Grant

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

EU-wide research project for the analysis of existing long-term care policies, modeling future care needs up to 2070, and developing innovative policy mixes using digital solutions and social innovation.

Social Health & Social

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Grant criteria

Application Deadline:
12.05. - 23.09.2026
Application level: Complex
Region: EU
Funding amount: €3,750,000 per project
Funding rate: 100%
Project start from: 12.05.2026

Funding objective

Determination of the effectiveness and resilience of current national and regional long-term care policies, development of robust methods for forecasting future care needs and resources, analysis of innovative policy mixes including digital and social innovations, and formulation of evidence-based recommendations for affordable, accessible, and high-quality long-term care in the EU.

Eligible expenses

  • Personnel costs
  • Subcontractor costs
  • Material costs
  • Travel expenses

Eligible to apply

  • Companies
  • Non-profit Organizations
  • Educational Institutions
  • Public Institutions

Funding requirements

  • Legal personality and valid PIC number
  • Consortium with at least three independent partners from EU Member States or associated countries
  • Fulfillment of financial and operational capacity requirements

Documents required for application

  1. Project description
  2. Financial plan
  3. CVs of key personnel
  4. Ethics self-declaration
  5. Proof of legal representation and financial capacity

Evaluation criteria

  • Innovative content of the project
  • Potential for political impact
  • Quality and efficiency of implementation

Description

The EU-funded research project “Rethinking long-term care policy in the face of EU demographic shifts” examines the effectiveness and resilience of existing long-term care policies within national and regional systems. With a consortium of at least three independent partners from EU Member States or associated countries, robust methods are developed to forecast future care needs as well as the required personnel, financial, and technological resources up to 2070. Incorporating social science disciplines and state-of-the-art modeling techniques, the project quantifies the costs of inaction, evaluates innovative policy mixes, and analyzes the contribution of digital solutions and social innovations. The project is fully (100%) funded as a grant with a funding amount of up to €3,750,000 per project. Eligible costs include personnel expenses, subcontractor costs, material, and travel expenses. Submission is made electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by the deadline of 23.09.2026; prerequisites include a valid PIC number, legal independence, and compliance with financial and operational capacity requirements.

The results—evidence-based recommendations for affordable, accessible, and high-quality long-term care—are aimed at researchers and policymakers at EU, national, and regional levels, as well as care professionals, care recipients, relatives, and stakeholders from civil society and administration. Integration of existing data from European social research infrastructures and a FAIR data strategy ensure transparency, reusability, and interoperability. Evaluation will be based on the degree of innovation, potential for policy impact, and quality and efficiency of implementation. Interested consortia from companies, non-profit or public institutions, and educational establishments may submit their applications from 12.05.2026 onwards and may leverage cooperation with relevant Horizon Europe projects to create synergies and sustainably strengthen the resilience of long-term care across Europe.

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