Prize to an individual, organization, or business in the European Union or its associated countries to develop an easy and quick test to differentiate between viral and bacterial upper respiratory infections to stem the over-prescribing of antibiotics. Eligible solutions must be novel and developed by the contestant.

The Horizon Prize for better use of antibiotics will be awarded for a rapid test to identify, at the point of care, patients with upper respiratory tract infections that can be treated safely without antibiotics.

The test will need to be cheap, rapid, easy-to-use for healthcare providers and non- or minimally invasive for patients. By stopping many patients from taking antibiotics needlessly, it will prevent the side effects of such unnecessary treatment, eliminate the cost of prescribing the antibiotics and, most importantly, decrease the development of resistant bacteria.

The rules of the contest specify the targets that need to be met but do not prescribe the methodology or any technical details of the test, thereby giving applicants total freedom to come up with the most promising and effective solution, be it from an established scientist in the field or from an innovative newcomer.

General award criteria:
- Potential to reduce the use of antibiotics and magnitude of antibiotic use reduction: applicants should include a robust estimation of the antibiotic courses that will not have to be taken in cases of upper respiratory tract infections;
- Accuracy and safety: applicants should provide a risk/benefit analysis of giving or not giving antibiotics in the case of upper respiratory tract infections;
- Minimal/non-invasive;
- Low cost and affordable;
- Rapid;
- Easy to use.

The prize will be awarded to the entry that demonstrates the best solution to the challenge whilst meeting the award criteria. The solution should be both developed by the contestant and be novel.

As of April 29, 2016, the following countries are Associated to Horizon 2020 (see document linked below):

- Iceland
- Norway
- Albania
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
- Montenegro
- Serbia
- Turkey
- Israel
- Moldova
- Switzerland (partial association, see document attached below)
- Faroe Islands
- Ukraine
- Tunisia
- Georgia