[European Commission](https://commission.europa.eu/index_en)

February 26, 2026: Proposal submission deadline (single-stage)

€6,000,000 total budget; typical grant around €300,000 per project.

Supports disruptive, animal-free New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for biomedical product testing and regulatory innovation.

--- ## Description This opportunity funds the acceleration, validation, and adoption of disruptive New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in biomedical research and health product testing. The program seeks to advance NAMs—such as organoids, microphysiological systems, in chemico methods, digital twins, and AI-driven models—that have the potential to replace, reduce, or refine animal use in the assessment of medicinal products and medical technologies. The goal is to deliver robust, validated, and scalable NAMs capable of regulatory and industrial uptake, ultimately enabling safer and faster assessment of health products, supporting regulatory innovation, and providing harmonized toolkits for industry. The grant is structured as a single-stage competition, with the ambition to reach technology readiness level (TRL) 6 by the end of funded activities. Projects are expected to progress from solution validation and benchmarking to development, user testing, and preparation of regulatory-grade data packages. --- ## Due Dates - February 26, 2026: Proposal submission deadline (single-stage) --- ## Funding Amount - Total available budget: €6,000,000 (for this call) - Typical project grant: around €300,000 - Indicative number of grants: approximately 10 --- ## Eligibility - Open to: - Single legal entities established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country (“mono-beneficiary”), including: - Start-ups - SMEs - Research performing organisations (universities, research or technology organisations, teams, individual PIs, inventors) - Larger companies (not qualifying as SMEs) are **not eligible** to apply as single legal entities. - Applicants must: - Have proven the viability of their NAM solution at TRL 4 (lab or in silico) - Provide letters of intent from at least one industrial end-user or regulatory body - Have access to suitable infrastructure for planned activities See [Annex 2 of the EIC Work Programme 2026](https://eic.ec.europa.eu/document/download/52598755-1351-4b54-b46b-e2682d0a3aec_en?filename=EIC-Work-Programme-2026.pdf) for the full list of eligible countries. --- ## Application Process - Submit through the [EU Funding & Tenders Portal](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-EIC-2026-AIC-02?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502&order=DESC&pageNumber=12&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate). - Single-stage application: submit a full proposal by the deadline. - Proposal requirements: - Adhere to page limits and layout as described in Part B of the Application Form. - Demonstrate solution viability, stakeholder engagement, and a regulatory plan. - Evaluation considers scientific excellence, impact, and implementation feasibility. - Refer to the [Online Manual](https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/funding-tenders-opportunities/display/OM/Online+Manual) for detailed guidance. --- ## Additional Information - Projects are encouraged to engage with the EU Reference Laboratory for alternatives to animal testing (EURL ECVAM) for standardisation and validation support. - The grant uses the HORIZON Lump Sum Grant model. - For legal and financial set-up, refer to the [Model Grant Agreement](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/aga_en.pdf). --- ## External Links - [Funding & Tenders Portal: Call Details](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-EIC-2026-AIC-02?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502&order=DESC&pageNumber=12&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate) - [EIC Work Programme 2026](https://eic.ec.europa.eu/document/download/52598755-1351-4b54-b46b-e2682d0a3aec_en?filename=EIC-Work-Programme-2026.pdf) - [Online Manual](https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/funding-tenders-opportunities/display/OM/Online+Manual) - [Horizon Europe Programme Guide](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/programme-guide_horizon_en.pdf) - [Partner Search Tool](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/how-to-participate/partner-search?order=DESC&pageNumber=1&pageSize=50&sortBy=lastModified&isExactMatch=true&type=ORGANISATION,PERSON&frameworkProgramme=43108390) --- ## Contact Information | Type | Details | |---------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Funder Contact | [Contact the European Commission](https://commission.europa.eu/about-european-commission/contact_en) | | IT Helpdesk | [Portal IT Helpdesk Contact Form](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/helpdesks/contact-form) | | Research Enquiries | [Research Enquiry Service](https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/contact-us/research-enquiry-service_en) | | NCPs (Support) | [National Contact Points](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/ncp) | ---

Translating Disruptive New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) into Practice - European Commission

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