Are you ready to build a successful consortium, create a local capacity-building programme for your health and life science innovation ecosystem, and join the EIT Health InnoStars network? EIT Health DRIVE equips your organisation to boost the local healthcare innovation ecosystem, build national and international connections, and create meaningful change in your region.
The EIT Health DRIVE is an ecosystem-building training programme that brings together regional leaders dedicated to innovation-driven entrepreneurship through workshops led by international experts, collaborative team activities, inspiring study visits, and meaningful networking. The programme is open for consortia of two organisations coming from the same innovation ecosystem
Once completing the programme, participants will have the opportunity to secure co-funding of up to 20,000 EUR to implement their capacity-building programmes designed during DRIVE.
Ready to become a change agent in your region? Apply by the 5 January 2025.
Develop a tailor-made plan for the implementation of a valuable health or life science-oriented capacity-building programme in your region
Take home the unique methodology co-created with TU Delft, one of the top engineering and technology universities in the world and EIT Health InnoStars, the largest health innovation network of CESEE
Get inspired by European entrepreneurship ecosystems during on-site study visits
Be part of a valuable network of regional leaders dedicated to innovation-driven entrepreneurship
Apply for 50% co-funding, up to 20 000 EUR and mentoring to realise the programme you designed in the frame of EIT Health DRIVE 2025
The EIT Health DRIVE training programme lasts 12 weeks – between 3 March and 21 May 2025 – and consists of a mix of on-site & online training sessions and individual & teamwork.
3 – 7 March
5-day kick-off bootcamp and site visit in Delft, the Netherlands
Learn about the DRIVE Methodology, visit one of the world’s most developed entrepreneurship ecosystems in the Netherlands, and define your ambition for your region
14 – 16 April
3-day in-person training and site visit in Bristol and Oxford, UK
Take a deep dive into another leading innovation ecosystem, network and learn best practices from accelerators and university innovation centres, and equip yourself with knowledge on building innovation clusters
19 – 21 May
3-day in-person training and closing meeting in Budapest, Hungary
Explore different funding models for your organisation, and with expert support, create your own action plan for the capacity-building programme
The second phase of the programme starts in June 2025. The proposal submission and implementation constitute the second phase of the DRIVE programme. The goal of the second phase is to facilitate the realisation of the 5 most excellent capacity-building programme designs with a 50% co-funding rate of up to 20 000 EUR.
The programme is open to consortia of two organisations coming from the same innovation ecosystem and both organisations seated in countries where EIT Health Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) is present. The applicant organisation is expected to provide incubation & acceleration support for entrepreneurs – mentoring, matchmaking, validation support, training etc. – or run innovation projects for at least 1 year and would like to establish a comprehensive, local health & life science capacity-building programme.
Applicant organisations can be, but are not limited to:
The applicant organisation is not a current EIT Health RIS Hub or EIT Health Partner or the affiliated entity of an EIT Health RIS Hub or EIT Health Partner. The applicant is a legal entity located in one of the RIS-eligible countries.
For more information, please read the Call Document attached to the application form.
Training programme:
The total cost of the programme is 20 000 EUR.
However, as EIT Health InnoStars covers 12 000 EUR for you, therefore the following contribution fee is applicable:
Implementation:
The organisations that completed the DRIVE training will also possess the right to apply for co-funding and mentoring to help them realise the capacity-building programmes designed in the first phase of the DRIVE training programme. The co-funding rate is 50%, up to 20 000 EUR.
The main challenge that we are facing all the time in our innovation ecosystem is how to connect scientists and research and development with business and industry. The EIT Health DRIVE programme gave us the support to understand the needs of our ecosystem and to do our best in communicating, collaborating, and pushing our innovation ecosystem forward.
Jana Blazevic Marcelja, Deputy CEO at Science and Technology Park Rijeka
When hearing about the credibility of the EIT Health network and the opportunities that we can bring, the universities and technology transfer centres and private tech companies suddenly became more interested than before, in working with us.
Cristina Baghiu, Co-founder & European Digital Innovation Hub Coordinator of the Digital Innovation Zone EDIH
Join our info session on the 5 December, at 2 pm CET to ask all your questions about the programme.
Register here.
