Horizon Europe Health 2027 Calls Open Oct 29: Biotech Guide

The short answer: The Horizon Europe health call 2027 opens on October 29, 2026 with two calls worth about €528 million across 14 topics. The single-stage call (HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01, €341.6M) and the first stage of the two-stage call (HORIZON-HLTH-2027-02, €186.6M) both close on February 17, 2027, roughly two months earlier than originally planned. Biotechs that want in need a consortium of at least three independent partners from three countries, and that work has to start now.

What changed with the Horizon Europe health call 2027?

The European Commission brought the 2027 Cluster 1 Health deadlines forward. The first two 2027 calls were originally scheduled to close in April 2027. They now close on February 17, 2027.

That shift removes about eight weeks of preparation time. Several national contact points also warned that the Funding & Tenders portal showed outdated dates for a period, with corrections expected after formal adoption of the amended work programme. Always confirm the live dates on the topic page before you plan backwards.

A third call (HORIZON-HLTH-2027-03, three topics) opens June 3, 2027 and closes September 16, 2027. It is outside the scope of this article.

Which topics and budgets are on the table?

The table below lists every topic in the two calls opening October 29, with budgets taken from the Cluster 1 Health work programme 2026-2027.

RIA = Research and Innovation Action. IA = Innovation Action. PCP = Pre-Commercial Procurement.

For therapeutics companies, the strongest fits are DISEASE-05 to DISEASE-08 (antivirals, monoclonal antibodies, antimicrobials), IND-01 (cell-free protein synthesis) and DISEASE-14 (clinical trials). Diagnostics and AI companies should look first at IND-02 and TOOL-01.

How does a Horizon Europe consortium work?

Horizon Europe health funding goes to collaborative projects, not single companies. The default eligibility rule requires at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different country. At least one must be in an EU Member State. The other two must be in different Member States or Associated Countries.

In practice, health consortia are often larger than the minimum: typically universities, hospitals, SMEs and sometimes a larger industry partner, each with a defined work package.

Funding rates depend on the action type:

Most 2027 health topics are RIAs, so an SME partner can have its full eligible budget covered. That is rare in non-dilutive funding.

Proposal length matters for planning. A full proposal is limited to 40 pages (45 for lump sum topics). A first-stage proposal in a two-stage call is limited to 10 pages.

How do SMEs, biotechs and university spinouts participate?

There are three realistic routes:

University spinouts have an advantage here. Their founding lab is often already in a consortium, and the spinout can join as the industrial partner that turns results into a product.

The key question for any biotech: does the topic's expected outcomes language match your development plan? If you have to bend your program to fit the call, the proposal will read that way.

How is Horizon Europe different from the EIC Accelerator?

Both are EU non-dilutive funding, but they serve different purposes.

Many companies use both. Horizon Europe funds collaborative research and early validation. The EIC Accelerator funds the company-led push to market. Read our EU and UK non-dilutive funding guide for biotechs for the full landscape.

What should your preparation timeline look like?

From October 2 to February 17 you have about 20 weeks. Here is how we plan it.

Two-stage applicants that pass stage 1 then prepare a full proposal for the September 16, 2027 deadline.

How PXM works on Horizon Europe

PXM's Fund practice builds EU non-dilutive funding strategies for life-science companies: topic selection, consortium design and building across Europe, and proposal delivery. We apply the PXM Score to test whether an asset and team are fundable before you commit months of work. See how we work with companies.

Check your EU funding eligibility with PXM

FAQ

When does the Horizon Europe health call 2027 open and close?
HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01 and HORIZON-HLTH-2027-02 open on October 29, 2026. Both close on February 17, 2027 (the first stage for the two-stage call). Stage 2 of HORIZON-HLTH-2027-02 closes on September 16, 2027.

Can a single biotech company apply to Horizon Europe Cluster 1 Health?
No. The default rule requires at least three independent legal entities from three different countries, with at least one in an EU Member State. Single companies should look at the EIC Accelerator instead.

How much funding can an SME receive?
In a Research and Innovation Action, eligible costs are funded at up to 100%. In an Innovation Action, companies receive 70%. Per-project budgets in the 2027 health calls range from about €3M to €11M, shared across all partners.

Can UK, Swiss or Israeli organisations join?
Organisations in Associated Countries count toward the consortium requirement on equal footing with Member States, unless a topic says otherwise. Check the current list of Associated Countries and the topic conditions on the Funding & Tenders portal before building your consortium.

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