Cancer is a worldwide health burden and a major public health challenge. Despite significant advances in the understanding, prevention, diagnostics and treatment, cancer remains a public health problem in Europe and the world. In such a setting, translational cancer research plays a key role in successfully addressing the growing burden of cancer. The great potential of translational cancer research in Europe will only be achieved when the main barriers are systematically addressed through concerted actions between public and private organisations that provide funds for research, researchers, healthcare providers and all those engaged in the cancer research spectrum. Moreover, adequate and systematic financial support backed by a strong political commitment is absolutely essential to help reduce the burden of cancer that European citizens are currently facing. In this context, the TRANSCAN-3 network, with a strong background in funding cancer research, embodies an excellent model of cross-national cooperation by bringing together 31 funding organisations, from 20 countries, with the common goal of supporting high-impact translational cancer research through cross-national joint calls for proposals, and by an efficient investment of dedicated national/regional public funding, leveraged with foundation/charity-based resources and EU financial support. Building up on the well-established cooperation and accomplishments, through the harmonisation of national/regional funding mechanisms and programmes, plus continued and sustained series of efforts for the access to and sharing of data on cancer research, this TRANSCAN-3 project also aims at becoming a catalysts for a sustainable model of funding of high-impact cancer research in Europe and beyond, with an approach to effectively engage relevant stakeholders (patients, society as a whole, policy makers, etc.) in different stages of the action.