European hospitals, biobanks, and research institutions hold health data of exceptional depth — imaging archives, longitudinal cohort studies, multi-omics repositories, clinical registries. The raw material for AI-driven breakthroughs in medicine is already here. It remains largely untapped.
The central obstacles are easy access, curation, and the lack of structured collaboration between data holders and AI talent. Researchers with the right methods do not have the right data; institutions with valuable datasets lack the capacity and the incentive to make them available. Existing initiatives close only part of the gap. What is missing is an instrument that makes the creation and curation of high-quality, low-barrier health datasets, AI tools, and benchmarks its central goal — and demonstrates their economic value. This is where Recoding Medicine comes in.
Course of Action:
The challenge runs over three stages and 24 months. A jury of internationally recognized experts supports SPRIND in the selection. At a Pitch Day in early November 2026, the jury decides which of up to 13 teams start in Stage 1 (12 months); up to 7 continue to Stage 2 and up to 4 to Stage 3 (six months each). SPRIND provides up to €480,000 per team in Stage 1, up to €455,000 in Stage 2, and up to €550,000 in Stage 3 (in each case plus VAT, where applicable). Funding is awarded as pre-commercial procurement (PCP). The Challenge is funded by the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).
Beyond funding, SPRIND supports teams throughout with technical, regulatory, and commercial coaching, opens access to cooperation partners and experts, and organizes Demo Days and match sessions with investors and industry partners. Where breakthrough-innovation potential is evident, further support after the challenge is possible.
Application:
The application period runs until October 16, 2026, at 18:00 (CET). A prerequisite for participation is demonstrable access to at least one suitable dataset. All applications submitted by this deadline will be considered.
