Call for proposals to contribute to the organisation of conferences and events

GRANT PURPOSE AND TARGET

• Core Objective: To support the organisation of not-for-profit, Union-wide, high-level science-policy-society conferences. These events aim to bring together diverse stakeholders (citizens, patients, scientists, policymakers) to discuss important health topics related to the European Union's health priorities and contribute to the implementation of the European Health Union.
• Funding Organization: European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA).
• Target Recipients: Legal entities, specifically public or private non-profit bodies, including international organisations, that possess expertise in organising events within the public health domain.
• Sector Focus: SECTOR-SPECIFIC. The call is focused on public health, requiring proposals to address cross-cutting Union policy issues rather than a single disease. Key priority areas include cancer, health systems, disease prevention, health security, pharmaceuticals, digital health, and global health.
• Geographic Scope: Applicants must be established in an EU Member State (including overseas countries and territories) or an eligible non-EU country associated with the EU4Health Programme (e.g., EEA countries, Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina).
• Key Filtering Criteria: The grant supports the organisation of a single conference with a project duration of up to 12 months. The indicative project budget is €200,000. Conferences must demonstrate a 'Union-wide dimension' and are expected to attract at least 500 in-person participants.

FINANCIAL STRUCTURE

• Funding Range: The total available budget for this topic is €600,000, with an expectation to fund 3 grants. The indicative EU contribution per project is €200,000. While not a strict maximum, proposals should be aligned with this amount.
• Co-financing: The grant covers up to 60% of the total eligible costs. This funding rate can be increased to 80% for proposals demonstrating 'exceptional utility'.
  • 'Exceptional Utility' Conditions: A project qualifies for the 80% rate if it meets one of two conditions:
    1. At least 30% of the project's budget is allocated to Member States with a GNI per inhabitant below 90% of the EU average.
    2. The project consortium includes bodies from at least 14 participating Member States, of which at least four are countries with a GNI per inhabitant below 90% of the EU average.
• Eligible Costs: Costs must be directly linked to the project and necessary for its implementation. This includes:
  • Personnel costs.
  • Subcontracting costs.
  • Purchase costs, including travel and subsistence, and equipment (typically as depreciation costs).
  • Costs of other goods, works, and services (e.g., consumables, dissemination materials).
  • Indirect costs are covered by a 7% flat rate of the total eligible direct costs.
• Ineligible Costs:
  • Financial support to third parties is explicitly not allowed.
  • Standard ineligible costs as per the Model Grant Agreement apply (e.g., debt service charges, provisions for losses, currency exchange losses, dividends).
  • In-kind contributions from third parties are not eligible for co-financing.
• Payment & Reporting: Payments are managed through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The standard structure includes an initial pre-financing payment upon grant signature, followed by interim or final payments upon approval of periodic reports.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Formal Criteria: Applicants must be legally constituted entities, such as public bodies, private organisations, or international organisations.
• Organizational Status: The call specifically targets non-profit entities. Both public and private non-profit organisations are eligible to apply. Applicants must be established in one of the eligible countries.
• Technical Expertise: Applicants must demonstrate proven experience and expertise in organising conferences in the public health domain. This is a critical requirement, and evidence must be provided.
  • Mandatory Proof: A summary report of previous similar conferences organised by the applicant must be submitted as a specific annex to the proposal.
• Exclusion Criteria:
  • Proposals for conferences organised by the Presidencies of the European Union are not eligible.
  • Projects where the conference focuses on a single specific condition or disease will not be funded; the scope must be on cross-cutting Union policy issues.
  • Proposals that include providing financial support to third parties are not allowed.

APPLICATION PRACTICAL INFORMATION

• Deadlines:
  • Call Opening: 23 September 2025
  • Submission Deadline: 06 January 2026, 17:00:00 CET (Brussels time)
  • Evaluation Period: January – March 2026
  • Information on Results: April – May 2026
  • Grant Agreement Signature: September – October 2026
• Required Documents: Proposals must be submitted electronically and consist of two main parts:
  • Part A: Administrative forms completed directly in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
  • Part B: A narrative technical description of the project, uploaded as a single PDF file (maximum 70 pages).
  • Mandatory Annexes:
    • Detailed budget table/calculator.
    • CVs of the core project team.
    • List of previous key projects from the last 4 years.
  • Topic-Specific Mandatory Annexes:
    • A summary report of previous conferences organised by the applicant.
    • A draft programme of the conference to be held, which must include a draft of the high-level session dedicated to DG SANTE priorities.
• Application Process: Submission is handled entirely through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The process is a single-stage submission.
• Support: The grant provides financial support for the organisation of the conference.
• Post-Award Obligations:
  • The project must be completed within a maximum duration of 12 months.
  • A dedicated physical space (e.g., a stand) must be provided for DG SANTE to present its health priorities at the conference.
  • Mandatory project deliverables include a project website, a project leaflet, a dissemination report, and an evaluation report.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Proposals are evaluated and scored out of 100 points based on the following criteria. A minimum score (pass threshold) is required for each criterion and for the overall score.

• 1. Relevance (30 points)

  • Minimum Pass Score: 21 points.
  • Assesses the clarity and consistency of the project's objectives and activities.
  • Evaluates the extent to which the proposal matches the priorities and objectives of the call topic, such as addressing multiple health priorities of the 2025 work programme.
  • Considers the European/trans-national dimension of the project and its potential to foster cross-border cooperation.

• 2. Quality (60 points total)

  • 2.1 Project design and implementation (30 points)
    • Minimum Pass Score: 21 points.
    • Focuses on the technical quality, logical structure, and feasibility of the proposed methodology.
    • Evaluates the project's cost-effectiveness.
  • 2.2 Project team and cooperation arrangements (30 points)
    • Minimum Pass Score: 21 points.
    • Assesses the quality of the project team and the complementarity of the consortium members (if applicable).
    • Examines the appropriateness of the proposed management structures and cooperation procedures.

• 3. Impact (10 points)

  • Minimum Pass Score: 7 points.
  • Evaluates the project's ambition and the expected short, medium, and long-term effects on target groups and the general public.
  • Assesses the quality and appropriateness of the communication and dissemination strategy.
  • Considers the plan for the sustainability and continuation of the project's results and impact after the funding period.

• Overall Threshold: Proposals must achieve a total score of at least 70 out of 100 to be considered for funding.

• Strategic Fit: Proposals that address multiple priority areas listed in the call document (e.g., cancer, health systems, digital transition) will be considered more relevant. Including a high-level session dedicated to DG SANTE priorities is a requirement.

• Innovation & Impact: The use of innovative approaches in running the event is considered a plus. The ambition to trigger change is assessed under the 'Impact' criterion.

COMPLIANCE AND SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Regulatory Compliance: Standard EU regulations for grant agreements apply. Applicants must declare and manage any ethics issues (e.g., personal data) and security issues in their proposal. All processing of personal data must comply with GDPR (Regulation 2016/679).
• IP Policy: Beneficiaries retain ownership of the results they generate. However, they grant the EU a royalty-free, non-exclusive, and irrevocable licence to use project materials (e.g., deliverables, reports, communication materials) for policy, communication, and dissemination purposes.
• Unique Aspects:
  • Audience Size: The conference is expected to have a significant reach, with an anticipated attendance of at least 500 in-person participants.
  • DG SANTE Involvement: The proposal must include a draft programme with a dedicated high-level session for DG SANTE priorities. Furthermore, a physical stand or area must be provided for DG SANTE at the event.
  • European Dimension: The conference must demonstrate a 'Union-wide dimension', involving stakeholders from across the EU and addressing cross-cutting policy issues relevant to the entire Union.
  • Proof of Experience: Unlike many calls, this grant requires a mandatory annex detailing the applicant's past experience with similar events, making demonstrated track record a formal requirement.
• Industry-Specific Rules: Not applicable, as this call is for organising a public health policy conference, not for a specific regulated industry.