EIT Health Innovation Validation Call 2027: Up to €850,000 to Accelerate Digital Health Innovation

Additional Requirements for Micro and Small Enterprises

Where the Commercialising Entity is a micro or small enterprise, it must:

• Have at least four eligible full-time equivalent permanent employees.
• Employ a full-time Chief Executive Officer.
• Have raised at least €250,000 in external dilutive funding during the previous three years.
• Meet the reduced investment threshold of €150,000 if established in an eligible EIT Regional Innovation Scheme country.
• Not have publicly traded shares or be undergoing an initial public offering.

Applicants must also demonstrate sufficient financial and operational capacity, appropriate intellectual property rights and compliance with relevant regulatory and ethical requirements.

A valid Participant Identification Code (PIC) is required.

Funding Available

EIT Health has allocated up to €5.1 million to support a maximum of six projects under the Innovation Validation Call 2027.

Each project can receive:

• Maximum grant: €850,000.
• Funding rate: Up to 50% of total eligible project costs.
• Co-funding requirement: At least 50% of eligible project costs must be covered through non-EIT Health sources.

Where the Commercialising Entity is a micro or small enterprise, it must receive between €400,000 and €500,000 of the awarded grant.

Financial Sustainability Requirements

The Commercialising Entity must enter into a Financial Sustainability Contribution Agreement with EIT Health.

The specific arrangement depends on the size of the commercialising company:

• Micro and small enterprises: Subject to a Grant to Option to Equity Agreement.
• Medium and large enterprises: Subject to a Revenue Sharing Agreement.

For medium and large enterprises, revenue-sharing obligations arise when commercial revenues exceed €10,000 within five years after project completion. The agreement includes repayment based on EIT Health's funding contribution plus an agreed mark-up of at least 15%.

Applicants should carefully consider these financial commitments when preparing their commercialisation and funding strategies.

Project Duration and Key Dates

Projects can last up to 20 months, starting on 1 May 2027 and ending no later than 31 December 2028.

Opens: 14 October 2026

Closes: 13 January 2027

Technology and Innovation Requirements

To qualify for funding, the proposed innovation must meet specific development and regulatory criteria.

Innovation Maturity Level

The technology must be at Innovation Maturity Level (IML) 6 when applying and aim to achieve IML 7 by project completion.

This means the innovation must already be at an advanced development stage, with the project focused on completing the clinical, regulatory and commercial activities required for market entry.

Regulatory Classification

The proposed solution must qualify as either:

• A digital medical device under Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (MDR).
• An in-vitro diagnostic medical device under Regulation (EU) 2017/746 (IVDR).

The technology must not yet be CE-marked for the intended application addressed by the project.

Clinical Relevance

Innovations must address a clearly defined unmet medical need and demonstrate direct benefits for patients.

Solutions may focus on screening, diagnosis, treatment or monitoring, provided they have a recognised medical purpose and a credible route towards clinical adoption.

How Inventya Can Help

The EIT Health Innovation Validation Call 2027 presents an opportunity for digital health and medical technology companies to accelerate clinical validation, regulatory approval and commercialisation.

However, developing a competitive application requires more than demonstrating technical innovation. Applicants must provide convincing evidence of clinical relevance, regulatory readiness, commercial potential and their ability to deliver measurable patient benefits.

Inventya can support applicants throughout the funding process, helping them develop strong proposals aligned with EIT Health's objectives and assessment requirements.

Our support includes:

• Eligibility and innovation assessment: Evaluating the technology's maturity, regulatory classification and suitability for the call.
• Consortium development: Supporting the identification of suitable international partners and defining their roles within the project.
• Grant application development: Preparing a competitive proposal that clearly communicates the clinical need, innovation, project activities and expected outcomes.
• Commercialisation planning: Developing market assessments, business models, pricing strategies and routes to market.
• Financial planning: Supporting project budgeting, co-funding strategies and financial justifications.
• Impact and exploitation strategy: Helping applicants demonstrate intellectual property protection, commercial potential, investment readiness and measurable patient benefits.
• Application review: Reviewing proposals to strengthen their alignment with the call's eligibility and evaluation requirements.

With experience supporting innovative businesses across biotechnology, medical technologies and digital health, Inventya can help organisations develop competitive applications and advance promising healthcare innovations towards market readiness.