The European Innovation and Technology Institute EIT Food offers an individual and coordinated funding framework for agricultural and food-tech start-ups.
- Seedbed Incubator, a programme to validate business ideas in the agrifood sector
- FAN, the Food Accelerator Network, supports already founded start-ups in accessing markets
- RisingFoodStars supports international scaling
Within the EIT Food Business Creation Programme, (future) food- and ag-tech start-ups get a chance for EIT Food Impact Investment.
EIT Food is the largest innovation network in Europe on food, nutrition and agriculture. EIT Food is funded by the EU and aims to make the nutrition, food and agricultural sector more transparent and sustainable.
EIT Food has identified current challenges particularly with regard to sustainable agriculture and aquaculture, circular economy, alternative protein sources, targeted nutrition and digital traceability. Therefore, innovative start-ups that offer solutions in these areas are strongly encouraged to apply. This includes, for example, founders with sustainable solutions that change or even revolutionize the way we produce, package, deliver or consume our food.
The application is bundled on the EIT Food website entrepreneurship.eitfood.eu/launch/
The applicant is navigated to the most suitable of the three programmes within the application process and then makes the decision individually. The deadline for applications is 28 February 2022.
Here is a brief look at EIT Food’s three entrepreneurship programmes:
The Seedbed Incubator is a six-month pre-accelerator programme running in five EU hubs: Germany, Denmark, Spain, Poland and Ireland. The programme is primarily aimed at researchers interested in starting a business, who are given the opportunity within the programme to review the market potential of their research for the agri-food industry and to develop their value proposition. The programme starts with a selection round, a 'boot camp', in which the teams get to know and test directly important methods for further entrepreneurial development. From summer 2022, the 60 best teams will then develop their technology within their respective hub together with mentors and experts from the agri-food sector. The German hub is located at the DIL German Institute of Food Technologies. In addition, the teams have access to relevant contacts via the co-location centre in Freising.
The EIT Food Accelerator Network is an association of seven unique innovation centres in Europe: Munich, Paris, Lausanne, Bilbao, Cambridge, Helsinki and Haifa. A local yet global ecosystem that provides access to over 20 industry partners and facilitates collaborations. Additionally, the participating start-ups will have privileged access to a pool of more than €600,000 in grants and €1.4 million in investments (for selected start-ups to support their pilot phase). Tailor-made services and facilities (e.g. laboratories, maker spaces, agricultural areas), mentoring and coaching complete the offer and significantly accelerate market entry. The programme takes place for up to 30 days between June and the end of October at one of the seven European locations.
RisingFoodStars is a network of successful, influential food-tech and ag-tech scale-ups and SMEs. As a member of the network, the companies benefit from individualised support for international expansion and funding for the further growth of the company. With its expertise and network, EIT Food helps you reach the next level (e.g. Series A) and become an international game changer of the future.
Application Deadline 28 February 2022: Launch | EIT Food Entrepreneurs
Further questions about the application process or the EIT programmes?
Alexander Märdian
DIL German Institute of Food Technologies
Prof.-von-Klitzing-Str. 7
D-49610 Quakenbrück
a.maerdian@dil-tec.de
T +49(0)5431 183-354
linkedin.com/in/alexander-märdian-51012229