Development of cell-free protein synthesis platforms for discovery and/or production of biologicals

Applicant types

SME, Large company, Research org, University

Purpose

Research and innovation

R&D relevance

3 of 3

Poland eligible

Yes

Country limit

—

Region

Any

Consortium

Unclear

Readiness level (TRL)

—

Topics

• Cell-free protein synthesis
• Biological medicines
• Biopharmaceutical manufacturing
• Peptide production

Machine-classified from the call text; check eligibility at the source. 23 Oct 2026

Typed facts extracted from the source documents by Scindu's grant-data review. Each value keeps its own conditions. Unknown means unstated, not zero or unlimited.

Applicant restriction

Participation and funding eligibility are distinct. Eligible participation remains subject to the Horizon Europe Regulation and topic conditions. Beneficiaries and affiliated entities register in the Participant Register before submission to obtain a PIC; legal validation and proof of legal status/origin are completed before grant signature, but a validated PIC is not a submission prerequisite. Associated partners may participate subject to the topic without signing the GA or charging costs/claiming contributions. General funding categories include EU Member States (including outermost regions), Overseas Countries and Territories, Associated Countries, and the listed low-/middle-income countries. Other entities receive funding only where the topic provides or the granting authority finds participation essential. Check applicable country status/list and call-specific exceptions. The general consortium default, unless specific call/topic conditions provide otherwise, is three mutually independent beneficiary legal entities established in three different countries: at least one in a Member State and two others each in different Member States or Associated Countries. Affiliated entities do not count toward this minimum. The JRC, international European research organisations and entities created under EU law are treated as established in a Member State different from those of other participants. Training/mobility and CoFund applications may be submitted by one or more entities if one is established in a Member State or Associated Country. Apply the three-beneficiary default only subject to any express own-topic exception; none is inferred from action-class wording alone.

Applicant restriction

For this assigned topic the source-bound action class is RIA. Apply the general China rule by that class: the IA bar applies to IA; the default RIA bar and its listed exceptions apply only to RIA and only for the matching Work Programme destination. Do not transpose either rule to CSA, PCP or CoFund. The all-action MIIT-supervised Chinese public-university exclusion remains applicable. General Annex B: China-established legal entities are excluded from every IA and, unless stated otherwise, every RIA. The listed RIA destination exceptions are Cluster 2: Innovative Research on Democracy and Governance; Innovative research on European cultural heritage and cultural and creative industries; Innovative research on social and economic transformations. Cluster 5: Climate sciences and responses for the transformation towards climate neutrality. Cluster 6: Biodiversity and ecosystem services; Fair, healthy and environment-friendly food systems; Clean environment and zero pollution; Land, ocean and water for climate action; Resilient, inclusive, healthy and green rural/coastal/urban areas; and Innovative governance, environmental observations and digital solutions in support of the Green Deal. Missions: EU Missions’ Joint Calls; Adaptation to Climate Change; Restore our Ocean and Waters; and A Soil Deal for Europe. Widening: Widening participation and spreading excellence; Reforming and enhancing the European research and innovation system. New European Bauhaus Facility: Connecting the green transformation, social inclusion and local democracy; Innovative funding and new business models for neighbourhood transformation. Horizontal Activities: Transformative change towards a nature-positive economy and society. The listed destination exceptions are RIA exceptions only: they do not lift the China-established-entity exclusion for an IA. For an RIA, a China-established entity is excluded unless this call’s exact destination is one of the listed RIA exceptions; only when the destination matches may the entity participate in any capacity. A justified case-by-case exception may also be granted under the source rule. For IA and RIA restrictions that apply, exclusion covers participation in any capacity. MIIT-supervised Chinese public universities remain ineligible for any action. Evaluate this packet’s own action and exact destination before applying an exception. Entities subject to EU restrictive measures are not eligible in any capacity, including beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, third parties giving in-kind contributions, subcontractors or recipients of FSTP. Entities established in Russia, Belarus or non-government-controlled territories of Ukraine are likewise ineligible in any capacity even when not subject to EU restrictive measures; a justified case-by-case exception may be granted. Russian-established persons/entities/bodies whose direct or indirect proprietary rights exceed 50% in an entity established outside Russia make that entity ineligible in any capacity. These rules are distinct from call-specific ownership/control restrictions, which apply only when identified in the relevant Work Programme/topic conditions. Communications-network supplier restrictions and critical-technology/control restrictions apply only when identified in the relevant work-programme/topic conditions; they are not automatic for every call. Russian-established persons/entities/bodies that directly or indirectly hold proprietary rights exceeding 50% in an entity established outside Russia make that entity ineligible in any capacity. Hungarian public-interest trusts established under Act IX of 2021 and entities they maintain may apply, but while Council measures remain in force cannot take any funded role (including beneficiaries, affiliated entities, subcontractors, or recipients of FSTP); in multi-beneficiary calls the applicant is invited to remove/replace them from funded roles or change them to associated-partner status, with tasks and budget redistributed accordingly. Affected entities can participate without EU funding as associated partners if call conditions allow. These conditions do not establish eligibility for any particular participant.

Applicant restriction

Financial capacity is normally checked for the coordinator when requested grant is at least EUR 500,000, with exceptions for public bodies/international organisations and individual requested amounts no more than EUR 60,000. Checks may extend to other applicants, affiliated entities or guarantors; weak capacity can lead to safeguards or rejection. Operational capacity is assessed through the implementation award criterion; the form requests participant/researcher identity, up to five relevant achievements and up to five relevant prior projects/activities per participant, plus significant infrastructure/equipment. Public bodies, Member State organisations and international organisations are exempt from that operational-capacity check. Administrative sanctions and listed exclusion grounds bar participation, including insolvency, tax/social-security breaches, grave professional misconduct, fraud/corruption/criminal and financial-integrity offences, serious prior grant/contract failures, irregularities, circumvention and unremediable procurement-preparation conflicts; misrepresentation/non-supply and irremediable equality-of-treatment distortion are also refusal grounds. These legal/capacity checks are separate from award scores and do not certify a specific participant.

Applicant restriction

This topic is subject to European communication-network protection restrictions: high-risk suppliers and controlled entities cannot participate as beneficiaries, affiliates or associated partners, subject to the stated case-by-case exception process.

Applicant restrictionAdopted General Annex B; only if the own-topic action activates this restriction

Where the specific action is expressly identified as subject to restrictions for protection of European communication networks, entities assessed as high-risk suppliers of mobile network communication equipment and entities they own or control are ineligible as beneficiaries, affiliated entities or associated partners. Assessment includes third-country interference/ownership/governance/business/legal context, supply-chain cybersecurity practices and relevant security assessments. Exceptions may be requested from the granting authority, which assesses them case by case using the 5G toolbox criteria, security risks and availability of alternatives in the action. This conditional general clause does not activate the restriction for an unflagged topic or extend the listed participation roles.

Own-topic activation and other separately stated country/control restrictions retain their distinct scope.

Applicant restriction

General Annex B restrictions apply, including the default exclusion of entities established in China from Health RIAs, participation of MIIT-supervised Chinese universities, EU restrictive measures, and the applicable Hungarian public-interest-trust restriction. Exceptions/changes require individual checking; the US funding exception does not waive other restrictions.

Applicant type

Legal entities subject to Horizon Europe Regulation, General Annex B and topic-specific conditions; participation does not itself establish eligibility for funding.

Application restriction

Submit electronically using the forms in the Portal system (topic-page templates are informational), following the form instructions. Applications must include all parts and mandatory annexes/supporting documents and be readable, accessible and printable. Full applications include an exploitation/dissemination/communication plan unless the topic provides otherwise; no such plan is required for stage 1 of a two-stage process. Where relevant, include a commercial exploitation strategy; where exploitation is primarily in non-associated third countries, explain why it is in the EU interest. General Annex A defaults: full application 40 pages, except CSA 25 and Programme Co-fund 65; for lump-sum topics RIA/IA 45 and CSA 28; stage 1 is 10 pages. The specific topic and actual Portal form/template override defaults. Blind first-stage anonymisation applies only when the topic specifies blind evaluation. If an application exceeds the applicable page limits, the submission system gives an automatic warning and invitation to resubmit a conforming version. After the call deadline, excess pages are automatically made invisible and are not considered by evaluators. Actual topic conditions and Portal submission templates govern the applicable limits and sections. This procedure does not promise a post-deadline correction window or say the whole application is automatically rejected.

Application restriction

Projects must focus exclusively on civil applications and comply with EU policy interests/priorities. Applicants complete an ethics self-assessment; projects raising ethics issues undergo ethics review and may receive ethics deliverables/authorisation requirements. Security appraisal/classified-information conditions apply only when classified or sensitive information is involved. A GEP is an eligibility requirement at grant signature and throughout the grant only for MS/AC public bodies, research organisations and higher-education establishments applying as beneficiaries or affiliated entities. It must be published, top-management-signed/adopted, resourced, monitor sex/gender-disaggregated data with reporting at least every two years, and include staff/decision-maker awareness or training; equivalent strategic documents can satisfy the process requirements. GEP eligibility does not apply to other legal-entity categories. Separately, beneficiaries must take measures to promote equal opportunities and, where applicable, follow the GEP; they should aim, to the extent possible, for gender balance at all personnel levels, including supervisory/managerial levels. This is an implementation aim, not a numerical staffing quota. A self-declaration is requested in the Participant Register. Source-listed GEP content areas are recommendations, not extra mandatory eligibility items.

Application restriction

Full applications: Excellence, Impact and Implementation each have threshold4/5, cumulative threshold12. Passing thresholds enters budget-limited ranking, not an award. Any own first-stage rules are additional and scoped separately.

Application restrictionHORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-IND-01; adopted AnnexE, subject to stage-specific templates

Use the electronic Portal system and complete all parts, mandatory annexes and supporting documents. PartA contains organisation/administrative data, summary budget and call questions; PartB is the technical PDF description. Upload supporting documents in system-permitted formats. Design the proposal around the award criteria. Coordinator confirms mandate, correctness/completeness and all participants’ eligibility/capacity/exclusion compliance; each participant reconfirms by declaration of honour before signature. Noncompliance can cause rejection and later legal-entity/financial/bank validation documents may be requested. Actual stage-specific Portal templates and own-topic conditions govern.

Application restrictionEvaluation review; actual/deemed access anchors, not submission or project deadlines

Coordinator may request review of procedural flaws, following evaluation-result-letter procedures/deadlines; merits are not reviewed. Each request concerns one specific proposal, within30days after opening/access of results, maximum7000characters. Notifications unopened for10days after sending are deemed accessed. A review committee may recommend re-evaluation, primarily by experts not involved previously, or confirmation of the initial evaluation.

Application restrictionDefault full-application ranking within one budget envelope; own special arrangements retained

Adopted General Annex F default for proposals with the same score within one budget envelope, excluding stage 1 of two-stage submissions and subject to any specific call/topic special arrangement: first prioritise call aspects not covered by more highly ranked proposals. Those identified proposals are then prioritised by Excellence and then Impact; for Innovation Actions the order is Impact then Excellence. If necessary, use gender balance among named leading researchers; then geographical diversity by MS/AC not otherwise receiving funds from higher-ranked projects (number first, then budget if equal). If still indistinguishable, the panel may use documented call/Horizon-objective factors, for example project-portfolio synergies or relevant feasible SME involvement. This is a priority procedure, not a funding guarantee, staffing quota or first-stage tie rule.

Application restriction

Planned opening 29 October 2026; single-stage deadline 17 February 2027, 17:00 Brussels local time. The WP permits the responsible Director-General to shift opening by up to one month and delay deadlines by up to two months. No live submission acceptance is asserted.

Consortium required

Yes

Eligible geography

General Annex B permits funding for entities in EU Member States, linked OCTs, associated countries, the listed low/middle-income countries, and other countries where the topic provides or the granting authority considers participation essential. These topics additionally allow US legal entities to receive Union funding. Country status and restrictive measures require applicant-specific checking.

Eligible project scope

Proposals SHOULD AIM to deliver results directed at, tailored toward and contributing to all three source-listed expected outcomes: biopharmaceutical industries gain access to streamlined development/production of peptide- or protein-based biologicals; health systems benefit from enhanced or decentralised production systems for innovative peptide/protein health technologies that improve health and care; and citizens/patients benefit from better access, availability and affordability of pharmaceuticals based on biologicals. These are intended directions, not guaranteed access, affordability, clinical efficacy or delivery outcomes.

The topic says proposals should aim to contribute to all three expected outcomes; this is an intended result direction and not a promise that each benefit will be achieved.

Eligible project scope

Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) platforms for discovery/production of peptide- or protein-based biologicals. Proposals SHOULD address at least two of these three elements: (1) deployment bottlenecks, including quality-by-design, characterisation of cell lysates/critical quality attributes, and links among lysate properties, CFPS parameters, product quality (such as folding) and platform performance; (2) synthetic-biology design of de-novo biomolecules with desired properties and suitable CFPS systems for high-throughput screening; (3) develop or optimise CFPS platforms to produce the target biomolecule in a GMP-conform process as clinical-grade material testable in clinical trials. CFPS systems may use prokaryotic or eukaryotic lysates (including mammalian), or fully synthetic systems; choice depends on target protein and end use. Mammalian lysate systems are of particular interest for human-like glycosylated proteins, not an exclusive platform requirement.

The source says proposals SHOULD address at least two of three listed elements; preserve this scope modality and do not turn the numeric count into a hard eligibility/admissibility floor. Mammalian systems are of particular interest, not exclusive: the source also describes prokaryotic/eukaryotic lysates and fully synthetic systems and says choice depends on target protein/end-use.

Expected number of grants (planning estimate)Captured SEDIA planning estimate for exact topic HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-IND-01

4 count

Expected funded-project/grant count in the exact provider topic budgetOverview. Indicative planning metadata, not guaranteed awards, maximum accepted projects, staffing or consortium size. It does not replace any differently expressed work-programme planning range.

Other condition

Research and Innovation Action (RIA).

Other condition

Demonstrating that the developed CFPS platform is superior to the current state-of-the-art production system for a specific therapeutic peptide or protein would be an asset. Participation of start-ups and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is encouraged. These are respectively an asset and an encouragement, not mandatory eligibility criteria.

Keep source modality: superiority “would be an asset”; start-up/micro/SME participation “is encouraged.”

Other condition

For applicants envisaging clinical studies, the topic says they should provide study details in the dedicated annex using the template provided in the submission system. This topic-specific direction is conditional on envisaging a clinical study; it is not a universal annex requirement for all proposals.

Conditional trigger: applicant envisages inclusion of clinical studies. Preserve SHOULD and the dedicated submission-system-template reference.

Other condition

Where the project uses satellite earth-observation, positioning, navigation or related timing data/services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS; other data and services may be additional.

Other condition

Project starting date and duration are fixed in the grant agreement. No numerical duration is asserted from the indicative funding table.

Other conditionHORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-IND-01; RIA full-application award aspects; not first-stage full-rubric scoring

For RIA full applications evaluated under adopted AnnexD, assess the action-specific qualitative aspects. Excellence: clarity/pertinence of objectives and ambition beyond the state of the art; sound methodology, including underlying concepts/models/assumptions, interdisciplinary approaches, appropriate research-content gender dimension, and quality of open-science practices including research-output sharing/management and citizen/civil-society/end-user engagement where appropriate. Impact: credible pathways to expected work-programme outcomes/impacts; suitable, high-quality measures to maximise them through the dissemination/exploitation plan, including communication. Implementation: effective, high-quality work plan, risk assessment, appropriate work-package effort and overall resources; each participant’s capacity/role and the consortium’s necessary expertise. Aspects are considered to the extent relevant to the work-programme description; scores are for criteria, not separate scores for each aspect. Own-topic exceptions and the separately recorded stage-specific score rules retain priority.

Other conditionGeneral Annex F default limitations; individual part budget denominator and call-specific procedures

Invitation to grant preparation is no formal funding commitment; legal/capacity/exclusion checks remain. Call/topic budgets are indicative; unless otherwise stated final figures may change up to20% relative to the total budget in each individual work-programme part, not an automatic project or topic increase. Seals of Excellence/STEP seals, joint-call selection, blind first-stage evaluation and partial randomisation depend on explicit own-call conditions; none follows automatically from two-stage status. The tie method in points1–4 is reapplied to remaining equally ranked proposals.

Other conditionDefault indicative evaluation/grant-preparation timetable; own-topic timeline prevails

Absent different own-call conditions, evaluation outcome is around5months after submission deadline and grant signature around8months. Two-stage default: around3months from stage1deadline for its outcome; around5months from stage2deadline for its outcome, and around8months from stage2deadline for grant signature. Indicative planning estimates, not fixed promises or project/employment duration.

Other conditionHORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-IND-01; adopted General Annex G baseline subject to express own-topic grant provisions and actual agreement

Grant preparation with the EU project officer sets deliverables, reporting/payments, grant amount, rate, eligible costs and duration in the agreement. Budget is EUR and award may be below request. Start normally follows signature; retroactive start and month-based duration extensions need exceptional justified granting-authority agreement. Portal manages milestones/deliverables reflected in agreementAnnex1. For ACTUAL-COST grants only eligible incurred costs are reimbursed at the agreed rate; surplus/profit is deducted and noncompliance may reduce grant. This conditional actual-cost description does not reclassify an expressly lump-sum/unit topic: its rate is already applied in amount-setting and does not appear as a separately added reimbursement percentage. Own-topic grant form/rate, PCPprocurement conditions and partnership amendment restrictions remain.

Other conditionHORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-IND-01; adopted General Annex G baseline subject to express own-topic grant provisions and actual agreement

Agreement covers proper implementation, conflicts, confidentiality/security/classified information, ethics/integrity/values/gender, data protection, IPR/background/results/access/use, communication/dissemination/open science/visibility and applicable special action rules. Additional adopted duties: if granting authority requests during a public emergency, grant nonexclusive result licences on fair/reasonable terms for its stated limited period to entities committed to rapid broad exploitation; provision applies up to4years after action end. Unless own-call states otherwise, notify authority for up to4years after end when results could reasonably contribute to European/international standards. Authority may object to ownership transfer/exclusive licensing for up to4years after end ONLY where specific call provides. Give data/result access needed to validate publication conclusions while safeguarding legitimate interests/constraints unless access already given. On authority request in public emergency, immediately deposit research outputs and provide CC BY,CC0 or equivalent open access; where legitimate interests preclude this, provide the stated nonexclusive fair/reasonable licences instead, with that exception limited to4years after end. Breach/other legal violations may trigger agreementChapter5 measures; no unread AGA provisions or executed applicant agreement are asserted.

Other conditionHORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-IND-01; adopted General Annex G baseline subject to express own-topic grant provisions and actual agreement

After signature, normal initial float is160% of average EU funding per reporting period: maximum grant amount divided by number of reporting periods. Exceptionally less or no pre-financing is possible. With ONLY ONE reporting period it will be less, since100% would already equal the whole grant; no fixed single-period percentage is specified. Programme co-fund actions may receive additional pre-financing. At pre-financing,5–8% of maximum grant is deducted into the mutual-insurance mechanism, not added as a benefit or treated as funding intensity. EU debts may offset/reduce payments. Interim payments link to periodic reports; final report determines final grant and overpayment is recovered. Financial-statement certificate thresholds depend on grant size/beneficiary type and the agreement, not an invented universal amount. Recovery liability is individual: beneficiary’s own and affiliated-entity debts. These normal/general arrangements do not guarantee a new payment on an existing partnership amendment or displace express own-topic/agreement provisions.

Other condition

The own-topic financial section adopts General Annex G without a lump-sum exception in this reviewed section. For actual-cost grants the mixed budget reimburses eligible actual costs, with applicable unit/flat-rate categories; the signed grant determines the final model and rates.

Other condition

The own-topic call-overview row plans an indicative 4 projects expected to be funded. This is a programme planning count, not consortium size, job headcount, guaranteed awards or remaining allocation. Proposed dedicated numeric semantic type is supplied separately.

Other condition

The granting authority may object to ownership transfer or exclusive licensing of results up to four years after action end, under the specific Annex 5 provision.

Partner requirement

At least three independent beneficiary legal entities in three different countries: at least one in an EU Member State and at least two others in different EU Member States or Associated Countries. Affiliated entities do not count toward this minimum.

Indicative budget

€24,500,000

Topic budget as stated in the portal's budget table. Lump-sum and per-project limits are in the call conditions.

Eligible costHORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-IND-01; adopted General Annex G baseline subject to express own-topic grant provisions and actual agreement

Agreement fixes cost forms/categories: eligible actual personnel/subcontracting/purchases and FSTP only if call permits; units may cover personnel, SMEowners/naturalpersons without salary, usual-practice average personnel and internally invoiced goods/services, and expressly permitted specific units. The25%indirect-cost base excludes subcontracting,FSTP and units/lump sums already containing indirect costs. Different cost forms can coexist; global/action-category lump sums require call provision. Several EU Synergy grants may declare costs only where cumulative funding does not exceed100% of eligible costs/contributions declared. These are budget/eligibility methods, not personal salary or automatic FSTP/unit-cost permission; separately recorded own-topic costs/forms and rates retain priority.

Eligible cost

General Annex G includes personnel costs, subcontracting and purchases among eligible budget categories subject to the grant agreement. Personnel may use applicable actual-cost or unit-cost forms. This is a cost category, not an advertised vacancy, mandatory hire, salary scale, headcount or FTE entitlement.

General Annex G includes personnel costs, subcontracting and purchases among eligible budget categories subject to the grant agreement. For this own-topic actual-cost RIA, personnel declarations follow the applicable actual-cost or personnel unit-cost forms under Annex G; this is a cost category, not an advertised vacancy, mandatory hire, salary scale, headcount, FTE or salary entitlement.

Funding intensity, maximum

100 percent of eligible costs

General Annex G sets the maximum RIA rate as a percentage of eligible costs, not turnover or an unrestricted total budget. For this own-topic RIA, the topic refers to General Annex G without a lump-sum exception; Annex G describes actual-cost grants as budget-based mixed actual-cost grants. The applicable rate and cost declarations remain subject to the grant agreement; this is not a payroll rate or salary promise.

Indirect cost flat rateGeneralAnnexG indirect costs for this Horizon action/grant methodology

25 percent of the named eligible-direct-cost base

Base: total eligible direct costs excluding subcontracting, financial support to third parties and any unit costs/lump sums already including indirect costs. Apply only within the relevant grant/budget methodology; for lump sums this contributes to amount-setting, not an extra actual-cost payment or wage rate.

Expected project funding, up to

€8,000,000

Indicative expected EU contribution, not a hard cap; the topic explicitly allows selection of different requested amounts.

Expected project funding, from

€6,000,000

Indicative expected EU contribution; proposals requesting different amounts may be submitted and selected. This is not a minimum eligible project budget or guaranteed award.

Topic allocation

€24,500,000

Total indicative topic allocation; not an applicant/project entitlement or current unspent balance.

• Horizon Europe General Annexes2026–2027

  ec.europa.eu

• Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026–2027, Part 4 Health, official PDF

  ec.europa.eu

Opens

29 Oct 2026

Deadline model

Single-stage

Programme

Horizon Europe · 2021 - 2027

Call

HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01 · Cluster 1 - Health (Single stage - 2027/1)

Types of action

HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

Keywords

• cell-free
• protein synthesis

Source

ec.europa.eu

Checked

24 Oct 2026

Portal updated

7 Oct 2026

Review status

Partial review

Reviewed

24 Oct 2026