CEPI Vaccine Innovations Call 2026

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) call Innovations to Prepare for Future Epidemics and Pandemics funds new vaccine candidates for pathogens with epidemic or pandemic potential. Only Focus Area 2 is still open: awards of up to US$1 million (about ₹9.5 crore) for early work, up to US$5 million (about ₹47.5 crore) for preclinical work and up to five years of support for clinical testing. The call closes on 14 December 2026.

What the program offers

There are three kinds of award:

• Exploratory Award: up to US$1 million (about ₹9.5 crore) over a maximum of 18 months, for the design and early testing of new vaccine candidates, including immunogen design, candidate characterisation and immunogenicity studies.
• Preclinical Development Award: up to US$5 million (about ₹47.5 crore) to demonstrate preclinical proof of concept, covering preclinical efficacy studies, studies that support regulatory filing and manufacturing-process work such as analytical methods, scale-up and formulation.
• Clinical Development Award: up to five years of support for clinical testing, covering Phase I to Phase III studies, clinical trial material and related manufacturing development. The source gives no dollar cap for this award.

These are grants, paid against the agreed work and conditions. CEPI may end an agreement at agreed go/no-go points. For Exploratory and Preclinical work, CEPI may also be able to provide immunogen designs, access to its adjuvant library, standardised assays and animal challenge models through its lab networks, which applicants must discuss with CEPI staff before applying.

Who can apply

Proposals must advance a new vaccine candidate for a CEPI priority pathogen, currently Lassa fever, or for a prototype virus in these families: paramyxoviruses, arenaviruses, coronaviruses other than ACE-2 binding sarbecoviruses, phenuiviruses and nairoviruses. These feed a library of exemplar vaccines for a future "Disease X". CEPI is open to developers globally and particularly encourages Global South applicants. For Lassa fever, preference goes to groups based in endemic regions of West Africa or planning clinical evaluation there.

For an Indian vaccine developer, university lab or biotech, this means you can apply if your candidate fits the list. It does not suit general health startups, diagnostics, or vaccines outside the listed pathogens. Proposals not aligned with CEPI's current priorities are ineligible for review, so the first email matters.

How to apply

1. Email the call team early, using the address on CEPI's call page, with Focus Area 2 in the subject line, to confirm your candidate fits. You then receive instructions for uploading through CEPI's secure online portal. CEPI's calls page says you register as a portal user and attach a pitch deck with data, a list of personnel and organisations, and keywords for an initial suitability check.
2. Complete the Focus Area 2 application template and upload it with a list of relevant publications from the last 5 years and up to 8 CVs or biosketches of two pages each.
3. All documents must be in English and all budget amounts in US dollars.

CEPI does not reimburse the costs of preparing a proposal. A practical tip: start the conversation with CEPI well before the deadline, because access to the portal and some support must be discussed first.

How applications are judged and what happens next

Applications that meet the eligibility criteria are reviewed quarterly against impact, innovation, R&D strategy and feasibility, personnel and environment, and budget. The review period starts on the second Monday of every third month, and the final one starts on 14 December 2026. Applicants who advance to due diligence may be asked for a project plan (with a Gantt chart for proposals over US$5 million), a detailed budget and signed partner letters. CEPI may make or decline awards at its sole discretion.

About CEPI

CEPI is an international coalition of governments, academic, philanthropic, private and intergovernmental institutions, working to accelerate vaccines against epidemic and pandemic threats so they reach everyone in need. It is a non-profit association under Norwegian law with offices in Oslo (headquarters), London and Washington, DC. Its 100 Days Mission aims for vaccines ready for authorisation and manufacture at scale within 100 days of a pandemic pathogen being recognised.

Things to check before you apply

• Awards carry equitable access commitments, such as open access publication of results and sharing data with CEPI. Clinical awards add commitments that the product is accessible and affordable in low- and middle-income countries.
• Projects using animals such as non-human primates are reviewed by the NC3Rs, and following its animal welfare guidelines is a condition of funding.
• For a candidate to be made affordable and available in the Global South, CEPI asks how you will do that, and looks for single-dose, low-cost, thermostable vaccines.
• Indian recipients of foreign money should check FCRA, FEMA and tax treatment with an adviser before applying.