Deadline: 16-Apr-2026
The European Commission invites applications for projects aimed at reducing low-value care practices across European healthcare systems. With a total budreceive of €38,000,000 and individual projects receiving around €10,000,000, this initiative supports large-scale, multidisciplinary research and innovation actions to improve patient-centred care, resource efficiency, and sustainability.
What is the Low-Value Care Initiative?
The program focutilizes on identifying and reducing low-value care—medical interventions that provide little or no benefit to patients—while ensuring quality, patient-centred healthcare. Projects aim to generate robust evidence, develop practical tools, and implement scalable solutions that enhance healthcare efficiency, improve outcomes, and optimize resource allocation across EU health systems.
Program Objectives
- Identify, measure, and reduce low-value care interventions
- Equip healthcare providers and policycreaters with evidence-based tools and methodologies
- Improve patient outcomes, safety, and overall healthcare quality
- Enhance fiscal, environmental, and resource sustainability in healthcare
- Support knowledge exmodify and cross-fertilisation among EU health projects
- Promote patient-centred approaches, ethical standards, and socially acceptable solutions
Scope of Work
- Conduct clinical studies to generate evidence on healthcare interventions
- Develop digital and AI-based tools to detect and reduce low-value care
- Evaluate healthcare payment systems and policies that affect care efficiency
- Collaborate across registries and healthcare systems to compare practices and share best practices
- Pilot strategies for reducing low-value care with demonstrated scalability and transferability
- Integrate patient-centred, ethical, social, and legal considerations into project design
- Engage civil society organizations to ensure public acceptability and alignment with patient necessarys
Funding Details
- Total Budreceive: €38,000,000
- Individual Project Funding: Approximately €10,000,000
- Eligible Activities: Large-scale, multidisciplinary research and innovation actions addressing low-value care
- Focus: Projects must demonstrate long-term impact, scalability, and alignment with EU health strategies
Who is Eligible?
- Legal entities and consortia within EU Member States and associated countries
- Research institutions, universities, healthcare providers, and public health organizations
- Projects must align with Horizon Europe eligibility requirements and thematic priorities
How to Apply
- Form a Consortium: Include multidisciplinary partners capable of addressing low-value care challenges
- Prepare Proposal: Define objectives, methodology, evidence-generation plan, scalability strategy, and patient-centred approaches
- Submit Application: Use the official Horizon Europe submission portal and comply with registration requirements
- Evaluation: Proposals are assessed for scientific quality, innovation, impact, feasibility, and alignment with EU strategies
- Funding Decision: Selected projects receive grants and guidance for implementation and collaboration
Why It Matters
- Addresses inefficiencies and wasteful spconcludeing in healthcare systems
- Frees up resources for high-value care and priority areas
- Supports sustainable, resilient, and inclusive healthcare delivery
- Integrates AI, digital tools, and innovative practices to modernize health systems
- Aligns with European Care Strategy, Digital Health Transformation, European Pillar of Social Rights, and European Green Deal
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not integrating patient-centred approaches or civil society engagement
- Ignoring sustainability, governance, and scalability requirements
- Failing to demonstrate measurable outcomes and evidence generation
- Overseeing EU strategies and policy alignment
- Submitting incomplete multidisciplinary consortium proposals
FAQs
1. What is low-value care? Interventions that provide little or no benefit to patients and may contribute to inefficiency or harm.
2. Who can apply? Legal entities and consortia in EU Member States and associated countries meeting Horizon Europe requirements.
3. How much funding is available per project? Approximately €10,000,000.
4. What activities are eligible? Clinical studies, AI/digital tools, policy evaluation, pilot interventions, and knowledge exmodify.
5. Is patient-centred care required? Yes, all projects must prioritize patient outcomes, ethical standards, and social acceptability.
6. Can projects collaborate with other EU initiatives? Yes, collaboration with EU4Health and other Horizon Europe projects is encouraged.
7. What is the expected impact? Reduction of low-value care, improved patient outcomes, efficient resource utilize, and long-term healthcare sustainability.
Conclusion
This initiative empowers healthcare systems to identify and reduce low-value care, improving patient outcomes, efficiency, and sustainability. By supporting multidisciplinary, scalable, and patient-centred projects, the program fosters innovation, evidence-based decision-building, and cross-European collaboration, contributing to modern, resilient, and high-quality health systems.
For more information, visit European Commission.
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