FDT Health impact grant* - Belgium

Fueling the next generation of health-tech innovators

*When your company succeeds and reaches agreed triggers, you repay so we can fund the next entrepreneur.

Contact us

50.000 € for your innovative project

The FDT Health Impact Grant* is a national grant, financed by the Financière de Tubize (FdT) and operated by Pulse Foundation.

It provides a 50.000 € recoverable grant (‘pay-it-forward award’) to run a real-world pilot improving access to healthcare in Belgium. Along with the grant, awardees receive one-on-one mentorship, technical guidance, and targeted support to help transform early-stage innovations into impactful healthcare solutions.

Open to projects with a validated proof-of-concept or newly incorporated spin-offs, this rolling program bridges the gap between lab innovations and real-world application, and giving researchers and entrepreneurs the financial, technical, and network resources they need to scale sustainably.

Access-to-Healthcare covers interventions that

  • improve affordability and financing of care
  • overcome geographic or cultural barriers (including through digital health tools and literacy)
  • strengthen patient empowerment in prevention, self-management and care decisions, and
  • simplify regulatory, reimbursement and system-navigation pathways for patients and providers

Sustainable innovation circle

Belgium has strong talent and bold ideas, but too few projects reach real-world pilots. The Award fills this gap by mobilizing private resources in service of the public good and providing capital, mentorship, tailored support and impact measurement at a national level.

What makes it unique is its pay-it-forward logic: by repaying when ventures succeed, funds are recycled to support future innovators, creating a sustainable cycle that continuously expands access to healthcare.

Applicants should:

Be legally established in Belgium (or commit to incorporation before receiving the first funding tranche)
Address access to healthcare through an innovation with a credible evidence base
  • Innovations can be products, services, platforms or business models
  • Evidence may include research data or pilot results
Be ready to start or complete a real-world pilot within 6–9 months‍‍
  • A “pilot” is defined as a time-bound test with end-users and/or healthcare partners, with milestones and a basic data plan
Have a team with relevant academic and/or industry experience
  • At least two members with relevant expertise (academic, clinical, or industry)
  • Clear ambition to build a venture, not just a project
  • Willingness to engage with partners, adapt to feedback 
Not operate in sanctioned jurisdictions
    Applications are open

    We accelerate your launch

    Up to 50.000 € Recoverable Grant (‘Pay-it-Forward ’)

    Not a loan, not equity. When your company succeeds and reaches agreed triggers, you repay so we can fund the next entrepreneur.

    Visibility & National Communication

    Showcase your project and connect with investors, co-founders, and experts.

    20–30% at The start, rest in milestone-based tranches

    Funding aligned with your project’s progress.

    Impact driven

    Expert session at the start to measure and strengthen your healthcare impact.

    Mentorship

    One-on-one guidance from an experienced mentor.

    Tailored Support

    Customized help based on your project’s needs.

    Pay-it-forward award

    FdT grant
    You
    Milestone
    Repay
    Next team

    About Financière de Tubize and Pulse Foundation

    • Financière de Tubize (FdT)

      A long-term biopharma investor now deploying part of its resources to support innovations that improve access to healthcare.

    • Pulse Foundation

      An independent foundation whose mission is to remove obstacles to entrepreneurship by building a national ecosystem that connects entrepreneurs, investors, institutions, and academics.

    Together, they bring complementary strengths: FdT finances the Grant, while Pulse operates it.

    Here is the countdown.
    Applications process takes ~30 minutes. You’ll need: company number, VAT, short description of pilot, team CVs.
    Applications are open
    Interested? Fill the form

    Next steps

    Stay tuned !
    October - November 2026

    Call open

    Submit your project details and required documents to start the evaluation and selection process.

    December 2027

    Jury

    Experts assess eligibility, innovation potential, and impact to create a shortlist of promising candidates.

    January 2027

    Winners announced

    Present your solution, answer questions, and demonstrate feasibility to the selection committee.

    2027

    Kick-off

    Selected teams receive confirmation, funding details, and instructions for grant agreement signing.

    FAQ

    Is it a loan?

    No, it's a recoverable grant.
    See "pay-it-forward" question.

    Do I need to be part of an incubator?

    Not mandatory. We can match you.

    How do repayments work?

    Only when you have capacity (revenue, EBITDA, fundraising…).

    What does pay-it-forward mean?

    You reimburse the 50k if and when you reach specific KPIs or maturity level.