Deadline Date: July 31, 2026
The Proof-of-Concept Co-Financing Instrument is requesting applications to support agrifood startup–corporate collaborations by financially de-risking early-stage pilot projects that aim to bring innovative solutions to market.
The program focuses on agrifood innovation, startup–corporate collaboration, proof-of-concept projects, pilot testing, market entry and scaling of food technologies, products and services, open innovation, commercialization support, and financial de-risking of innovation activities within the food sector.
The initiative is designed to support early-stage cooperation between startups and corporate clients through proof-of-concept or small-scale pilot projects. It aims to facilitate the transition from experimentation to larger-scale pilots or commercial deployment by reducing financial risk and enabling impactful innovations to reach the market.
The total funding available under this call is up to €1,500,000, with a maximum of €60,000 available per application. Projects can start from September 2026 and may run for up to 12 months from the start date. Applicants may submit multiple projects with different corporate partners.
Eligibility is restricted to mono-beneficiary applications, meaning only one entity can apply per proposal. Projects must involve a corporate client with an annual turnover of at least €1,000,000,000, unless the organisation can demonstrate verified open innovation capabilities through structured innovation programmes, dedicated units, or similar mechanisms.
Applications must include a signed Letter of Intent between the corporate client and EIT Food ivzw, a company pitch deck, a detailed project plan outlining milestones and activities, and a budget plan including co-funding details. Submissions must be complete, in English, and submitted on time via the official platform.
All applications undergo an eligibility check before evaluation to ensure compliance with programme requirements and objectives.
For more information, visit EIT Food.
