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In November 2024, the Financial Mechanism Office commissioned an external evaluation of the health-related programmes and projects supported through the EEA and Norway Grants during the 2014–2021 funding period. Conducted by Tetra Tech between November 2024 and May 2025, the evaluation assessed the coherence, effectiveness, and sustainability of all four health programmes under Programme Area 06 (PA06) – European Public Health Challenges, as well as relevant health-related projects under Programme Area 10 (PA10) – Local Development and Poverty Reduction. As a summative exercise, it primarily examined how effectively these interventions met their expected results, thereby indirectly contributing to improved prevention and reduced health inequalities in the Beneficiary States (PA06 objective). In addition to assessing effectiveness, the evaluation examined the alignment and added value of the Grants compared to EU funding, highlighted 14 project success stories with lessons for replication and sustainability, and analysed the role of bilateral cooperation in achieving results. It also offered forward-looking recommendations to enhance sustainability and inform future funding periods.
The evaluation analysed a sample of 280 health-related projects, representing €188 million across 27 programmes in 14 countries (Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia). It focused mainly on the dedicated health programmes (PA06) in Czechia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania (148 projects), and included 132 additional thematically relevant projects from other programme areas such as Local Development (PA10), Innovation (PA01), Research (PA02), and the Active Citizens Fund (PA15). These projects addressed key themes including cancer, mental health, health inequalities, women’s health, and health promotion.