Deadline: August 31, 2025
The EIT Regional Innovation Booster 2025 – Polish Edition is a flagship initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology of the Republic of Poland, designed to strengthen innovation ecosystems in emerging and moderate innovator regions by providing targeted, integrated, and place-based innovation support.
Focus areas for applications include: Place-based transformations that ground climate action at the local level powered by Climate KIC; Digital Tech, Digital Cities, Digital Industry, Digital Wellbeing, and Digital Finance powered by EIT Digital; Food & Agritech powered by EIT Food: optimising resource efficiency and environmental sustainability of agriculture supply, primary production, processing, storing, packaging, logistics/distribution, retail, consumer research, nutrition monitoring, and food service; developing nutritionally customised food products, addressing unmet needs and generating consumer relevant functionalities; building trust in the food system, securing traceability and auditability of food quality, safety, and authenticity, combining digital and sensor technologies to acquire and transmit information through the food value chain; Healthcare powered by EIT Health: New models to deliver healthcare; Facilitating the uptake of digital medical devices in Europe; Harnessing the full potential of health data for innovation; Supporting the deployment of Important Project of Common European Interest in Health (IPCEI) to address market failures; Energy and Renewables powered by InnoEnergy: energy costs reduction, system performance increase, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions decrease, circular economy (particularly in the context of energy usage), green hydrogen, solar energy, energy management systems, energy usage of waste, recycling related energy sector, new solutions to energy-heavy industries that optimise energy usage or change its sources to more sustainable and energy storage; Metals, minerals, industrial side streams powered by EIT RawMaterials: Technologies and solutions for improved and new mineral exploration; Digital solutions for remote monitoring, analytics, sensing, modelling, digital twins, etc.; Advanced and fully integrated exploration – smart targeting of ore deposits; Technologies and solutions for more efficient, safer and sustainable modern mining; Technologies and solutions for mineral and metal processing and for improved materials production; Improving processing efficiency by reducing resource use and/or emissions and CO2-footprint; Technology that address equipment-damage problems such as wall thinning, creep or corrosion; Technologies and solutions for materials supply from secondary sources and recycling; Cost-efficient and clever collection, dismantling and sorting of waste; Turning waste resources into a valuable raw materials feedstock for EU industries; New technologies, materials or services that make it possible to substitute or use lower quantities of critical or toxic materials in key industries; Solutions and business models implementing circular economy concepts; Design of products for recycling and lifetime extension; Resource efficient design of materials; Innovation to improve traceability, sustainability, and transparency across raw materials value chains; Urban Mobility powered by EIT Urban Mobility: Active Mobility (walking and cycling), Sustainable City Logistics (delivery, waste management, circular freight, logistics infrastructures, shared logistics, etc.), Future Mobility (traffic management, waterborne mobility, shared mobility, urban air mobility, etc.), Mobility and Energy (electrification, hydrogen for mobility, battery tech and circularity, net-zero e-fuels, etc.), and Transport Infrastructure (intermodality, autonomous public transport, demand-responsive transport, smart parking, etc.).
This pre-pilot programme is open exclusively to Polish start-ups and scale-ups at TRL 7 or higher that are legally registered and operational in Poland. Stage 1, the focus of the current call, will select up to 12 participants for intensive Bootcamps and matchmaking sessions aimed at preparing ventures for successful entry into selected EU markets – Nordic countries, Germany, or Spain. Over two months, participants will receive thematic training, market benchmarking, and one-on-one mentoring to refine their value propositions, understand regulatory landscapes, and develop market landing roadmaps and financial plans for internationalisation.
Eligibility requires that applicants be SMEs with a for-profit status, employ at least two FTEs, have a full-time CEO, own or have full exploitation rights to their innovation, and demonstrate early market traction. Deep-tech ventures addressing societal challenges are particularly encouraged. Solutions with dual-use potential are allowed, while purely military-focused projects are excluded. Gender balance within management teams is promoted, in line with Horizon Europe’s inclusive innovation commitments.
Applications must be submitted via the EIT Application Form by 31 August 2025, 16:00 CET. Successful ventures will be announced on 19 September 2025, followed by Bootcamps and matchmaking activities in October 2025.
For more information, visit EIT.
