EU Horizon Europe Call: Strengthening Public Health Systems in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings

The Horizon Europe Call (HORIZON-HLTH-2026-FRAGILE-01) is a strategic response by the European Commission to the compounding crises threatening global health security. In fragile and conflict-affected settings, health systems are often the first civic institutions to collapse, leading to catastrophic spikes in preventable mortality, unchecked disease transmission, and profound societal trauma. This call recognizes that traditional, short-term humanitarian aid, while vital, is insufficient to build long-term health security. Therefore, the European Commission is investing in research and innovation actions that can systematically rebuild and reinforce these fragile systems. To achieve this, proposals must adopt a holistic, multi-sectoral approach that addresses the social, economic, and political determinants of health. Consortia must design interventions that are deeply embedded in the local context, respecting local governance structures while introducing innovative technologies and management practices. The call demands a high level of scientific rigor, requiring applicants to generate robust, empirical evidence of what works in fragile settings, thereby contributing to the global body of knowledge on health systems strengthening. By participating in this call, organizations have the opportunity to drive systemic change and improve the lives of millions of vulnerable people living in the world's most challenging environments.

Strategic Overview

The Horizon Europe Call (HORIZON-HLTH-2026-FRAGILE-01) is a strategic response by the European Commission to the compounding crises threatening global health security. In fragile and conflict-affected settings, health systems are often the first civic institutions to collapse, leading to catastrophic spikes in preventable mortality, unchecked disease transmission, and profound societal trauma. This call recognizes that traditional, short-term humanitarian aid, while vital, is insufficient to build long-term health security. Therefore, the European Commission is investing in research and innovation actions that can systematically rebuild and reinforce these fragile systems. To achieve this, proposals must adopt a holistic, multi-sectoral approach that addresses the social, economic, and political determinants of health. Consortia must design interventions that are deeply embedded in the local context, respecting local governance structures while introducing innovative technologies and management practices. The call demands a high level of scientific rigor, requiring applicants to generate robust, empirical evidence of what works in fragile settings, thereby contributing to the global body of knowledge on health systems strengthening. By participating in this call, organizations have the opportunity to drive systemic change and improve the lives of millions of vulnerable people living in the world's most challenging environments.

Who is it For?

This funding opportunity is specifically tailored for highly collaborative, multi-disciplinary consortia that bridge the gap between academic research, humanitarian action, and public health policy. Eligible lead applicants and consortium partners include premier research universities, public health institutes, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), local civil society organizations (CSOs) operating within FCAS, and national or sub-national health ministries. The European Commission strictly mandates the inclusion of local partners from the target fragile settings to ensure co-design, local ownership, and cultural alignment of the proposed interventions. Additionally, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) specializing in digital health, medical logistics, and decentralized diagnostic technologies are highly encouraged to participate to drive technological innovation. The ideal recipient profile is an organization with a proven track record of operating in high-risk, low-resource environments, possessing robust financial management systems capable of handling complex EU multi-partner grants, and demonstrating deep thematic expertise in epidemiology, health systems engineering, and conflict-sensitive program delivery.

Priorities

The donor's strategic priorities are anchored in the systemic reinforcement of public health infrastructure to withstand acute shocks and chronic stressors. Key investment KPIs focus on the development of adaptive health governance models, the retention and capacity building of the local health workforce, and the establishment of secure, climate-resilient medical supply chains. The European Commission prioritizes interventions that integrate primary healthcare with mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), recognizing that psychological trauma is a major barrier to community resilience and economic recovery. Furthermore, the call emphasizes the generation of high-quality, sex- and age-disaggregated epidemiological data to inform real-time decision-making and policy formulation. Projects must demonstrate how they will contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), establishing clear baselines and rigorous impact evaluation methodologies to prove long-term systemic improvement.

Eligibility

Compliance with the Horizon Europe eligibility criteria requires a meticulous multi-layered audit of all consortium members. Legally, the consortium must consist of at least three independent legal entities established in different EU Member States or Associated Countries, with at least one entity established in an EU Member State. Geographically, the implementation of the research and pilot interventions must take place in validated fragile and conflict-affected settings, as defined by recognized international frameworks (e.g., the World Bank Harmonized List of Fragile Situations). Financially, all participating organizations must undergo a Financial Viability Service (FVS) check if requested, demonstrating sufficient liquidity, capital reserves, and financial governance to manage EU funds without risk of default. Corporate legal audits must verify that all partners possess a valid Participant Identification Code (PIC), have uploaded a compliant Gender Equality Plan (GEP) on the Funding & Tenders Portal, and adhere strictly to the EU's ethical principles, data protection regulations (GDPR), and dual-use technology constraints.

Path to Success

Navigating the complex application process for HORIZON-HLTH-2026-FRAGILE-01 requires a structured, four-step strategic roadmap that integrates GSLI's specialized capacity-building frameworks. Step 1: Consortium Architecture and Co-Design. Initiate early engagement with local stakeholders in FCAS to co-design the intervention, ensuring the proposal reflects genuine local needs and avoids top-down biases. This step is heavily supported by GSLI's 'Project Management for Development' principles, which emphasize participatory planning and stakeholder mapping. Step 2: Technical and Methodological Alignment. Draft a highly rigorous technical proposal that directly addresses the call's focus on health system resilience, epidemiological surveillance, and HDP nexus integration. Consortia should leverage GSLI's 'Public Health & Epidemiology' and 'WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene)' training modules to design scientifically sound, context-appropriate health interventions. Step 3: Proposal Writing and Compliance Engineering. Translate the technical design into a compelling, compliant Horizon Europe proposal. Utilizing GSLI's 'Writing Winning Proposals' methodology, applicants can structure their Excellence, Impact, and Quality of Implementation sections to score maximum points from EU evaluators, paying close attention to the Gender Equality Plan and Open Science mandates. Step 4: Operational and Financial Governance Setup. Establish a robust administrative framework for the consortium. By enrolling key project personnel in GSLI's 'Grants Management' and 'Financial Management for NGOs' courses, the consortium ensures it possesses the institutional capacity to manage complex EU reporting, multi-partner fund distribution, and rigorous compliance audits, thereby mitigating operational risks from day one.

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Deadline: 2026-10-14

Persona: General

Urgency: Normal