EU4Health 2026: €680.7 million for health, HaDEA calls not yet launched

On 19 October 2026 the European Commission adopted the EU4Health work programme for 2026 by Implementing Decision C(2026) 7403. The budget exceeds 680 million euro, of which 429.7 million goes to preparedness for and response to health crises. The money reaches national authorities, health organisations, NGOs and other entities through grants and public procurement. The calls for proposals are due to be launched by the agency HaDEA, and the submission deadlines have not yet been announced.

In brief

• Programme: EU4Health, work programme for 2026
• Authority: European Commission (DG SANTE); implementation is largely carried out by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA)
• Beneficiaries: national authorities, health organisations, NGOs and other entities
• Total budget: over €680 million (approximately €680.7 million when the allocations by strand are added together)
• Form of funding: grants and public procurement
• Submission period: not yet announced
• Status: work programme adopted on 19 October 2026, following the favourable opinion of the Member States on 14 October; the calls are not yet open

What does EU4Health fund in 2026?

According to the annex to the Commission's decision, the budget is divided into five main strands, plus a category of other actions:

• Crisis preparedness: €429,695,911
• Health systems and healthcare workforce: €111,030,000
• Health promotion and disease prevention: €47,095,000
• Digital health: €46,150,000
• Cancer, cardiovascular and other non-communicable diseases: €28,588,000
• Other actions: €18,125,831

The Commission says the programme supports European health priorities, including the EU Safe Hearts Plan, the Critical Medicines Act and the European Health Data Space. Most of the budget remains with the health crisis preparedness strand; the specific actions will be detailed in the calls and tenders to follow.

Who can receive funding?

The Commission's press release lists national authorities, health organisations, NGOs and other bodies. On the programme page, HaDEA states that 33 countries are eligible for EU4Health funding, and Romania, as a Member State, is among them. For each call, the exact conditions (type of applicant, minimum number of partners, funding rate) are set out in the call documentation. These have not been published so far.

In practice, the work programme includes several types of funding:

• project grants, obtained through competitive calls, usually for consortia from several countries;
• public procurement (HaDEA tenders for services, studies and product stockpiles), in which companies can also take part;
• possible joint actions with national authorities, in which the institutions designated by each country participate; whether they exist in 2026 will be confirmed with the call documentation.

When are projects submitted?

There is no deadline yet. The Commission has announced that implementation begins shortly after adoption, and HaDEA manages the calls for proposals and tenders. The calls appear on the Commission's Funding & Tenders portal, each with its own deadline and documentation. Until they are published, any submission date is only a guess.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: EU4Health is not a grant programme for SME investments, unlike the regional programmes. The real interest lies with public and private hospitals, county and local authorities that manage healthcare facilities, medical universities, health NGOs and companies offering services, digital solutions or medical products, especially through HaDEA tenders.

What you can prepare now:

• Partnerships: most competitive calls require European consortia. Those without existing contacts in other Member States lose precious time after launch.
• Registration on the Funding & Tenders portal: your organisation needs an account and a validated PIC code. Validation can take time.
• Alignment with priorities: digital health and medical data, cardiovascular diseases, prevention, healthcare workforce. Projects that respond directly to these themes have better chances.
• Financial capacity: European grants usually cover only part of the costs and are paid in instalments. Plan your co-financing and cash flow in advance.

A common pitfall is confusion with the Health Programme (PS), funded from cohesion funds and managed in Romania by the Ministry of Investments and European Projects. PS funds investments in hospital infrastructure in Romania, whereas EU4Health mainly funds European cooperation projects and coordinated actions. If you are not sure which programme suits you, you can start with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can I submit a project under EU4Health 2026 now?

No. The work programme was adopted on 19 October 2026, but HaDEA has not yet launched the calls for proposals. The deadlines will be found in the documentation of each call, published on the Funding & Tenders portal.

How much is the EU4Health programme worth for 2026?

Over 680 million euro. The largest allocation, 429.7 million euro, is for preparedness for health crises. Next come health systems and the healthcare workforce, with 111 million euro, then health promotion, with 47.1 million, and digital health, with 46.2 million euro.

Can private companies apply to EU4Health?

The programme funds national authorities, health organisations, NGOs and other bodies, through grants and public procurement. Companies can take part mainly in HaDEA tenders or as partners in consortia, if the call in question allows it. The exact conditions appear in the documentation of each call.

Can town halls and county councils obtain funding?

Authorities that manage hospitals or health services may be interested, especially through the healthcare facilities under their authority. Eligibility depends on the call: some are open to public and private entities from eligible countries, while others are reserved for designated national authorities.

Official sources

• European Commission – EU4Health 2026 Work Programme (publication page)
• Annex to Decision C(2026) 7403 – EU4Health 2026 Work Programme (PDF)
• DG SANTE – EU4Health work programme 2026 (announcement)
• HaDEA – About the EU4Health programme

Information checked on 26 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.