PredictAYA: Securing Horizon Europe Funding for Cancer Research Project
Client
PredictAYA consortium, coordinated by Karolinska Institutet
Client Overview:
The PredictAYA consortium is a multinational partnership of 18 leading organisations, coordinated by Karolinska Institutet (Sweden). The consortium brings together Europe’s top research institutions, hospitals, and NGOs. It unites these organizations around a common purpose.
The shared mission is to improve long-term health outcomes for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) affected by cancer. Developed under the EU Mission on Cancer (HORIZON-MISS-2024-CANCER-01-05) call, PredictAYA focuses specifically on fertility and reproductive health in young cancer survivors, an often-overlooked aspect of survivorship and quality of life.
The Challenge:
The consortium had a promising scientific concept but faced significant structural and operational challenges.An earlier attempt to integrate fertility-related research questions into another Horizon Europe proposal was unsuccessful, and the partners decided to start anew – this time with a clear focus on fertility outcomes in AYA cancer survivors. However, the project faced several critical hurdles:
- Tight submission timelines under Horizon Europe requirements
- Unstructured coordination across 18 diverse partners with varying scientific contributions
- Unclear beneficiary roles and overlapping clinical datasets
- The need to translate a complex scientific vision into a coherent, fundable project proposal
For the consortium, these challenges were mission-critical: without a strong and competitive proposal, an important opportunity to advance cancer survivorship research and secure EU funding could have been lost.
Our Approach:
Civitta provided end-to-end support throughout the entire proposal development process helping the consortium transform a fragmented concept into a strategic, structured, and fundable Horizon Europe project.
Services Delivered:
- Refined the scientific narrative to focus clearly on fertility and reproductive health in AYA survivors
- Ensured full alignment with the EU Mission on Cancer objectives
- Facilitated efficient coordination and decision-making among 18 partners
- Structured the work packages and governance model for clarity and balance
- Guided the integration of clinical data, ethics, and impact frameworks
- Consolidated all contributions into a comprehensive and coherent Clinical Study Annex
Despite intense time pressure, Civitta’s experts managed the process with precision, keeping timelines on track and ensuring scientific and administrative consistency across the entire proposal.
Results & Impact:
The PredictAYA project was positively evaluated and successfully funded by the European Commission, officially launching in June 2025.The project will leverage population registries, genomic biobanks, and clinical cohorts to deepen understanding of how cancer treatment affects fertility, sexuality, and overall quality of life in young survivors.By developing predictive biomarkers and integrating patient perspectives, PredictAYA will lay the foundation for personalised screening, counselling, and long-term care strategies.
Key outcomes:
- Successfully funded under the EU Mission on Cancer
- Integrated a large-scale European consortium under a coherent vision
- Established a foundation for biomarker-based, personalised reproductive health solutions
- Strengthened Europe’s position in patient-centred, translational cancer research
Key Takeaways:
The PredictAYA case demonstrates how Civitta’s expertise in complex proposal coordination can turn a fragmented scientific idea into a coherent, competitive, and successful Horizon Europe project. What made the difference:
- Strategic structuring of a multidisciplinary consortium
- Clear narrative development connecting clinical data with patient outcomes
- Efficient coordination under strict time constraints
- Hands-on proposal management from concept to submission
