MFF Watch 2028–2034

As the EU institutions and Member States dive into negotiations over the next long-term budget - the EU 2028–2034 Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) - we are kicking off a special series exploring what's at stake.

From healthcare and digital to defence, green innovation and skills, we'll unpack how the new funding cycle will shape Europe's priorities and open fresh opportunities for innovators, industry and the public sector.

Our goal: to help our clients and our extended community understand where EU money will flow, position early and engage in shaping the next chapter of EU's investment agenda.

This week, we dive into healthcare:

What does the new MFF mean for industry, innovators and public sector health organisations?

A defining moment for healthcare in Europe

The European Commission's July 2025 proposal for the 2028–2034 MFF marks a strategic turning point for the healthcare sector in Europe. In contrast to previous financial cycles, healthcare is no longer treated as a side issue: it is now embedded across the full spectrum of EU funding instruments.

For healthcare entities across the EU, this opens the door to the new round of seven-year investment opportunities. Navigating the diversity of the new 2028-2034 funding mechanisms will require strategic foresight and proactive engagement, both at EU and Member State levels.

A cross-cutting priority in the new 2028-2034 MFF

1. From lab to market: Horizon Europe and the European Competitiveness Fund

Two central instruments will drive the EU's strategic push from lab research to market-ready healthcare solutions:

Horizon Europe: continued healthcare driven research

Health research remains a priority under the future Horizon Europe / 10th Research Framework Programme (FP10) budgeted by the European Commission at €175 billion. Health priorities will include, among others, research on infectious and non-communicable diseases, rare diseases, pandemic preparedness, development of diagnostics, vaccines, advanced therapies and medical devices, and the use of AI, data and digital tools for personalised and preventive care.

Now closely aligned with the new European Competitiveness Fund through shared rulebooks and integrated programming, this dual-track support ensures continuous public investment from early-stage science to commercial deployment. 

European Competitiveness Fund (ECF): building Europe's health champions

Absorbing the previous EU4Health programme mandate, the ECF introduces a dedicated €22.6 billion envelope for health, biotech, and bioeconomy, reinforcing the EU's ambition for investing in the European industry to achieve strategic autonomy and technological sovereignty in critical areas. Funding will go into disease prevention and health promotion: cancer, cardiovascular diseases, mental health, pollution-related illnesses, health data and digital tools, health system resilience, including European Health Data Space tools and investments in healthcare workforce.

Industrial capacity and ramping up EU production of critical medicines, medtech and biotech, including by using strategic instruments like the Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs), is a key component of the programme.

Understanding the entry points to qualifying as a strategic project under the Critical Medicines Act or the opportunities in continuing critical work under existing IPCEIs beyond the initial scope, will become essential for a smoother pathway to funding under the ECF.

2. Crisis preparedness: building the EU's 'health shield'

The reinforced Union Civil Protection Mechanism+ (UCPM+), with a tentative allocation of €10.7 billion, will target stockpiles, real-time cross-border emergency coordination, vaccine storage, mobile clinics, and remote diagnostics, especially for scalable, interoperable solutions across borders.

3. National and Regional Partnership Programmes (NRPPs): structural healthcare gaps in focus

With a combined €865 billion across cohesion, social, and rural development funds and others, NRPPs are designed as flexible tools for Member States to respond to national needs.

Among others, the NRPPs can addresses structural health gaps: hospital construction / modernisation, long-term and elderly care services, public health workforce investment, etc.

Importantly, the NRPPs contain no fixed healthcare allocation, meaning funding will depend on whether and how Member States prioritise the sector in their plans. This makes early engagement at national level crucial to ensuring that healthcare investment is embedded in the new NRPPs with appropriate allocations. 

4. Health as critical infrastructure

The Commission's proposal positions healthcare systems as strategic national security assets, much like energy or defence.

The ECF as well as the UCPM+ will fund "crisis-relevant products", stockpiling, and industrial capacity-building. National plans must also boost resilience and prevention, via the new EU Facility (€63 billion in total).

This reframing elevates the healthcare industry's role in Europe's resilience and security, reinforcing the case for public-private partnerships and industrial investment.

Why is this important for you?

The 2028–2034 MFF proposal has entered the inter-institutional negotiation phase, expected to continue throughout 2026–2027. While the MFF architecture and headline allocations will be under intense debate, the time for healthcare organisations to position and shape the future seven-year healthcare funding landscape is now.

EU-level early engagement around strategic files, like stockpiling, digital health, industrial strategy, and data infrastructure, should be complemented through in-country efforts around the future National and Regional Partnership Plans.

The goal is to reinforce healthcare spending across the funding continuum and get ready early to effectively leverage available public funding in the years to come.

At the same time, understanding where and how health markets will grow, based on public funding injections, creates a critical window of opportunity to scrutinise and adapt corporate strategies.

How we can help

Over the past 35 years, we've mastered the ins and outs of several rounds of MFFs. We've seen the effect public funding can have on shaping and growing critical markets and businesses.

Whether you're scaling health innovation, exploring new markets, or strengthening public sector engagement, our experts can bring that expertise to your teams, shaping visions, building strategies and capturing opportunities early.

Interested in learning how you can benefit from the new 2028–2034 MFF? Get in touch and let's shape your future EU funding reality together.

Key takeaways

Healthcare is a cross-cutting theme in the new MFF 28-34, spread across research, industry, crisis response, and the national programmes

Major relevant funds and instruments include Horizon Europe, EU Competitiveness Fund, UCPM+, NRPPs and the EU Facility

Strategic alignment at both EU and Member State levels will be key to accessing funding at the implementation stage

Early positioning during the negotiation phase (2025–2027) is critical to maximise healthcare allocations and adapt corporate strategies