Strengthen research and innovation between Africa and Europe – new funding opportunities under EDCTP3
10th December 2025 at 10:56 am
The EDCTP3 Work Programme 2026 marks the fifth annual programme under the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking. With a total indicative budget of €146.9 million across six topics, the 2026 programme reinforces the EU’s commitment to collaborative, Africa–Europe partnerships and aligns with the EU Global Health Strategy and the AU–EU Innovation Agenda. The topics, based on the Global Health EDCTP3 Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda are expected to open in January 2026 in the Funding & Tenders Portal. The deadline for the 1st stage of the two-stage call topics will be in March 2026, while the 2nd stage and full single-stage proposals will need to be submitted in September 2026 (exact dates are still to be announced). Below, we highlight the key elements that applicants should consider when planning for upcoming submissions.
Alignment with strategic priorities in global health
The EDCTP3 Work Programme 2026 focuses on infectious diseases, climate-sensitive health risks and integrated health system strengthening. As noted in the Executive Summary, the Work Programme continues the Joint Undertaking’s long-standing mission to reduce the burden of poverty-related and neglected infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa by supporting high-quality research and reinforcing national research capacities. Key priority areas include:
- Tuberculosis (TB), Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), which remain leading causes of morbidity and mortality
- Climate-sensitive infectious diseases, requiring new prevention and adaptation strategies
- Stronger regulatory, ethics and pharmacovigilance systems, improving trial readiness and quality
- Digital innovation, including artificial intelligence, to accelerate data-driven healthcare
Expected impact
Activities funded under the Global Health EDCTP3 2026 work programme should contribute to:
Reduce the burden of major diseases such as TB, lower respiratory infections, HIV-related conditions and illnesses linked to climate change, by strengthening international research collaboration. This means supporting research that directly improves prevention, diagnosis and treatment options for people most affected.
Build stronger regulatory systems in sub-Saharan Africa, including better digital tools, improved coordination and long-term capacity for oversight of health research. Stronger regulatory systems ensure that clinical studies are safe, efficient and aligned with national and international standards.
Develop and retain skilled clinical and research staff, support knowledge exchange, and help new tools and innovations move more quickly into real-world health systems. This includes training programmes that empower local experts and promote sustainable research leadership.
Promote fairness and equal access, ensuring that EDCTP3-funded projects address equity, inclusion and accessibility. Projects should benefit all population groups, particularly those who have historically been underserved or at higher risk.
Strengthen the capabilities of clinical research centres, helping them run high-quality, reliable studies. This may involve improving infrastructure and training staff, supporting centres to meet international research standards.
Increase community involvement in research, ensuring that affected communities are engaged, informed and able to contribute meaningfully to health research activities. Strong community engagement builds trust, improves study relevance and increases the likelihood that research findings will be adopted in practice.
Understanding the 2026 call structure: Insights for 2026 proposal submission
According to the Work Programme, three calls for proposals will be launched in 2026: two two-stage RIAs and one single-stage CSA call, together addressing urgent infectious disease priorities, climate-related health risks and capacity building.
| Call | Type of Action | Call opening | Submission deadline short proposal | Submission deadline full proposal |
| HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-01-two-stage (3 topics) | RIA | January 2026 | March 2026 | September 2026 |
| HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-02-two-stage (1 topic) | RIA | January 2026 | March 2026 | September 2026 |
| HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-03-single-stage (2 topics) | CSA | January 2026 | Not applicable | September 2026 |
To note, all call topics are 100% funded by the JU. The foreseen six topics are summarised in the table below:
| Call | Topic | Type of Action | Indicative JU Budget (in million EUR) | Expected JU contribution per project (in million EUR) | Number of projects expected to be funded |
| HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-01-two-stage (3 topics) | HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-01-TB-01-two-stage: Global Collaboration Action for the development of TB drugs for therapy and chemoprophylaxis in adults and children in sub-Saharan Africa | RIA | 30.0 | 10 | 3 |
| HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-01-LRTI-02-two-stage: Global Collaboration Action for Prevention and treatment of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (LRTIs) in sub-Saharan Africa | RIA | 33.9 | 8.475 | 4 | |
| HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-01-HIV-03-two-stage: Global collaboration action towards a better prevention, treatment and clinical management of HIV co-infections or co-morbidities in sub-Saharan Africa | RIA | 25.0 | 5.0 | 5 | |
| HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-02-two-stage (1 topic) | HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-02-CH-01-two-stage: Global Collaboration Action on climate and health in sub-Saharan Africa | RIA | 25.0 | 5.0 | 5 |
| HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-03-single-stage (2 topics) | HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-03-SERP-01: Training networks for sustained capacity building related to ethics, regulatory and pharmacovigilance | CSA | 15.0 | 1.5 | 10 |
| HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-03-DIGIT-02: Enhancing Integrated Research and Healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa Through Digital Innovation and Artificial Intelligence in SSA | CSA | 18.0 | 2.25 | 8 |
On the 5th February 2026, the EDCTP3 is hosting an online Info Day which will contain expert presentations, an interactive Q&A session and online networking meetings in the afternoon.
Looking for support for your African-European collaborative project? Our team has the necessary expertise!
Since our foundation, we have been collaborating with organisations in Africa for many years. We bring hands-on experience from our involvement in Supporting LIFE, an Africa-focused global health project aimed at fighting child mortality. In addition, our team recently achieved success in the stage-1 evaluation of a 2025 EDCTP3 call, with the full proposal currently under review, which further strengthens our interest and track record in Africa–Europe research partnerships.
At accelopment, we have extensive experience in securing EU funding for research and innovation projects. Our team of experts supports researchers, companies and institutions throughout the entire funding process – from strategic grant planning, to proposal writing, project management and communication and dissemination. With deep knowledge of Health projects, we help our partners maximise their chances of success in securing European health research grants. We are currently involved in several HORIZON health projects, including EXPOSIM, EU PAL-COPD, GLIOMATCH, GENEGUT and more, and look forward to supporting researchers in the upcoming calls.
Are you ready to start working on a proposal? Get in touch with our Horizon Health experts to see how we can support you in turning your idea into a competitive Horizon Europe proposal.
