An integrated self-management model for chronic patients in rural Europe
CRANE was an EU Horizon 2020 Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) project that harnessed health data to help chronic patients move towards self-management — validated with real citizens in rural Sweden, Norway and Spain, from kick-off in 2021 to its conclusion in 2026.
Read the positioning paper, watch the legacy video
Citizen-Centred Digital Health in Europe
CRANE’s positioning paper gathers the evidence and six forward-looking recommendations from nearly five years of Pre-Commercial Procurement, for the European Commission and policymakers shaping the future of innovation procurement in digital health.
CRANE Legacy Video
Recorded at the consortium’s final meeting in Jarandilla de la Vera (27–30 April 2026), the CRANE Legacy Video gathers reflections from across the project on what it built and what it means for the future of citizen-centred digital health.
Coming soon — check back after publication, or follow CRANE on X or LinkedIn for the announcement.
From stakeholder engagement to field-tested solutions
CRANE ran a full Pre-Commercial Procurement funnel: five feasibility studies narrowed down to three prototypes, and finally two solutions field-tested with real patients.
Stakeholder engagement & PCP preparation
Consortium workshops with clinicians, patients and end-users in all three regions, plus the Open Market Consultation (OMC) with industry, Apr–Jun 2022.
Design & feasibility studies
5 suppliers selected to design a feasibility study, with up to €50,000 pre-allocated per project, following the tender published Sep 2022 and awarded Jan 2023.
Prototype development
3 suppliers, selected from Phase 1, with up to €500,000 pre-allocated per project to build a working prototype. Kicked off September 2023.
Field testing / validation
2 suppliers, with up to €1.45M pre-allocated per project for field testing in a natural environment, following the award decision of November 2024.
The full procurement timeline
Kick-off
End-user & clinician workshops
Open Market Consultation (OMC)
Tender published
Tender submission deadline
Tender / Phase 1 award notice
Phase 2 award decision
Phase 2 kicks off
Phase 3 award decision
Project end
The PCP process, step by step
Get to know the project
Concept
Why rural chronic care needs to change, and how CRANE's two-pillar model — healthcare from home and the garden of care — addresses it.
Read the concept →Consortium
Three buyer regions and four expert partners from Sweden, Norway, Spain and Denmark.
Meet the partners →Procurement Process
How the Open Market Consultation and the three-phase Pre-Commercial Procurement were run, with award decisions and reports.
See the process →Results
The solutions selected at each phase, the outcomes of the CRANE Pre-Commercial Procurement, and its public deliverables.
View the results →News & Media
Project news, press releases and all 21 newsletters published between 2021 and 2026.
Read the news →Recent news
Five Years On: CRANE Concludes
After five years, three rural regions and two validated solutions, the CRANE Pre-Commercial Procurement comes to a close, leaving a blueprint for citizen-centred digital health.
April 2026CRANE Publishes its Positioning Paper
Citizen-Centred Digital Health in Europe gathers the evidence and six recommendations from nearly five years of Pre-Commercial Procurement for the European Commission.
March 2026CRANE Demonstrates Citizen-Centred Digital Health to Europe
The Final Demonstration on 17 March 2026 showed, live, the two validated solutions — Data for Care and dHDSI — in action.
All news & events →