Call 2025-PPP REACT-NL

Rare Cancer Therapies NL 2025

One in two Dutch people will develop cancer. In approximately 20% of cases, it involves a rare form of cancer, affecting about 25,000 people in the Netherlands annually, including 600 children.

People with rare cancers face additional challenges; diagnosis often takes longer and there are fewer treatment options. As a result, the prognosis for patients with rare cancers is often worse. Therefore, rare tumors have been designated as a key priority by both the European Commission (Rare Cancer Agenda 2030) and the Dutch Cancer Agenda (NKA).

Dutch Cancer Society (KWF), Children Cancer Free Foundation (KiKa), and Oncode Institute join forces to improve the diagnostics and treatment for rare cancers, including childhood cancers.

Programme

As part of the Health~Holland 2025 Public Private Partnerships (PPP) programme, KWF, KiKa, and Oncode Institute have committed to the joined 2025-PPP thematic programme REACT-NL (Rare Cancer Therapies-NL), aimed at Catalyzing Dutch Technological Innovation and Valorization Capacity for Improved Diagnostics and Treatment of Rare Tumors. 

The goal of REACT-NL is to initiate multiple public-private partnerships within the programme, focusing on developments aimed at clinical impact , to improve the perspective for patients with rare cancers and/or childhood cancers. Therapies for rare cancers often lack a clearly defined path to market access and commercialization. This collaborative programme provides a unique opportunity to establish such pathways with the right stakeholders. Special attention is given to valorization: The Oncode Institute valorization team specializes in translating scientific knowledge into applied research and has an extensive network of valorization partners.

The REACT-NL programme group calls for dedicated Public-Private Partnerships consortia between public and private partners for submission of a project proposal within the scope the programme. 

Projects must align in terms of subject matter with the Knowledge and Innovation Agenda 2024-2027 Health and Care. Additionally, the projects must also meet the PPP requirements and innovation regulations. Specifically, projects must fall within the scope of the programme as defined below:

Scope

Project applications have to fall within the scope of the REACT-NL programme: new diagnostic or treatment options for rare cancers including childhood cancers.    This includes, but is not limited to, the following focus topics:

  • AI; for, among other things, product innovation (prediction of biological interaction), reuse of existing resources, or predictive toxicology
  • Cell & gene therapy
  • Imaging for the development of diagnostic tests
  • Organoid models
  • Organ-on-a-chip models
  • Therapeutic vaccines and RNAs
  • Theranostics
  • Radionuclide therapy 
  • Personalized medicine & patient stratification

Furthermore, each application must meet at least the following criteria:

  • The research aligns with the Knowledge and Innovation Agenda (KIA) 2024-2027 of the Top Sector LSH.
  • The consortium consists of at least one for-profit enterprise and one research organization.
  • The main applicant is a Dutch organization based in the Netherlands.
  • The project is aimed at applied research with a focus on industrial research and/or experimental development. Elements of fundamental research may be eligible if properly justified.
  • Projects at TRL 8 and 9   , as well as phase-III clinical studies, are not permitted.
  • The project is carried out at the joint expense and risk of all consortium partners, and all consortium partners contribute substantively to the project.
  • The project has a maximum duration of four years and must start within six months of approval.

Valorization

Valorization support

Optional valorization support by Oncode Institute for granted applications. 

Advice through the innovation guide

Project applications may be eligible for an "innovation guide" through Health Innovation Netherlands (HI-NL) under certain conditions. This advisory report provides insight into the steps needed for further development. The innovation guide can be funded with the PPP subsidy. This must be indicated in the application and included as an expense item in the budget. 

This information is also included in the application form.

Funding information  

The PPP/KWF Funding Information will be available for download once the call opens (29 April). The KWF/PPP-specific terms and conditions and the Consortium Agreement (CA) template have been updated to reflect the conditions applicable to this programme. 

Timeline

Call opens: 29 April 2025
Call closes: 9 September 2025
Funding decision: January 2026

Available budget

The available budget for this call is €3.000.000,-

Application and Evaluation Procedure

  • We advise all applicants to contact the programme group via either KWF, KiKa and/or Oncode Institute to plan an orientation meeting.   
  • Project applications must be submitted through the KWF Grant Management System (GMS).

    PLEASE NOTE: Participating institutions and/or lead partners that are not yet registered in our application system (KWF-GMS) must submit a registration request via KWF-GMS no later than six weeks before the application deadline.  
     
  • The TKI/LSH budget sheet takes precedence over the budget entered in GMS. The budget sheet can be submitted as an Excel document alongside the project proposal
  • After the call deadline, the PPP-REACT-NL evaluation committee reviews the applications.
  • The Dutch Summary is reviewed by the Patient Advisory Committee (PACO) as part of the final project score.

Contact

More information