Competition Agile Piloting

UNITE PROJECT

Regione Lombardia is a partner region of the UNITE project, funded by the Horizon Europe Programme and included in the New European Innovation Agenda 2022, coordinated by EIT Digital and managed by my department. The main focus is on the interoperability of health data systems to promote entrepreneurship, support the growth of local startups, and facilitate the creation of new interregional value chains in the digital health sector.

The seven Partner Regions of the project are:

  • Region Sjælland – Denmark
  • Regione Lombardia – Italy
  • Executive Unit for Financing Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation (UEFISCDI) – Romania
  • Region of Central Macedonia – Greece
  • Scottish Enterprise – United Kingdom
  • Investment and Development Agency for the Northern Netherlands – Netherlands
  • Region Extremadura – Spain

Agile Piloting Programme

The UNITE Project also includes an Agile Piloting programme that allows startups and SMEs to test and refine their digital health solutions at Test Beds and Living Labs located in the partner Regions, in relation to four main Innovation Challenges:

  • Deep-tech innovations to secure equal health for the entire population

  • Digital innovations advancing personalised remote care

  • Advancing the European Health Data Space

  • Digital innovations to tackle the health workforce crisis

Pilot

Regione Lombardia has a total budget of €40,000 and must select four pilots worth €10,000 each:

  • two pilots to be carried out locally within its own Living Labs/Test Beds/Hospitals located in Regione Lombardia;
  • two pilots to be carried out in another UNITE partner region (“outbound pilots”).

Startups are required to have a TRL between 4 and 6, or higher.

The Territorial Social and Health Authority (ASST) Nord Milano has expressed its willingness to host startups wishing to test innovative solutions that address the four specific needs identified by ASST (listed in Annex A), within the framework of an Agile Piloting Programme. The Agile Piloting programme must be completed by 31 March 2026, and the duration of each pilot is specified in Annex A.

Timing

The startup submitting its application to the Lombardy Region may choose to carry out 1 or 2 Agile Pilots at ASST Nord Milano, if they address different challenges listed by ASST, and/or express their interest in carrying out 1 or 2 pilots in a healthcare facility located in the other partner regions. The condition for submitting multiple proposals is that each proposal must address a different challenge (1 proposal per challenge).

Applications may be submitted from 16 December 2025 at 9:00 a.m. until 16 January 2026 at 6:00 p.m. Once the call for expressions of interest has closed, Regione Lombardia will evaluate the proposals received together with ASST Nord Milano and subsequently select the top four (2 proposals from companies legally based in Lombardy and 2 proposals from companies legally based in one of the other partner regions), which will be admitted to the Agile Piloting programmes to be carried out within ASST Nord Milano.

In accordance with Grant Agreement No. 101161108 – UNITE and the “UNITE – Agile Piloting Application Guideline”, the selected innovative startups and/or SMEs will carry out the pilot activities through a direct award procedure, pursuant to Regional Government Resolution (D.G.R.) of 3 February 2025 No. XII/3854, “Rules on the procurement of services and supplies below the EU threshold pursuant to Legislative Decree No. 36/2023,” and in particular Annex 1, Article 2, letter a), which provides for a “pure” direct award without consulting multiple economic operators, in compliance with the rotation principle for procedures below €40,000, and Article 3, which governs purchases below €40,000, with a maximum amount of €10,000 for each purchase, 50% of which is financed by the European Commission and the remaining 50% covered by regional funds.