Health~Holland has awarded the BRAINS programme €3.2 million to set up a new round of subsidies for public-private partnerships (PPPs) in 2026. This investment will enable BRAINS to bring together researchers, companies and social partners to accelerate innovations in brain research and care.
BRAINS is a partnership between the Hersenstichting (Brain Foundation), Alzheimer Nederland (Alzheimer’s Netherlands), Stichting MS Research (MS Research Foundation), ParkinsonNederland (Parkinson’s Netherlands) and EpilepsieNL (Epilepsy Netherlands). Together with Health~Holland, research institutions, companies and healthcare professionals, we facilitate important research that is significant for multiple brain disorders. The Health~Holland grant will enable us to launch a broad PPP call in 2026, inviting consortia to jointly develop research and innovation projects.
David Verschoor, director of the Hersenstichting and chair of the BRAINS steering group:
‘Brain disorders affect millions of people and often have a profound impact on daily life. This makes accelerating research and innovation essential. With the Health~Holland grant, researchers and companies within BRAINS can collaborate more intensively and find new ways to understand and treat brain disorders more quickly. I believe this will enable us to make real progress for patients and their loved ones.’
Strengthening the BRAINS network
With the PPP subsidy round in 2026, BRAINS aims to stimulate collaboration between universities, research institutes, companies, healthcare organisations and patient organisations, among others. The focus is on accelerating knowledge development and translating research into concrete applications in practice.
EATRIS and Biotech Booster have also recently joined BRAINS as partners, further strengthening the network in the areas of research infrastructure and valorisation.
Anton Ussi, Operations & Finance Director at EATRIS:
‘The EATRIS team is very excited to be a new member of the BRAINS initiative, contributing our extensive European network and expertise in translational research and therapy development. We feel that the BRAINS approach truly reflects the future of impact-oriented research investments by bringing together research funders, industry, academia and infrastructures to chart the most effective path from great science to real societal impact.’
Nettie Buitelaar, CEO of Biotech Booster:
“Biotech Booster will support the BRAINS consortium in valorisation. It is of the utmost importance that scientific results reach society and patients as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
Advance notice of BRAINS 2026 PPP call
The BRAINS PPP call 2026 is expected to be launched in March 2026. Consortia will then have the opportunity to apply for funding for public-private partnership projects in the field of brain research.
Interested parties are invited to keep an eye on the BRAINS website for more information about the call, conditions and deadlines. More details about the call will also be provided during the BRAINS Network event on 16 March. You can register for this event here.
