Lead4Life PPP Call 2026

Lead 4 Life PPS Call

KWF, in partnership with NRG PALLAS, FAST and Oncode Institute, announces the upcoming Health~Holland-funded PPP call within the Lead4Life program.

The program aims to strengthen the non-exclusive availability and clinical applicability of the medical isotope lead-212 (Pb-212) through targeted public-private collaboration, ultimately accelerating access to innovative cancer therapies for patients.

About the Lead4Life programme

Lead4Life addresses two interconnected pillars:

  1. strengthening the reliability and scalability of Pb-212 production
  2. developing enabling technologies required for safe and effective clinical application of Pb-212-based radiopharmaceuticals.

Pb-212 holds strong potential for targeted alpha therapy in oncology, particularly for patients with limited treatment options. However, global availability and supporting technologies remain insufficient. By closing this gap, Lead4Life aims to both improve future treatment possibilities for cancer patients and position the Netherlands as a leading hub in the emerging field of alpha-emitting radiopharmaceuticals.

In scope

The program partners invite public-private partnership (PPP) proposals that align with one of the two clearly defined pillars below.

1. Lead-212 production and supply chain

Projects should contribute to strengthening the reliability, scalability and non-exclusive availability of Pb-212.

Relevant topics include:

  • Production processes for Ra-224 and Th-228
  • Development of Pb-212 generators
  • GMP-grade production processes and quality control

2. Enabling technologies for clinical introduction of Pb-212

Projects should contribute to enabling safe, effective and clinically applicable Pb-212-based radiopharmaceuticals.

Relevant topics include:

  • Novel radiochemistry and next-generation chelator development for Pb-212
  • Characterisation and optimisation of targeting molecules with pharmacokinetic properties compatible with Pb-212, focused on methodological and platform-level advances rather than therapeutic product development.
  • Radiobiology
  • Imaging, dosimetry and pharmacokinetic modelling
  • Analytical methods and quality control
  • Safety, shielding and waste management
  • Infrastructure and ecosystem development for clinical readiness

Out of scope

The following activities fall outside the scope of this call:

  • Projects focused on the end-to-end development of fully formulated therapeutic radiopharmaceutical drug products ready for clinical use and regulatory approval.
  • Clinical trials (Phase I–III) or projects primarily designed to generate clinical efficacy data.
  • Target discovery or indication-driven therapeutic development programs.
  • Projects not specifically focused on lead-212 (Pb-212).
  • Exclusivity-based supply models that restrict non-exclusive access to Pb-212.

For clarity, enabling technology projects may use model Pb-212 radioconjugates as research tools for method development and validation. However, such use should not result in projects that are primarily aimed at full therapeutic product development for clinical use and regulatory approval.

Funding information

The total PPP subsidy budget for the call is €5 million, which is divided over the two pillars in the programme:

  1. Lead production and supply chain (1-3 projects), total PPP subsidy budget €3 million;
  2. Enabling technologies (1-6 projects), total PPP subsidy budget €2 million.

Indicative PPP subsidy per project is between €500,000 and €2,000,000. PPP subsidy matching ranges between 40-60% of project costs, depending on the phase of the development.

Matchmaking

On April 8th, we will host a live matchmaking session at the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht. After a short introduction, there will be room to pitch your project ideas. You are welcome to share (early-stage) ideas or concepts and specify which partners or expertise you are looking for. Based on your pitch, participants can indicate their interest in potential collaboration.

Governance structure and national TRT network 

Selected PPP projects will be embedded within the Lead4Life governance structure and integrated into a developing national TRT innovation network. Within this structure, projects benefit from coordinated advisory and support mechanisms, including guidance on collaboration and ecosystem strengthening and incorporation of the patient perspective, as well as active support in valorisation, business development and IP strategy (coordinated by Oncode Institute)

Timeline

Matchmaking session: 8 April 2026
Opening Call: 5 May 2026

Considerations and Recommendations

  • We advise all applicants to participate in the matchmaking process
  • Applicants should be aware that participation in a Lead4Life PPP project implies active engagement within the governance structure and national TRT network that is in development and adherence to the program’s governance, monitoring and collaboration requirements.
  • The call will follow an open and competitive selection procedure coordinated by KWF. Proposals must be submitted through the KWF Grant Management System (GMS).
  • Applications will be assessed by an independent expert committee. International experts may be consulted.
  • The KWF Patient Advisory Committee (PACO) will assess the Dutch summary and patient participation aspects of each proposal to ensure alignment with patient needs.

Contact

Please reach out to [email protected] and/or KWF Help Desk in case of questions.