Support to the network of National Cancer Mission Hubs (NCMHs)

The grant opportunity is part of the Horizon Europe initiative under the call HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-06. It aims to support the establishment and strengthening of National Cancer Mission Hubs, facilitating coordination and implementation of cancer initiatives across the EU and associated countries. Eligible applicants primarily include government bodies, research organizations, universities, and healthcare providers involved in national health strategies.

The funding mechanism is a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, with an expected amount of approximately €11 million per project. The financial support is structured as a single-stage open call, with the submission deadline set for September 16, 2025. This lump sum grant does not require co-funding.

The focus of the project is on boosting public health infrastructure with specific attention to cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and enhancing patient quality of life. The initiatives should engage various stakeholders, including policy-makers and citizens, ensuring active participation in discussions related to cancer strategies at national, regional, and local levels.

Projects should foster collaboration among existing cancer initiatives, support policy dialogues, and develop strategies for sustainability of the hubs. The goal is to integrate activities with the broader objectives of the EU’s Beating Cancer Plan and ensure long-term benefits from the Cancer Mission's activities.

Applications must adhere to specific eligibility criteria, financial regulations, and guidelines outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme. The overall objective is to ensure effective implementation, stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and dissemination of results to promote the mission’s goals effectively. The expected number of grants from this call is approximately one.

This is a Horizon Europe call supporting the implementation of the Cancer Mission, specifically focusing on the network of National Cancer Mission Hubs (NCMHs). The call is HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-06, a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (CSA) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model. The call is currently open for submission with a deadline of 16 September 2025, 17:00:00 Brussels time. The opening date was 06 May 2025.

The expected outcome of this call is to ensure the continuation of supporting the creation of a Network of National Cancer Mission Hubs (NCMHs) in Member States and Associated Countries. NCMHs in each Member State and Associate Country are to operate for the whole duration of the Cancer Mission and beyond. It builds upon the achievements and needs identified under the ECHoS project during its first phase.

Proposals should aim to deliver results that contribute to the following expected outcomes:

The Network and NCMHs are supported to ensure the integration of Cancer Mission activities at national, regional, and local levels.
Stakeholders, including patients and citizens, in national, regional or local health and research and innovation systems engage in policy dialogues on cancer.
Citizens, including patients, are involved in citizen engagement activities, including their design and development, which will lead to recommendations being made to governments, helping to implement and adapt strategies to national and regional needs.
Regional and national policy makers and authorities benefit from activities carried out in the implementation of Cancer Mission actions.

The scope of the call involves coordinating the Mission's activities with relevant national, regional, and local actors to facilitate their integration and alignment with EU and national initiatives like Europe's Beating Cancer Plan and national cancer strategies. The Network and NCMHs will be strengthened by expanding capacities, outreach, and activities, while ensuring sustainability. Proposals should support the operation of the Network and address the following:

Enhance the capacity of NCMHs through knowledge exchange, training, and expanding geographical outreach.
Support the Networks' work, including coordination of joint activities and awareness raising of Cancer Mission activities.
Develop a methodology on mission-driven implementation of Mission actions to build synergies at national and regional levels.
Support the engagement of relevant actors, including civil society and business/legal advisors, in policy dialogues on cancer.
Organise regular citizen engagement activities related to the Mission's objectives.
Develop strategies for NCMHs to reach long-term sustainability and attract private funding.
Disseminate the results of NCMHs Networks’ activities through conferences and policy reports.
Provide a yearly summary report of national Mission-related activities.
Organise regular exchanges of best practices between NCMHs and hubs of other missions.
Work closely with Horizon Europe National Contact Points and Cancer Mission Board members to enhance activities and mobilise additional funding.
Collaborate with international institutions and initiatives addressing science-policy interaction relevant to the Cancer Mission.
Establish collaboration with the consortium implementing HORIZON-MISS-2024-CANCER-01-06 for joint activities related to the European Cancer Patient Digital Centre (ECPDC).

This action supports the follow-up to the July 2023 Communication on EU Missions assessment.

The general conditions include:

Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.
Eligible Countries: As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
Other Eligible Conditions: As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: As described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds as 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 is 12.
Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Legal and financial set-up of the grants: Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):

Application form templates are available in the Submission System (Standard application form HE CSA).
Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations (Standard evaluation form HE CSA).
Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide.
Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the Lump Sum MGA.
Call-specific instructions include a detailed budget table (HE LS) and guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include:

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 12. Missions
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes
HE Programme Guide
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

The topic budget for 2025 is EUR 11,000,000, with a single-stage submission process. The opening date is 06 May 2025, and the deadline is 16 September 2025. The indicative number of grants is around 1.

There are partner search announcements available for collaboration on this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests.

To start the submission process, click on the submission button next to the type of action and model grant agreement.

The Online Manual provides guidance on procedures from submission to grant management. The Horizon Europe Programme Guide details the structure, budget, and political priorities. FAQs are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal. The Research Enquiry Service can answer questions about European research. National Contact Points (NCPs) offer guidance and assistance. The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) provides advice to businesses, especially SMEs. The IT Helpdesk addresses technical questions. The European IPR Helpdesk assists with intellectual property issues. CEN-CENELEC and ETSI Research Helpdesks advise on standardisation. The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment outline roles, responsibilities, and entitlements. Partner Search helps find partner organisations.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to bolster the network of National Cancer Mission Hubs across Member States and Associated Countries. It seeks to integrate cancer mission activities at various levels, engage stakeholders and citizens in policy dialogues, and develop sustainable strategies for the NCMHs. The call encourages collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the dissemination of results to contribute to the broader goals of Europe's Beating Cancer Plan. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and the submission process is single-stage with a deadline in September 2025. Applicants should carefully review the general and specific conditions, application forms, and guidance documents provided on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, based on the nature of Horizon Europe calls and the focus on National Cancer Mission Hubs (NCMHs), eligible applicants are likely to include: research organizations, universities, healthcare providers, public authorities, non-profit organizations, and potentially SMEs and large enterprises involved in health-related activities. Given the emphasis on national hubs, governmental bodies or organizations closely linked to national health strategies are also likely candidates.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, as indicated by the "Type of MGA: HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]" and "Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum". There are also Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and Research and Innovation Actions (RIA).

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, given the scope of the activities, which involve coordination and networking at national, regional, and local levels, it is highly probable that a consortium of multiple applicants is preferred, if not required. The partner search announcements also suggest that consortia are expected.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes Member States and Associated Countries, as the National Cancer Mission Hubs (NCMHs) are to be created and supported in these 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 primary target sector is health, specifically cancer research, prevention, treatment, and care. The program also touches upon policy, innovation, citizen engagement, and digital health solutions related to cancer.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions Member States and Associated Countries of the European Union. It also indirectly references OECD countries through the mention of OECD initiatives.

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily focused on the continuation and strengthening of existing initiatives, specifically the Network of National Cancer Mission Hubs (NCMHs). Therefore, the stage is best described as building on existing infrastructure, expanding capacities, and ensuring sustainability, which falls into the development, validation, and scale-up phases.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call:
HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-01: around €5,000,000
HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-02: €6,000,000 to €7,000,000
HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-03: €7,000,000 to €10,000,000
HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-04: €6,000,000 to €8,000,000
HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-05: €3,000,000 to €5,000,000
HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-06: around €11,000,000

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.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, it encourages the development of strategies for NCMHs to reach long-term sustainability and attract private funding beyond EU programmes, which suggests that leveraging additional funding sources is viewed favorably.

Summary:
This Horizon Europe call, "Supporting the implementation of the Cancer Mission (HORIZON-MISS-2025-02)", aims to continue and strengthen the Network of National Cancer Mission Hubs (NCMHs) in Member States and Associated Countries. The call is structured around several topics, each with a specific focus and budget, ranging from €5 million to €11 million. The funding mechanism is primarily lump sum grants, and the application process is a single-stage open call. Eligible applicants likely include research organizations, universities, healthcare providers, public authorities, and potentially SMEs and large enterprises. The projects should focus on enhancing the capacity of NCMHs, supporting network activities, developing methodologies for mission-driven implementation, engaging stakeholders in policy dialogues, organizing citizen engagement activities, developing sustainability strategies for NCMHs, disseminating results, and contributing to the monitoring of the Cancer Mission's progress. The call encourages collaboration with other relevant initiatives and institutions, including the European Cancer Patient Digital Centre (ECPDC) and OECD initiatives. The overall goal is to integrate Cancer Mission activities at national, regional, and local levels, aligning them with EU and national cancer strategies to improve cancer prevention, treatment, and care.