and AI-powered healthcare solutions. The call focuses on clinical, economic and commercial uptake of health innovations across European healthcare systems.

What the call funds:Commercialisation pilots in real-world healthcare settings, product usability testing and market adaptation, go-to-market strategy and business model validation, and reimbursement pathway development. Projects must be mature, clinically validated digital or AI-enabled solutions ready to scale across European markets.

Expected project outcomes include market launch with minimum revenue targets, wide patient reach, and generation of real-world evidence to support adoption and reimbursement.

1. 1Launch of the innovation to the market with at least €10,000 revenue within one year post-project.
2. 2Reach at least 150,000 patients or citizens within three years following project completion.
3. 3Generate strong clinical, economic, and commercial evidence supporting adoption and reimbursement.
4. 4Demonstrate scalable and sustainable business and deployment models across European markets.

Project Stage and Expected Maturity

The call targets mature solutions:technologies at late development, validation and demonstration stages that are ready for commercialisation and scaling. Typical projects will have clinically validated prototypes or products with existing evidence and a clear commercial pathway. Ideal applicants are at the development to demonstration and near-commercialisation stages seeking market entry, evidence generation, adoption and reimbursement support.

Application Process and Evaluation

Application type and submission route:Open competitive call. Applicants must first register their organisation in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal to obtain a PIC number, then submit their application using the EIT Health application platform (SmartSimple). Access to the EIT Health platform opens on 15 July 2026 and applications must be submitted there by the deadline.

Evaluation and selection stages:The selection process consists of multiple sequential stages: 1) Admissibility and eligibility check by EIT Health staff. 2) Remote evaluation by three external independent experts (scoring and feedback). Applications that score at least 70/100 may be shortlisted (up to 16 shortlisted candidates). 3) Online pitching session for shortlisted teams to a panel of five experts (three external independent experts who did not conduct the remote evaluation plus two EIT Health management staff); the pitch and Q&A are scored. 4) Ethical, Legal and Social Issues (ELSI) review by independent experts to de-risk portfolio and ensure ELSI matters are addressed. 5) Final selection and funding decision made by EIT Health management based on expert recommendations, pitching scores and available funding. Only applicants with online pitching scores of at least 70/100 will be considered for funding. All applicants will receive feedback from each expert. Applicants must ensure availability for assigned pitching slots; rescheduling is generally not possible.

Overall application model is single-stage submission (full proposal) followed by the evaluation stages above, so the application has one main submission step but multiple post-submission evaluation steps.

Application Stages (count):One main submission stage followed by five evaluation/selection stages (admissibility/eligibility check; remote evaluation; online pitching; ELSI review; final selection). For categorisation, applicants should expect 1 submission plus 5 evaluation stages.

Success Rates and Competition

The call does not publish explicit historical success rates in the scraped content. The total budget and maximum per-project award provide an implicit ceiling on the number of projects funded (for example, €5.2 million total and up to €650,000 per project suggests a maximum theoretical number of projects of approximately 8 if projects received maximum funding, but EIT Health typically funds a mix of award sizes and prioritises SME-led projects with €400K–€500K). Selection is competitive with remote evaluation and pitching thresholds (minimum scores of 70/100 to be considered).

Co-funding Requirement:Yes. The grant covers up to 50% of total eligible project costs; therefore applicants must secure co-funding (the remaining 50% of the project budget) from their own resources or third-party contributions. Specific co-funding breakdown details and eligible cost categories will be provided in the official call documents and consortium grant agreement templates.

Application Templates and Supporting Documents

Applicants are directed to the official call document and supporting documents made available by EIT Health. The application must be submitted via the EIT Health SmartSimple platform following the step-by-step instructions provided on the platform and EIT Health guidance pages. Applicants must first register on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal to obtain a PIC and then register or login to the EIT Health application platform to complete the application form.

1. 1Required registrations: EU Funding & Tenders Portal (PIC) and EIT Health application platform account (SmartSimple).
2. 2Application form structure: The platform will present an online application template. The scraped content indicates typical sections including project summary, consortium description, technology and clinical maturity, market readiness, go-to-market strategy, workplan and budget, ethical considerations and data governance, evidence generation plan, expected impact and KPIs, and CVs of key personnel. Exact field names and templates are provided inside the EIT Health platform and the official call documentation (applicants should download and review the official call document).
3. 3Supporting documents likely required: project budget breakdown, letters of commitment from consortium partners, proof of legal status, previous evidence (clinical or validation studies), business plan or commercialisation roadmap, data protection and ethical approvals where relevant, and other documents specified in the official call guidance.

Applicants are advised to consult the official call document and EIT Health guidance for the precise application template fields and mandatory annexes. The EIT Health application platform provides step-by-step guidance and downloadable templates where required.

Mentioned Countries and Geographic References

The scraped content does not list specific countries to be targeted by applicants beyond indicating eligibility in Horizon Europe countries. It references EU Member States, Horizon Europe associated countries and eligible third countries in the Horizon rules of participation. The EU Funding & Tenders Portal participant search examples include many countries (for illustration) but the call itself requires entities established in eligible Horizon Europe countries.

Detailed Eligibility and Technical Requirements (Technology, Evidence and KPIs)

Technology focus:mature digital, data-driven and AI-powered healthcare solutions. The call expects clinical validation or equivalent evidence of clinical relevance. Projects should include plans to generate real-world evidence, clinical and economic evaluation, market adaptation and usability testing in clinical settings, and development of reimbursement pathways and market access strategies. Key performance indicators specified include revenue target of €10,000 within one year after project end, reach of 150,000 patients or citizens within three years, and demonstrable evidence (clinical, economic, commercial) to support adoption and scaling.

How Funding Decisions Are Made

EIT Health uses a two-part expert evaluation approach:remote evaluation by independent external experts followed by an online pitching evaluation to a mixed panel of external experts and EIT Health management. Independent ELSI experts assess ethical, legal and social risk aspects. Final decisions are made by EIT Health management taking into account expert scores, pitch performance, ELSI outcomes and available budget. Minimum score thresholds of 70/100 apply for remote evaluation shortlist and for pitch consideration.

Where to Apply and Access Official Documents:Apply via the EIT Health Application Platform: apply.eithealth.eu. Official call document and supporting documents available from the EIT Health opportunity page and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity screen Opportunity on EU Portal.

Success Factors and Recommendations for Applicants

1. 1Form a consortium with complementary capabilities spanning at least two sides of the Knowledge Triangle (industry and research and/or education).
2. 2Ensure the lead applicant is a commercialising entity (SME or industry player) prepared to manage market entry and exploitation activities.
3. 3Prepare strong clinical and economic evidence and a realistic plan to generate further real-world evidence during the project.
4. 4Demonstrate a clear go-to-market strategy, reimbursement pathway plan and business model that supports scaling across Europe.
5. 5Plan for co-funding to cover at least 50% of eligible project costs and document sources of co-funding in the application.
6. 6Be available for assigned pitching slots and prepare a compelling online pitch summarising value proposition, implementation plan and expected impact.
7. 7Address Ethical, Legal and Social Issues (ELSI) proactively in the application to pass the ELSI review.

Final Summary

This Innovation Uptake Call by EIT Health (EIT Health Business Plan 2026) is a competitive grant programme aiming to accelerate market uptake of mature digital, data-driven and AI-powered healthcare innovations across European markets. It targets consortia led by a commercialising entity (preferably an SME) that include partners across the Knowledge Triangle (industry, research, education). The call offers up to €5.2 million in total funding with maximum per-project grants of €650,000 and covers up to 50% of eligible costs, requiring co-funding. Projects should focus on real-world commercialisation pilots, evidence generation, market adaptation, reimbursement and go-to-market validation, and must demonstrate concrete post-project impact targets (minimum revenue within one year, wide patient reach within three years and robust clinical, economic and commercial evidence). The application process is single-stage submission via EIT Health's SmartSimple platform following mandatory EU Portal PIC registration and includes remote evaluation, pitching, ELSI review and final selection. Applicants should assemble cross-border consortia, prepare strong evidence and business cases, secure co-funding and be ready to pitch. Official call documents, templates and submission forms are accessible on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the EIT Health application platform; applicants are advised to consult those documents for detailed budget rules, eligible cost categories, and formal templates.

For official details and to access the call documentation and application platform, use the published opportunity page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and EIT Health's application portal Opportunity on EU Portal EIT Health Apply EIT Health Opportunity Page. Note that applicants must register on the EU Portal to obtain a PIC before applying on the EIT Health platform. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1This summary is based on the scraped call content and EIT Health opportunity materials available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the EIT Health website as of the publication dates referenced in the scraped content. Applicants must consult the official call document and templates on the EU Portal and EIT Health platform for authoritative eligibility rules, application templates, and legal requirements.

Call Overview and Objectives

The Innovation Uptake Call targets mature digital, data-driven, and AI-powered healthcare solutions ready to scale across European markets, aiming to accelerate market entry, generate real-world evidence, strengthen market access, and support adoption in healthcare systems [[1]][[4]].

Selected projects will receive funding to conduct commercialisation pilots in real-world settings, perform usability testing, validate business models, and develop reimbursement pathways [[1]][[7]].

Who Can Apply

Applicants must form consortia of at least two independent legal entities from different countries, including partners from at least two sides of the Knowledge Triangle (Industry, Research, Education) [[1]][[4]].

The consortium must be led by a Commercialising Entity (SME or industry player) responsible for bringing the solution to market, and all entities must be established in eligible Horizon Europe countries (EU Member States, associated countries, or eligible third countries) [[1]][[4]].

Individuals cannot apply; only legal entities are eligible [[1]][[4]].

Funding Details

Expected Outcomes

1. 1Launch the innovation to the market with at least €10,000 revenue within one year post-project [[1]][[4]]
2. 2Reach at least 150,000 patients or citizens within three years [[1]][[4]]
3. 3Generate strong clinical, economic, and commercial evidence to support adoption [[1]][[4]]
4. 4Demonstrate scalable, sustainable business and deployment models across European markets [[1]][[4]]

Key Dates and Application Process

The call opens on 24 June 2026, with access to the application platform opening on 15 July 2026 [[4]][[7]].

The deadline for submissions is 16 September 2026 at 16:00 CET [[1]][[4]][[7]].

A Call Information Session will be held on 15 July 2026 (12:30–13:30 CET), and an Open Q&A Session on 1 September 2026 (11:00 CET) [[1]][[4]].

To apply:Step 1 – Register your organisation in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal to obtain a nine-digit Participant Identification Code (PIC) [[1]][[4]]. Step 2 – Apply via the EIT Health Application Platform starting 15 July 2026 [[1]][[4]].

The selection process includes admissibility/eligibility checks, remote evaluation by three independent experts, online pitching for up to 16 shortlisted candidates (scoring ≥70/100), an Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI) review, and final selection by EIT Health management [[1]].

Only applicants with an online pitching score of at least 70/100 will be considered for funding [[1]].

What We Fund

• Commercialisation pilots in real-world healthcare settings [[1]][[4]]
• Product usability testing and market adaptation [[1]][[4]]
• Go-to-market strategy and business model validation [[1]][[4]]
• Health economics analysis [[1]][[4]]
• Reimbursement pathway development [[1]][[4]]

Additional Information

Official call documents and supporting materials are available via the EIT Health website [[4]][[7]].

For guidance, contact CLC teams for Flagship Call support or the entrepreneurship team for acceleration programmes [[1]].

More details can be found on the EIT Health Calls & Opportunities page [[1]][[16]].

Footnotes

1. 1Official call information and documents: EIT Health Innovation Uptake Call
2. 2EIT Health Application Platform: Apply to EIT Health
3. 3EU Funding & Tenders Portal for PIC registration: EU Portal Participant Register