European Federation of Neurological Associations

What European Federation of Neurological Associations does

The European Federation of Neurological Associations (EFNA) is a Brussels-based, Belgian-registered non-governmental organization (NPO/VZW) founded in 2001 that functions as an advocacy federation for neurology patients across Europe. EFNA's constituency comprises 21 pan-European neurology patient groups covering conditions such as epilepsy, migraine, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Huntington's, ADHD, dystonia, and rare neurological diseases, plus two national Neurological Alliances (Ireland and England). The organization builds capacity among these members, coordinates their policy voice, and represents the neurology patient community to supranational institutions including the WHO Regional Office for Europe, the European Commission, the European Parliament's MEP Interest Group on Brain Health and Neurological Conditions (which EFNA coordinates), the European Medicines Agency, and the European Academy of Neurology.

EFNA's core products are advocacy assets rather than commercial goods. The principal technology offering is the TINA (Training Initiatives for Neurology Advocates) eLearning Platform, a video-based learning management system delivering multilingual modules on HTA, the WHO Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders, research involvement, communications, EU funding, and personalized healthcare, with quizzes, supporting notes, and personalized certificates of completion. Complementing TINA are the Brain Health Matters Podcast, a European Neurology Patient Organisations interactive map, the Community Advisory Board comprising 12 trained patient advocates, the OneNeurology global partnership secretariat, and the Rare Neurology Charter policy initiative. These assets collectively enable EFNA to convene patients, raise awareness, and channel advocacy messages into EU-level policy processes.

EFNA operates as a non-profit under a philanthropy-and-grant revenue model. Total 2025 funding was €467,811.61, of which 91.62% (€428,611.61) came from pharmaceutical industry partners—Roche (25.75%), UCB (17.38%), Merck (10.69%), Alexion (8.8%), Boehringer Ingelheim (7.48%), Amgen (6.41%), PTC Therapeutics (6.41%), Angelini Pharma (4.28%), and AbbVie (0.14%)—with EFNA self-imposing a 25% maximum single-donor concentration cap. The remaining 8.38% comprises membership fees (€3,100, capped at €2,000 per voting member per the statutes) and a Boston Scientific Foundation Europe grant (€36,100). The organization has three paid staff (Executive Director, Senior Communications Manager, Programme & Engagement Manager) and a volunteer Board of eight elected officer and member-at-large positions.

Name

European Federation of Neurological Associations

Legal name

European Federation of Neurological Associations

Website

https://efna.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EFNA is a Brussels-based non-governmental federation, founded in 2001, that unites 21 pan-European neurology patient groups and two national Neurological Alliances to coordinate patient advocacy, deliver training through the TINA eLearning Platform, and represent the neurology patient voice at WHO Europe, the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the EMA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Industry Funding: EFNA receives the majority of its funding (91.62% / €428,611.61) from pharmaceutical companies including Roche (25.75%), UCB (17.38%), Merck (10.69%), Alexion (8.8%), Boehringer Ingelheim (7.48%), Amgen (6.41%), PTC Therapeutics (6.41%), Angelini Pharma (4.28%), and AbbVie (0.14%). The organization commits to multi-source funding ensuring no single company provides more than 25% of annual income.
2. Membership Fees: EFNA collects membership fees from its member organizations. According to statutes, voting members pay an annual contribution up to EUR 2,000 maximum. In 2025, membership fees contributed €3,100 (0.66% of total funding).
3. Foundation/Non-Industry Funding: EFNA receives non-industry funding from foundations. In 2025, the Boston Scientific Foundation Europe contributed €36,100 (7.72% of total funding).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

EFNA is a non-governmental, non-profit federation that brings together 21 pan-European neurology patient groups and two national Neurological Alliances to coordinate advocacy, build capacity, and represent the neurology patient voice at European and international policy levels. It delivers membership services, advocacy training through the TINA eLearning Platform, awareness campaigns, and policy engagement through the MEP Interest Group on Brain Health and Neurological Conditions.

Product overview

EFNA offers a portfolio of advocacy and educational tools for neurology patient organisations across Europe. The core offerings include the TINA eLearning Platform for capacity building, the Brain Health Matters Podcast for awareness raising, and an interactive European Neurology Patient Organisations Map. These are complemented by the Community Advisory Board training program and the MEP Interest Group advocacy platform, which together enable patient advocacy at both national and European policy levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TINA (Training Initiatives for Neurology Advocates): EFNA's e-learning platform providing modules on advocacy, health technology assessment, WHO frameworks, research, communications, EU funding, and personalised healthcare.
• Brain Health Matters Podcast
• OneNeurology
• MEP Interest Group on Brain Health and Neurological Conditions
• Rare Neurology Charter

Products and services

• TINA eLearning Platform An online e-learning platform providing video-based courses for neurology patient advocates across Europe, with modules on Health Technology Assessment, WHO's IGAP framework, research involvement, communications, EU funding, and personalised healthcare. Features multilingual subtitles, quizzes, supporting notes, worksheets, resource links, and personalised certificates of completion.
• Brain Health Matters Podcast A podcast series raising awareness about brain health, neurological conditions, and ways to protect and improve brain health, written and produced by Elizabeth Cunningham on behalf of EFNA with support from Roche, Alexion, PTC Therapeutics, Merck, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Lundbeck.
• European Neurology Patient Organisations Map An interactive mapping tool showing neurology patient organisations across European countries, searchable by country and disease area, used to connect advocates and policymakers with relevant patient groups.
• Community Advisory Board (CAB) A structured programme comprising 12 dedicated patient advocates who receive specialised training in advocating for neurology and their specific disease areas, and who participate in policy, HTA, and research engagement on behalf of the patient community.
• MEP Interest Group on Brain Health and Neurological Conditions An advocacy platform coordinated by EFNA at the European Parliament that provides a forum for Members of the European Parliament to advocate for patient-centred policies for neurology, holding two meetings each year for direct engagement with elected policymakers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 in 3 people will develop a neurological condition at some point in their life - making neurology the leading cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and 2nd leading cause of death globally. In Europe, neurological conditions are the 3rd leading cause of death and DALYs, costing €336 billion annually.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• WHO EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023EFNA achieved official Non-State Actor status with WHO Europe in 2023. This enhances EFNA's influence over neurological health policies across 53 European countries and supports advocacy for implementation of the WHO Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders (IGAP).
• European Partnership for Brain HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFNA is a partner in the European Partnership for Brain Health, contributing to collaborative efforts to prioritize brain health across European health policy.
• European Commission Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Stakeholder NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFNA is a member of the EU Commission's HTA Stakeholder Network, advocating for meaningful patient involvement in health technology assessment processes across Europe.
• Patients and Consumers Working Party (PCWP) at European Medicines Agency (EMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFNA is represented on the PCWP at EMA, ensuring the neurology patient voice is included in medicines regulatory discussions.
• European Brain Council (EBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFNA works closely with EBC on shared advocacy goals for brain health and neurological conditions across Europe.
• European Academy of Neurology (EAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFNA collaborates with EAN on policy initiatives, Congress participation, and shared objectives for neurology patients.
• European Reference Networks (ERNs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFNA works with ERNs including ERN-RND and EURO-NMD, with representation on ePAG (European Patient Advocacy Groups) steering committees.
• OneNeurologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFNA co-founded OneNeurology in 2019, a multi-stakeholder partnership of international neurological organizations working to make neurology a global public health priority. EFNA provides the group's secretariat.
• NCD AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFNA collaborates strategically with NCD Alliance to strengthen advocacy messages for inclusion of neurological conditions in non-communicable diseases policies and Universal Health Coverage.
• European Patients Forum (EPF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFNA partners with EPF on patient advocacy priorities and healthcare policy engagement at European level.
• EU4HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFNA engages with EU4Health programme on health policy priorities relevant to neurology patients.
• EU Health CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFNA participates in the EU Health Coalition to advance health policy priorities including neurological conditions.
• European Alliance for Access to Safe Medicines (EAASM)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFNA collaborates with EAASM on patient access to safe medicines policy issues.
• Think-Tank at EFPIA (European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerEFNA participates in the EFPIA Think-Tank discussions on pharmaceutical policy affecting neurology patients.
• TRANSFORM AlliancesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFNA participates in TRANSFORM, a multi-stakeholder alliance focused on healthcare transformation.
• European Society of Radiology – Patient Advisory Group (ESR-PAG)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFNA participates in ESR-PAG to ensure patient perspective in radiology and diagnostic imaging policies.
• Medicines for EuropesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFNA engages with Medicines for Europe on generic and biosimilar medicines policies affecting patient access.
• Societal Impact of Pain PlatformsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFNA participates in this multi-stakeholder platform addressing societal impact of pain, relevant to many neurological conditions.
• Neurological Alliance (UK)supportingOthersEngland's leading coalition of over 90 organizations supporting people with neurological conditions. Listed as an Associate partner of EFNA.
• Neurological Alliance of Ireland (NAI)supportingOthersBrings together over 30 organisations to advocate on behalf of the 800,000 people in Ireland living with a neurological condition. Listed as an Associate partner of EFNA.
• NeuroPozytywni (Poland)supportingOthersPolish neurological patient organization. Listed as an Associate partner of EFNA.
• Neuroalianza (Spain)supportingOthersSpanish neurological patient alliance. Listed as an Associate partner of EFNA.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• European Patients' Forum (EPF): EPF is a pan-European patient umbrella covering all disease areas; comparable to EFNA as a federation model delivering advocacy, training, and EU policy engagement for patient organisations.
• EURORDIS – Rare Diseases Europe: EURORDIS is a pan-European federation of rare disease patient organisations with similar advocacy, EMA/ERN engagement, capacity-building, and pharma/foundation funding mix to EFNA, especially relevant given EFNA's rare neurology focus.
• Mental Health Europe: Mental Health Europe is a pan-European federation of mental health NGOs offering advocacy, capacity-building, and EU policy engagement — analogous to EFNA in model and mission.
• European Multiple Sclerosis Platform (EMSP): EMSP is a pan-European MS-focused patient federation delivering policy advocacy, training, and member support — directly comparable to EFNA's disease-specific neurology remit.

Emerging players

• NCD Alliance: NCD Alliance is a global civil-society coalition for non-communicable diseases; EFNA is a partner, and the two collaborate on integrating neurology into NCD policy and universal health coverage.
• International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE): IBE is a global epilepsy patient umbrella that intersects directly with EFNA's neurology remit; an EFNA board member represents IBE, indicating close operational ties and overlapping advocacy agenda.

Others

• World Federation of Neurology (WFN): WFN is a global professional neurology organisation focused on clinicians rather than patients, but it is a key collaborator with EFNA and operates in the same neurological disorder policy space.

Broad incumbents

• European Cancer Organisation: A larger, established pan-European federation covering cancer stakeholders with patient advocacy, policy engagement, and EU institutional access — overlapping structurally with EFNA but at much greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EUneurology
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpJ5t0hVYp1fFiFJ1zsoOig
• Facebookfacebook.com/EuropeanFederationofNeurologicalAssociations
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/efna

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about European Federation of Neurological Associations