Rethinking long-term care policy in the face of EU demographic shifts

Overview

Supports research projects evaluating and redesigning long-term care (LTC) policies in the EU to address demographic shifts, workforce shortages, and rising demand for affordable, high-quality care. Targets policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders in health and social care systems.

Who Can Apply

Consortia of legal entities (e.g., universities, research institutions, public bodies, NGOs, and private organizations) from eligible countries. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a beneficiary with zero funding or as an associated partner.

Funding Details

• Maximum grant amount: €6,000,000
• Funding is provided as a lump sum.
• Total budget and funding rate not specified.

What Is Funded

• Evaluation of existing national/regional LTC policies, including workforce adequacy, affordability, accessibility, and quality.
• Development of methodologies to model LTC needs, workforce supply, and public funding requirements until 2070 for at least 15 EU Member States.
• Quantification of the cost of inaction on unmet LTC needs, health outcomes, and economic impacts.
• Analysis of innovative policy mixes, including digitalization, AI, and social innovation, to address LTC challenges.
• Integration of gender-sensitive and intersectional approaches in policy solutions.

Technology / Maturity Requirements

• Projects must operate at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 7–9.

Key Dates

• Open date: 2026-05-11
• Deadline: 2026-09-22

Application Process (High-Level)

• Single-stage submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal.
• Part B of the application (research and innovation actions) is limited to 50 pages.
• Mandatory submission of a detailed budget table.

Geographic Scope & Language

• Eligible countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, United Kingdom, Switzerland.
• Application language: English.

Notes

• Proposals must align with the European Care Strategy and avoid duplication with the European Partnership on Transforming Health and Care Systems.
• Data produced must adhere to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Re-usable) principles.
• Cooperation with existing Horizon Europe projects and European Research Infrastructures is encouraged.
• The granting authority may object to transfers of ownership or exclusive licensing of results for up to 4 years post-award.