About the VR Health Champions Open Call 2025
VR Health Champions is a 3-year project aiming at breaking down market, clinical and regulatory barriers in XR healthcare across less developed regions of Central Eastern and Southern Europe, while fast-tracking the advancement of VR/AR applications.
It focuses on five flagship SMEs – Lightspace, MEEVA, MedApp, Metaskills, and Virtuleap – that are leading this transformation. The project’s outcome is to upgrade their Technology Readiness Level (TRL) for VR/AR innovations from TRL 6 to TRL 9, ultimately creating pathways for future innovations in the sector.
To achieve this, VR Health Champions is now seeking SMEs specialising in AR sensors, AI-driven virtual agents, VR market research, XR clinical risk frameworks, or regulatory documentation, to be strategically matched with Flagship projects through cascade funding and foster cross-sector knowledge exchange and technology transfer.
The VR Health Champions Open Call 2025 is your opportunity to real impact in the fast-growing healthcare XR sector. If you're a small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) and have an expertise in XR healthcare developments, this is your chance to receive up to 40.000 € grant and contribute directly to the development of cutting-edge solutions alongside top-tier innovators.
Applications to VR Health Champions Open Call 2025 are now open.Don’t miss this opportunity. Apply by 23 June !
Apply nowWhat are the benefits?
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Funding
Receive lump sum grant up to a value of 40.000 € to address a specific challenge in the XR healthcare sector.
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Collaboration with SMEs
Work closely with one of five cutting-edge Flagship SMEs.
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Ecosystem & Visibility
Get access to the VR Health Champions ecosystem, including the EIT Health network, XR4Europe and Medtronic
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Value chain integration
Help build interregional innovation value chains through applied problem-solving.
Who should apply?
Eligible applicants are:
- SMEs as defined in EU Recommendation 2003/361/EC
- Legally established in:
- A region covered by the VR Health Champions consortium:
- Belgium: Brussels Capital region
- Germany: Oberbayern region
- Hungary: Budapest region
- Italy: Trento region
- Latvia
- Poland: Malopolska region, Lodzkie region
- Portugal: Centro Region, Grande Lisboa
- Spain: Madrid
- A less developed region in the EU
- An outermost region of the EU
- Able to demonstrate at least 1 year of business or professional activity
What are the challenges?
Applicants must select one of the five challenge areas, each aligned with the innovation roadmap of a VR Health Champions Flagship SME:
Challenge 1: Lightspace – AR-Specific camera/sensor integration with focus on depth sensing
Objective:
Design a compact, low-power sensor architecture for AR headsets used in surgery.
Focus:
- Identify suitable multi-camera and/or depth-sensing sensor modalities and configurations for surgical integration (The target distance of operation 20 cm – 1 m)
- Define electronics and software/firmware integration pathways
- Deliver a validated subassembly-level laboratory prototype (evaluation kit/demonstrator)
- Expected Outcome: A validated, AR-specific sensing module architecture tailored to the needs of surgical navigation.
Challenge 2: MedApp – Developing a Clinical Risk Assessment Framework for XR in Surgical Navigation
Objective:
Create a dedicated clinical risk assessment framework for XR surgical navigation system
Focus:
- Analyse XR-specific perception and spatial registration risks
- Develop safety protocols aligned with ISO 14971
- Provide practical risk mitigation guidelines for real-world use
- Expected Outcome: A specialized risk assessment framework tailored to the unique challenges of XR technologies in surgical environments, with particular focus on mixed reality perception factors and spatial registration safety parameters.
Challenge 3: Metaskills - Feasibility Study, Market Strategy & Pilot Implementation for AI-Assisted VR Soft Skills Training in EU Healthcare Institutions
Objective:
Develop a market-oriented feasibility study and pilot implementation for MetaSkills’ AI-assisted VR soft skills training platform.
Focus:
- Map procurement processes and analyse key healthcare stakeholders and buyer personas across selected EU markets
- Benchmark VR and non-VR competitors, and evaluate pricing and revenue model Identify strategic distribution/training partners and assess partnership models
- Execute a real-world pilot with structured feedback to validate adoption and scalability
- Expected Outcome: A commercialisation roadmap including stakeholder analysis, competitive positioning, pricing strategy, and feedback from real-world implementation.
Challenge 4: MEEVA – AI-based Virtual Agents in VR-based Therapy
Objective:
Define an implementation and evaluation framework for intelligent virtual agents in therapeutic VR.
Focus:
- Idea screening and evaluation methodology for AI agents in therapeutic VR
- System and module requirement specifications for different mental health applications
- Implementation approach for AI agents in VR therapeutic environments
- Expected Outcome: A comprehensive analytical foundation for implementing AI virtual agents in therapeutic VR environments, specifically tailored for neurodivergent teens (autism, ADHD,…)
Challenge 5: Virtuleap - VR-Specific Technical Documentation Framework Development
Objective:
Develop a regulatory documentation framework for VR-based cognitive assessment tools.
Focus:
- Compile core CE marking technical documentation for VR medical device: specs, labelling, conformity declaration, manufacturing details
- Ensure compliance with EU safety, performance, and risk standards, including benefit-risk and risk management
- Define clinical and pre-clinical data needs, usability validation, and post-market surveillance strategy
- Expected Outcome: A specialized technical documentation framework tailored to the unique regulatory challenges of VR cognitive assessment tools, providing Virtuleap with practical templates and guidance for CE marking compliance
How to apply?
Applicants must select one of the five challenge areas, each aligned with the innovation roadmap of a VR Health Champions Flagship SME:
- Download and read the Open Call text.
- Select a challenge and complete the application form in English.
Applicants can select only one of the five challenges listed in the call. -
Upload all the required annexes and documents by 23 June 23:59 CET
List of required attachments:
Templates to be filled in by the applicants:- SME Declaration
- Declaration of Honour
- Ethics and Security Self-Assessment
- Budget table
- Company Register Certificate: the legal address and registration number and a copy of a document proving VAT registration (in case the VAT number does not show on the registration extract or its equivalent).
- Proof of activity of the latest closed financial year: balance sheet
- Best value for money justification: payslip
PLEASE NOTE FORMAL TERMS & CONDITIONS :
Only applications submitted before the deadline via the VR Health Champions website application platform will be considered.
VR Health Champions Open Call 2025 Webinar
Date and time:
21 May 2025, 14:00 CET
Format:
Online (link sent after registration)
What you'll learn:
Overview of the Open Call, Flagship SMEs’ challenges, application process
What is the timeline?
Ready for submission?
Apply nowFAQ
How much funding can I receive?
Up to €40,000 per project as a lump sum.
How many projects will be funded?
A total of five SMEs, one per challenge, will be selected to receive Financial Support for Third Parties (FSTP) under this call for proposals. However, if a suitable SME is not identified for a particular challenge, we reserve the right not to announce a winner.
Can I apply to more than one challenge?
No. Each applicant may submit only one challenge proposal.
What kind of work is expected?
Projects involve collaboration with a Flagship SME to deliver specific outputs such as risk frameworks, feasibility studies, integration roadmaps or pilot implementations.
What happens if I’m shortlisted?
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to hearings and granted access to the EIT Health Community Platform to connect with potential partners and opportunities.
Is there support during the application process?
Yes – an info session was held on the 21st of May. The recording of the webinar will be available on the website.
Are SMEs from transition regions eligible?
No, to be eligible, applicants must be legally established in one of the following:
– A less developed region
– An outermost region
– A region covered by the VR Health Champions consortium
– Madrid (Spain)
– Budapest (Hungary)
– Trento (Italy)
– Brussels Capital region (Belgium)
– Upper-Bavaria (Germany)
– Lisbon (Portugal)
We would like to submit our application, but in relation to the territorial coverage, what are the geographical boundaries of the Budapest region for the hungarian eligible applicants? Are you looking specifically for applicants from the capital or is it also possible to apply from other major Hungarian cities? If the SME I represent is not specifically located in the capital, what other possibilities are there for us to apply?
The geographic eligibility of the VR Health Champions Open Call 2025 covers the following regions:
Less developed regions of the EU: https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/policy/how/is-my-region-covered
Outermost regions of the EU: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/en/sheet/100/outermost-regions-ors-
Regions covered by the VR Health Champions consortium
Applications from the whole country in Hungary are eligible, as Budapest is a region covered by the consortium, and the rest of the regions belong to the less developed regions of the EU.
Is there a possibility of applying as a consortium?
No. Only individual SMEs are eligible. Each SME can submit only one application and must address one challenge.
Is subcontracting eligible?
Yes. Subcontracting is an eligible cost category, limited to 20% of the total project budget.
How are “Quality”, “Clarity”, and “Relevance of experience” evaluated?
These aspects of the proposal are addressed in the application form questions and are evaluated under the “Relevance and Experience” criteria (25% weight). Breakdown:
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Relevance of past experience to the selected challenge (10 pts),
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Effectiveness and ambition of the proposed approach (10 pts),
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Team qualifications (5 pts)
Can the company register certificate and proof of business activity be submitted in the original language?
Copies of the original documents (in the original language) are allowed, in which case an English translation is required. It is not necessary to have the translation certified.
What is the basis of the requirement "Best value for money" justification?
This follows the EU’s sound financial management principle from the Model Grant Agreement (Article 6).
Is the elaboration bound to persons to be named beforehand?
Applicants must provide information about their team’s expertise and qualifications as part of the application. This includes naming the key individuals who will be responsible for carrying out the proposed activities and demonstrating that they have the relevant experience and skills to deliver the expected outcomes.
How is the patent assignment defined?
Given the nature of the call, the results of the challenge will be obtained by the Flagship SME. A Collaboration Agreement will be signed between the applicant and the Flagship SME to outline the use of background intellectual property and clarify the rights and obligations regarding the results of the project.