Grant
MNI Grant winner 2026
BRIDGE-CRIT from Belgium is the winner of the 2026 MNI Grant, receiving €40,000 to develop a nutrition-focused discharge and follow-up pathway for ICU survivors. Led by Oona Leemans, the project aims to improve nutritional care and recovery after critical illness.
The 2026 MNI Grant
MNI grants €40,000 towards a local initiative or project with the aim of enhancing the nutritional management of patient care. The objective is to support and/or inspire high quality initiatives. Over the years, the MNI Grant has supported or stimulated ambitious initiatives – endorsed by PEN (or sister) societies worldwide – which have contributed to improving nutritional care policies at local level.
SELECTION CRITERIA FOR 2026 MNI GRANT
Must be endorsed by a national PEN society listed here through an endorsement letter by the national PEN society. This letter should be submitted with the application. Without such a document, the application will be considered non-compliant and excluded from review. This year MNI Grant submission criteria will prioritise the practical implementation of nutritional care pathways, ensuring that supported projects contribute more directly to improvements in patients’ nutritional care. As a result, projects focused predominantly on malnutrition screening or dietary analysis will receive less emphasis.
Must focus on quantifiable advancements in one or more of the following areas of clinical nutrition:
- Demonstrating effective nutritional care and implementation of clinical nutrition management pathways and therapies
- Strategies to implement and advance nutritional care in clinical practice
- Evidence of improved patient outcomes, including patient reported outcomes
- Demonstration of health economic benefits
- Patient and carer initiatives demonstrating improved access to, or compliance with clinical nutrition therapy
- Education of medical students or healthcare professionals including an overview of funding and expenditures
SELECTION PROCESS
Previous MNI Grant winners may reapply if submitting either a new initiative, or a significant evolution from the initial winning submission. Submissions will be reviewed by a Scientific Committee, with representatives from MNI and ESPEN, according to the defined criteria. The winner will be announced during the 2026 ESPEN Congress. After the event, all compliant submissions will be posted on www.medicalnutritionindustry.org.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS (POSTER PREREQUISITES)
The following sections & information must be included:
Project title & collaborators
- Title of project
- Contact person (name, telephone number, email address)
- National PEN society endorsement including:
a) endorsement letter from the PEN society, and
b) PEN society logo on the poster
Brief description of the initiative/project
- Rationale/background of the initiative/project
- What makes it innovative?
Scope of the project & enablers
- Activities: What specifically will be done?
- Implementation:
– What factors will make this initiative/project successful? What strategic approach will be taken?
– How will the outcomes of this initiative be implemented to improve practice?
Results/outcomes & expected impact
- What achievements are possible in the next 12 and 24 months?
- What are the likely results and expected impact on patient care?
- What makes this initiative interesting on a national/international level?
- How will the initiative have a medium-/long-term impact on changing practice and/or policies in nutritional care at national level?
Budget
- Resources planned/required (personnel/time/financial): What is the total budget of the project? How will the €40,000 be used?
- Has other funding been sought/achieved? Please disclose information on any other financial support – either public and/or private – already planned or requested for the project submitted.
SUBMISSION PROCESS
- Submit your application using the MNI submission template.
- Address all the submission requirements listed above.
- Incomplete submissions may not be considered for review.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 30 April 2026
Submissions and any enquiries should be e-mailed to: secretariat@medicalnutritionindustry.org
EXCLUSION CRITERIA
- Submission not respecting the focus and poster requirements.
- Submission provided without PEN society endorsement letter.
- Submission received after the deadline.
- Commercial initiatives or projects already funded by the industry may be deprioritized.
AWARD PAYMENT
Please be aware that the MNI grant will be payable through the endorsing PEN society. The payment will be split into two instalments: 80% at presentation of the detailed management plan, and the remaining 20% at reception of the mid-term report.
Past grants
15th anniversary (2008-2023)
In 2008 MNI launched the MNI Grant to raise awareness on malnutrition and to reward initiatives tackling malnutrition at national level.Over the years, the MNI Grant has supported or stimulated ambitious initiatives – endorsed by PEN (or sister) societies worldwide – which have contributed to improving nutritional care policies at the national level. In 2023, MNI celebrated the 15th anniversary of the MNI Grant, recognising two projects with awards.
10 Years of MNI Grant - The Value of Cooperation (2008-2018)
In the words of MNI President 2018, Tim Meyerhoff: “MNI is grateful for the support, passion and dedication of its partners over the years and we look forward to continue working together to achieving better care through better nutrition in the following decade.” The efforts and results of these first ten years of cooperation are summarised in the below booklet.
