Grant for Development of Medical Innovations for Startups

Transformative Health Instrument (THI) 2027 is an EIT Health call under the Business Plan 2026–2028 supporting high-potential micro, small and medium-sized enterprises developing scalable healthcare innovations. The programme aims to accelerate commercialisation, innovation, fundraising and market growth in Europe. Supported solutions must address unmet clinical needs, include a regulatory strategy, clinical evidence generation and demonstrate potential for widespread adoption. EIT Health also encourages participation from EIT RIS regions and promotes gender equality.

Only applications fully complying with the call requirements are considered eligible and proceed to the external evaluation stage.

Key eligibility requirements include:

• The applicant must be a legal entity established and recognised under national, EU, or international law.
• Funding is available to organisations established in EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories linked to Member States, Horizon Europe associated countries, and certain low- and middle-income countries. Individuals are not eligible to apply.
• Applicants must qualify as a micro, small, or medium-sized enterprise (SME) under the European Commission SME definition.
• Key SME requirements include:
  • a minimum of 4 full-time equivalent (FTE) permanent employees;
  • a full-time Chief Executive Officer (CEO);
  • the company must not be publicly listed or undergoing an IPO.
• Applicants must also demonstrate completion of a qualified equity funding round within the previous 36 months and submit the required supporting documentation confirming compliance with the eligibility criteria.

Under the grant programme, projects may request between EUR 300,000 and EUR 500,000 in EIT Health funding. EIT Health will finance up to 50% of the total project costs, while applicants must secure the remaining co-funding from other sources.

Key funding conditions include:

• the submitted budget must reflect the total project cost, including both EIT Health funding and co-funding;
• eligible costs must comply with Horizon Europe rules, while subcontracting is permitted only to a limited extent;
• funding is disbursed in two stages: a pre-financing payment followed by an annual balance payment after reporting and cost verification;
• small and micro enterprises may receive additional pre-financing of up to 80% of the annual grant amount;
• successful applicants must sign the Grant-to-Options-to-Equity Agreement, which is a prerequisite for funding and defines the future financial arrangements with EIT Health.

The grant programme follows a structured process from the launch of the call to the start of funded projects. The proposal submission deadline is 16 September 2026 at 16:00 CEST, while funded projects are scheduled to start on 1 January 2027.

Key milestones include:

• call launch — 24 June 2026;
• call presentation webinar and opening of applications — 15 July 2026;
• Q&A session for applicants — 2 September 2026;
• eligibility check and remote evaluation — October 2026;
• online pitch sessions for shortlisted applicants — 6–19 November 2026;
• final award notification — 9 December 2026;
• grant agreement preparation — 9 December 2026 to 9 January 2027;
• contract signing and official project start — 1 January 2027.

Projects must not exceed 12 months in duration.

To participate in the grant programme, applicants are required to complete two main steps before submitting their application.

• Step 1. Register the organisation on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and obtain a nine-digit Participant Identification Code (PIC). If the organisation may already be registered, applicants should verify its PIC status through the portal.
• Step 2. Submit the application via the EIT Health application platform by selecting the "Apply" option.

Applications follow a single-stage evaluation process consisting of an eligibility check, remote evaluation, online pitching for shortlisted applicants, an Ethical, Legal and Social Issues (ELSI) review, and the final funding decision.

Key evaluation elements include:

• Remote evaluation is carried out by three independent external experts, who score each proposal on a 100-point scale and provide individual feedback.
• Up to 15 applications scoring at least 70 out of 100 points, while achieving at least 10% in each evaluation criterion, are invited to the online pitching stage.
• Online pitches are assessed by a five-member evaluation panel, with the final ranking based on the pitch evaluation. Up to 10 highest-ranked proposals may be selected for funding.
• Assessment considers scientific and technical excellence, expected impact, quality and efficiency of implementation, strategic fit, financial sustainability, commercial potential, and the capacity of the project team.
• After the evaluation process, all applicants receive written notification of the results together with individual evaluator feedback.

Applicants are required to submit a complete set of supporting documents demonstrating their legal status, financial capacity, governance structure, and compliance with the call requirements.

The application package includes:

• A Legal Self-Assessment Certificate and supporting documentation.
• A list of commercial agreements with third parties, where applicable.
• Financial documentation, including a Profit & Loss forecast, value creation plan, and capitalisation table.
• CVs of the founders, management team, and board members.
• Articles of Association describing the rights attached to different share classes.
• Supporting documentation for the Qualified Investment Round, including information on investors and the amount raised.
• Where applicable, documentation on additional capital injections made after the Qualified Investment Round.
• A description of the governance framework, organisational structure, subsidiaries, and relationships between related entities, including supporting corporate documentation where applicable.

As part of the grant programme, online information events are available to help prospective applicants learn more about the call and ask questions.

Scheduled events:

• Call Information Session — 15 July 2026, 13:30–14:30 CET  via the link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/092d8d9b-6cc1-4824-aae0-47d74e7cf413@c5c9deae-d8b0-4fe6-8d11-6c43bcb151e4
• Open Q&A Session — 2 September 2026, 11:00 CET via the link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/9f68c6bc-b16e-49d2-9c4b-57b9ee6dabf4@c5c9deae-d8b0-4fe6-8d11-6c43bcb151e4

Following the award of funding, projects are subject to regular monitoring to verify progress against the work plan, deliverables, key performance indicators, and eligible costs in accordance with programme requirements.

Key requirements include:

• Regular reporting requires beneficiaries to submit progress reports covering project implementation, deliverables, milestones, and KPIs through a dedicated online platform.
• Beneficiaries are required to submit annual reports, followed by a final performance report at the end of the project.
• Project representatives are expected to participate in monitoring meetings with EIT Health and provide information on both management and technical aspects of project implementation.
• Post-funding monitoring continues for up to three years after project completion (or longer if required under the Grant-to-Options-to-Equity Agreement) to assess long-term impact, capture project outcomes, and evaluate the use of funding.

By submitting an application, applicants accept the call conditions and agree to comply with the programme requirements, European Union legislation, and the provisions of the future grant agreement.

Key provisions include:

• EIT Health reserves the right to amend the call conditions before the application deadline or cancel the call before the Financial Support Agreement is signed.
• Personal data are processed in accordance with the GDPR and are used solely for the management and evaluation of the call.
• Confidential information identified by applicants is used only for evaluation purposes and is protected in accordance with the call conditions.
• Applicants must comply with ethical principles, research integrity standards, EU legislation, and ensure the lawful ownership and protection of intellectual property rights.
• EIT Health may carry out checks, audits, reviews, and investigations related to funded projects and may request relevant information for up to five years after project completion.
• Beneficiaries are required to comply with communication and dissemination obligations, including appropriate acknowledgement of European Union funding in project-related communications.