DUTCH Product Call Round 4: help shape the future of simulation-based education
DUTCH Product Call Round 4 - opens 10 November
DUTCH launches the fourth round of its Product Call on 10 November 2026. With a total budget of €4.6 million, we invite technology companies and their partnership partners to develop simulation modules for OR assistants, anaesthesia assistants and diagnostic radiographers.
This Product Call covers 36 simulation module specifications (SimOs) across 11 themes. The modules will be developed in collaboration with healthcare and education professionals, helping to modernise simulation-based education and expand training capacity in healthcare.
The deadline for Project Plan 1.0 is Tuesday 8 December 2026 at 12:00 noon CET.
Expression of interest – matchmaking
We want to help (future) DUTCH partners find suitable partners for developing or further developing simulation modules. From 20 October, interested parties can therefore register their interest in forming a partnership via the DUTCH website. We ask for the following information: organisation name, type of organisation, contact details, Product Call project theme, and one or two sentences on what you plan to do and what you are looking for in a partner.
On 9 November, we will email all parties that registered interest in the same theme each other’s details. After that, it is up to the parties themselves to make contact and form a partnership. DUTCH does not act as an intermediary, and your registration plays no role in the assessment of project proposals. The DUTCH Connect event at Tivoli does give you the opportunity to meet. For each professional group, you can meet parties with similar interests, based on the information they submitted via the DUTCH website. We will let you know how we will organise this.
By submitting your details, you agree that we share them with the other interested parties within your chosen theme. You can withdraw your interest by email until 9 November inclusive, via financieelexpertisepunt@stichtingdutch.nl. We use your details for this purpose only and delete them after the phase 1 submission deadline of 8 December.
What is the DUTCH Product Call?
By giving students and healthcare professionals more opportunities to practise in digital, virtual and physical simulation environments, we aim to reduce pressure on clinical training and train more healthcare professionals.
Through the Product Call, we support the development and further development of interactive simulation modules tailored to the learning needs of the three healthcare professions.
For each theme, DUTCH has prepared one or more SimOs. These describe the content and educational requirements that the simulation modules must meet. They form the basis for project proposals.
Each application must cover one complete theme. The partnership must address all mandatory requirements (must haves) in the relevant SimOs. By the end of the project, the modules must reach TRL 7-8.
Themes and available funding
A maximum of €4,600,000 is available for this Product Call, distributed across the following themes.
-
OR nurses / OR assistants:
-
Circulating and scrubbing across eight surgical specialties* and cross-specialty skills: €1,250,000
-
-
Diagnostic radiographers:
-
MRI: €600,000
-
Fluoroscopy in the OR/C-arm: €450,000
-
Assisting with fluoroscopy examinations: €350,000
-
-
Anaesthesia nurses / anaesthesia assistants:
-
Postoperative care & transport: €400,000
-
Locoregional anaesthesia: €400,000
-
Paediatric anaesthesia: €450,000
-
-
Cross-functional:
-
Providing workplace mentoring: €150,000
-
Incident management: €200,000
-
Positioning the patient in the OR: €200,000
-
Handover and time-out moments: €150,000
-
*The OR assistant theme covers ENT surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery, plastic surgery, general surgery, trauma surgery, gynaecology, urology and orthopaedics.
Explore the SimOs for each theme
The SimOs set out the content and educational requirements for development. Please review them carefully before submitting a project proposal.
Who can participate?
Applications must be submitted by a partnership consisting of at least:
-
one small or medium-sized enterprise (SME);
-
one additional partner, such as another SME, a large company, a healthcare institution or a knowledge institution.
International technology companies are also welcome to participate, provided that at least one Dutch company is a full partner in the partnership involved in the core development activities and ensures that the project result contributes directly to the earning capacity of the Netherlands.
A company, healthcare institution or knowledge institution may act as the lead applicant.
Funding and project requirements
DUTCH funds up to 50% of eligible project costs at project level. The partnership is responsible for securing the remaining funding.
The requested contribution per participant must be at least €10,000 and may not exceed 70% of the total project contribution. Applicable State aid rules and the conditions in the contribution scheme also apply.
Projects may run for a maximum of 12 months.
How does the assessment process work?
The Product Call consists of two phases.
Phase 1 – Project Plan 1.0: selection of partnership
Partnerships must submit their initial project plan by 8 December 2026 at 12:00 noon CET.
An independent assessment committee evaluates the proposals.
Partnerships will also have an opportunity to explain their proposal in a five-minute pitch, followed by ten minutes of questions from the assessment committee. The pitch is intended to clarify the project plan and is not assessed separately.
A maximum of one partnership per theme will be selected to proceed to Phase 2.
Phase 2 – Project Plan 2.0: further development and guidance
Selected partnerships will further develop their project proposals between 18 January and 26 February 2027.
During this phase, DUTCH provides guidance, including:
-
three individual meetings with the relevant DUTCH theme group;
-
knowledge sessions on relevant content and technical requirements;
-
opportunities to ask questions and further refine the proposal.
The resulting Project Plan 2.0 must be submitted by 2 March 2027 at 12:00 noon CET.
Phase 2 assessment focuses on content quality and feasibility, innovation and knowledge sharing, partnership composition, valorisation and economic potential, and collaboration with DUTCH. The committee also considers how recommendations from Phase 1 have been addressed.
A positive assessment leads to a conditional award. Final approval is subject to assessment by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS).
Key dates
Product Call Round 4 opens: 10 November 2026, 12:00 noon CET
Project Plan 1.0 deadline: 8 December 2026, 12:00 noon CET
Pitches: 6 January 2027
Invitations to Phase 2: 15 January 2027
Development and guidance phase: 18 January – 26 February 2027
Project Plan 2.0 deadline: 2 March 2027, 12:00 noon CET
Conditional award: 25 March 2027
Expected final award: July 2027, subject to VWS approval
Documents and applications
Before applying, please read the full contribution scheme, the SimOs for your chosen theme and the accompanying documents and templates.
Project plans can be submitted to: financieelexpertisepunt@stichtingdutch.nl.
Important: on 12 November at 11:00 (CET), we will hold an online meeting to explain this call and answer your questions. We will record the meeting and then publish it on this page. If you do not want to be seen or heard in the recording, turn off your camera and microphone and ask your question via the chat. You can join via this Microsoft Teams link.
Questions?
For questions about the Product Call, eligibility requirements or submitting an application, please contact the DUTCH Financial Expertise Desk at financieelexpertisepunt@stichtingdutch.nl.
Interested in helping develop future-proof simulation-based education? Explore the themes and SimOs to discover where your expertise can make a difference.