Behavioural Interventions As Primary Prevention For Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) Among Young People
HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
Basic Information
- Identifier
- HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-STAYHLTH-02
- Programme
- Cluster 1 - Health (Single stage - 2026)
- Programme Period
- 2021 - 2027
- Status
- Forthcoming (31094501)
- Opening Date
- February 10, 2026
- Deadline
- April 16, 2026
- Deadline Model
- single-stage
- Budget
- €9,800,000
- Min Grant Amount
- €3,000,000
- Max Grant Amount
- €4,000,000
- Expected Number of Grants
- 3
- Keywords
- HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-STAYHLTH-02HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01BehaviourismChild healthCo-morbidityDisease preventionHealth behaviourHealth determinantsHealthy ageingHealthy lifestylePrevention programmePublic and environmental healthPublic healthSelf-careSelf-management
Description
This topic aims at supporting activities that are enabling or contributing to one or several expected impacts of destination “Staying healthy in a rapidly changing society”. To that end, proposals under this topic should aim to deliver results that are directed at, tailored towards and contributing to most of the following expected outcomes:
- Healthcare professionals have access to behavioural interventions that can be used to establish and reinforce healthy habits and sustain behavioural changes.
- Health professionals and educators have access to evidence-based strategies to mitigate risks of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) for youth, with clear metrics that can be used to assess health outcomes.
- Youth have increased individual responsibility through targeted education, digital services, including easily accessible tools for self-monitoring, and community-based support, stemming from increased collaboration between healthcare professionals, educators and families.
- Researchers have access to Real-World Data (RWD)[1], existing health data infrastructure and digital tools, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), which can contribute to the sustained success of behavioural health interventions.
- Policymakers at local, regional, national and EU levels have new knowledge on behavioural interventions on NCDs among youth, which they can use to improve interventions in diverse European contexts.
The topic is focused on behavioural interventions for youth, defined as 12 to 25 years old, for the primary prevention of the top NCDs later in life, where “top NCDs” refers to the most prevalent NCDs[2]. For the purpose of this call, NCDs explicitly exclude cancer.
Implementation research should be conducted to implement existing behavioural interventions. These interventions should be evidence-based and have an emphasis on empowerment and self-management (e.g. health literacy, health education, health promotion). As self-monitoring is an essential element of self-management, proposals should include user-friendly hardware and software for efficient self-monitoring (i.e. wearables and point-of-care devices for measuring various physiological parameters and other predictors and other biomarkers and the corresponding apps for easy readout and tracking, possibly also including gamification elements). Hardware and software should be interoperable in line with internationally accepted standards in order to avoid lock-in effects and assure scalability.
Proposals should also include most of the following aspects:
- Ensure that gender-sensitive and intersectional approaches are integrated, addressing potential gender-specific barriers for groups at risk of discrimination, as well as cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, and should also outline how digital tools, including AI and RWD and biomarkers (e.g. genomic data, wearables, etc.) or existing relevant administrative dataset, will be integrated to enhance the scalability, personalisation, and effectiveness of interventions in the long-term.
- Present a clear, evidence-based strategy showing how the interventions will be tailored, deployed, and assessed at individual, family, community, and societal levels, while considering social inequalities and lifestyle factors (i.e. nutrition, sleep rhythm) and ensuring a robust methodological framework for evaluating the effectiveness of interventions (e.g. randomised controlled trails, quasi-experimental designs, etc.), with clearly defined indicators of success of the intervention (e.g. biometric markers, psychosocial wellbeing metrics, physical activity change, etc.). Applicants should evaluate unintended consequences for all interventions.
- Include formats that will increase collaboration between healthcare professionals, educators, families, and policymakers in promoting preventive health and should include plans for longer-term follow-up to estimate health impact and cost savings over time. Related to this, applicants should outline how policy changes related to the intervention (e.g. school meal programmes, safe urban infrastructure for exercise, digital literacy campaigns, circadian alignment, stress reduction strategies) can reinforce and scale up successful behavioural interventions, whilst taking into account how they can be replicated or adapted to different cultural, geographic and socio-economic contexts. As such, active involvement of key stakeholders throughout the study is strongly encouraged.
This topic requires the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, organisations as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.
The proposals should adhere to the FAIR[3] data principles, adopt data quality standards, data integration operating procedures and GDPR[4] compliant data sharing/access good practices developed by the European research infrastructures, where relevant.
Applicants should provide details of their clinical studies[5] in the dedicated annex using the template provided in the submission system. As proposals under this topic are expected to include clinical studies, the use of the template is strongly encouraged.
[1] EMA definition: “Real-World Data are routinely collected data relating to patient health status or the delivery of healthcare from a variety of sources other than traditional clinical trials (e.g. claims databases, hospital data, electronic health records, registries, mhealth data, etc.)”.
[2] The prevalence of a disease is the number of cases in a defined population at a specified point in time. See https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/36838/9241544465.pdf
[3] See definition of FAIR data in the introduction to this Work Programme part.
[4] General Data Protection Regulation: https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection_en, https://gdpr-info.eu
[5] Please note that the definition of clinical studies (see introduction to this Work Programme part) is broad and it is recommended that you review it thoroughly before submitting your application.
Destination & Scope
Topics under this destination are directed towards the Key Strategic Orientations "A more resilient, competitive, inclusive, and democratic Europe” and “The Digital transition” of Horizon Europe’s strategic plan 2025-2027[1].
Research and Innovation supported under this destination should contribute to the following expected impact, set out in the strategic plan impact summary for the Health Cluster: “people of all ages in the EU stay healthy, resilient, and independent even as society changes fast. This will arise from healthier lifestyles and behaviour, healthier diets, healthier environments, improved evidence-informed health policies, and more effective solutions for health and well-being promotion, disease prevention and monitoring, and rehabilitation”.
People´s healthcare needs are different depending on their age, gender, stage of life, health status and socioeconomic background. In 2021, nearly 860,000 premature deaths across the EU[2] could have been prevented with effective primary prevention and other public health measures. In addition, an estimated 135 million people in Europe live with a disability[3], highlighting the critical need for healthcare systems that are both accessible and adaptable. This number is expected to rise due to population ageing and the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions resulting from noncommunicable diseases and injuries. It is also important to consider disabilities arising from other causes, such as war-related injuries and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which add to the complexity and diversity of healthcare needs.
Aligning with the Commission's Political Guidelines for 2024-2029[4], which call for stepping up work on preventive health, this destination aims to strengthen disease prevention and early detection, placing support and empowerment of individuals regarding their own health, well-being and living and working conditions at the core of future public health programmes.
Research and Innovation under this destination should help enhance the dialogue and coordination among stakeholders and policymakers, ensuring integration across different care settings for holistic health promotion and disease prevention. Funded activities should seek to leverage the wealth of data sources, including real-world health data and establish a European interconnected health data ecosystem to develop integrated and personalised health promotion and disease prevention strategies. These activities will benefit from and actively support and enrich emerging data resources such as the European Health Data Space (EHDS)[5] and European Open Science Cloud (EOSC)[6], and contribute to the European care strategy[7] and the digital transformation of health and care in the EU[8]. Since Horizon Europe’s launch in 2021, this destination has addressed important issues such as obesity prevention, understanding health-to-disease transitions, life course approaches to physical and mental health, healthy ageing, digital health literacy, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for chronic disease risk prediction.
In this Work Programme part, destination “Staying healthy in a rapidly changing society” will focus on: i) addressing disabilities through the life course to support independent living and inclusion, with an emphasis on empowering persons with disabilities and their families. This priority aligns with the EU Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030; and ii) developing behavioural interventions as primary prevention for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), with an emphasis on promoting healthy habits and sustained behavioural change among youth. This priority aligns with the ‘Healthier together’ EU non-communicable diseases initiative.
To increase the impact of EU investments under Horizon Europe, the Commission encourages collaboration between EU-funded projects to foster synergies through networking, joint workshops, knowledge exchange, best practices, and joint communication activities. Synergies can be explored between projects funded under the same or different topics, Clusters or Pillars of Horizon Europe. This includes collaborations between projects funded under the Health Cluster and the 'Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society' Cluster for complementary actions, such as promoting social inclusion, health equity (including gender equality and support for groups at risk of discrimination), and mental health initiatives in education, work, and daily life (including through culture, the arts and sports).
Expected impacts:
Proposals for topics under this destination should set out a credible pathway to contributing to staying healthy in a rapidly changing society, and more specifically to one or several of the following impacts:
- Citizens, including persons with disabilities and other groups in a vulnerable situation, adopt and maintain healthier lifestyles and behaviours, make healthier choices, and achieve, where applicable, longer healthy, independent, and active lives with a reduced burden of preventable disease throughout the life course.
- Citizens are empowered to effectively manage their physical and mental health and well-being, monitor their health status, and interact with healthcare providers to optimise their well-being throughout life through improved health literacy, increased engagement in and adherence to health promotion strategies.
- Children and young people are aware and empowered to better monitor and manage their physical, social and mental health with a view to lifelong healthy lifestyles.
- Society benefits from reduced economic and health burdens due to preventable illness and premature mortality, with efficiency increased by targeting scarce resources in appropriate, cost-effective ways to areas of high social return, thereby driving improvements in health and well-being for all citizens, and specifically reducing health inequalities.
Health policies and actions for health promotion and disease prevention are knowledge-based, people-centred, personalised and thus targeted and tailored to citizens’ needs, and designed to reduce health inequalities.
Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination. For additional information please see “Restrictions on the participation of legal entities established in China” found in the Annex B of the General Annexes of this Work Programme.
The protection of European communication networks has been identified as an important security interest of the Union and its Member States. Entities that are assessed as high-risk suppliers[9] of mobile network communication equipment (and any entities they own or control) are not eligible to participate as beneficiaries, affiliated entities and associated partners to topics identified as “subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks”. Please refer to the Annex B of the General Annexes of this Work Programme for further details.
[2] “Health at a Glance: Europe 2024”, available from https://health.ec.europa.eu/state-health-eu/health-glance-europe_en
[3] https://www.who.int/europe/news-room/fact-sheets/item/disability The WHO European Region comprises 53 countries, covering a vast geographical region from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans.
[4] https://commission.europa.eu/about/commission-2024-2029_en
[7] Communication from the European Commission on the European care strategy, COM(2022) 440, 7.9.2022
[8] Communication from the European Commission on enabling the digital transformation of health and care in the Digital Single Market; empowering citizens and building a healthier society, COM(2018) 233, 25.4.2018
[9] Entities assessed as “high-risk suppliers”, are currently set out in the second report on Member States’ progress in implementing the EU toolbox on 5G cybersecurity of 2023 (NIS Cooperation Group, Second report on Member States’ progress in implementing the EU Toolbox on 5G Cybersecurity, June 2023) and the related Communication on the implementation of the 5G cybersecurity toolbox of 2023 (Communication from the Commission: Implementation of the 5G cybersecurity Toolbox, Brussels, 15.6.2023 C(2023) 4049 final).
Eligibility & Conditions
General conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions, proposal page limit and layout
2. Eligible Countries
Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
3. Other Eligibility Conditions
In recognition of the opening of the US National Institutes of Health’s programmes to European researchers, any legal entity established in the United States of America is eligible to receive Union funding.
If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).
Subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks.
Other eligibility conditions are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
The thresholds for each criterion will be 4 (Excellence), 4 (Impact) and 4 (Implementation). The cumulative threshold will be 12.
Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement
Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants
The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5.
Legal and financial set-up of the grants are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Specific conditions
Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.
Application and evaluation forms and additional documents:
Application and evaluation form templates
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA) - the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) - will be used with the necessary adaptations
Guidance
Model Grant Agreement (MGA)
Call-specific instructions
Additional documents
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 4. Health
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Frequently Asked Questions About Behavioural Interventions As Primary Prevention For Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) Among Young People
Support & Resources
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