EIT Food launches first Central and Eastern Europe Open Innovation Call
EIT Food’s RIS CEE Open Innovation Call now open to new applicants across Central and Eastern Europe working on creating a healthier and more sustainable agrifood system
- A total of €1.5 million is available for organisations working to address issues in agrifood supply chains in this region
- Organisations have time until 5th June 2023 to apply.
EIT Food has announced the launch of its first Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) Open Innovation Call for Central and Eastern Europe, aiming to accelerate innovation towards creating positive change in the food system. EIT Food is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.
Applications are now open, with a total of up to €1.5 million available to organisations across Central and Eastern Europe that are working to tackle the significant issues in the agrifood supply chain currently being faced by this region, including:
- Pressure on food supply chains
- Low investment in intellectual property
- Lack of intra- and inter- sectoral cooperation
- Need for investment in sustainability.
EIT Food is looking for project proposals that seek to use open innovation to strengthen food supply chains to become more resilient and flexible, as well as supporting the integration of food system players and decreasing the negative environmental impacts of food production.
The EIT Food RIS CEE Open Innovation Call will seek to put new products on the market, introduce new and improved commercial processes and services, and achieve impact across missions:
- Healthier Lives Through Food
- A Net Zero Food System
- A Fully Transparent, Fair and Resilient Food System
Organisations can apply for up to €750,000 each to introduce their innovation to the market. As well as funding, successful applicants will be able to access matchmaking support to find new partners in the food sector.
“Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, COVID-19 and the ongoing impact of the climate crisis, Central and Eastern Europe has faced unprecedented pressure on its food system in recent years. At the same time, however, there is plenty of untapped potential within this region's vibrant innovation community to bring about new agrifood innovations that can help to alleviate supply chain disruption. The EIT Food RIS CEE Open Innovation Call will offer much needed support to these innovators to help bring new agrifood solutions to the market.”
Scope and essential information
Funding for this call is available to all organisations from the following eligible EU Member States: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Horizon Europe Associated Countries: Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine.
EIT Food is inviting the following consortia:
- at least 3 eligible organisations
- committed to collaborating between 2 different countries that are included
- representing at least two sides of the knowledge triangle (Industry, academia, research)
- with at least one industry organisation (e.g. food producer, retail).
Each of the three organisations must be an active participant in the consortium.
The maximum support available for each recipient is €750,000 EUR, with funding available for up to 24 months. Successful applicants will need to demonstrate their ability to fund 30% of project costs from other sources, with EIT Food reimbursing up to 70% of project costs for Innovation Challenge Activities.
Application Deadline: 5th June 2023 at 11:59 PM CEST
All potential applicants are invited to join an informational webinar and Q&A session happening on 4th April 2023 at 15:00 CEST. Register here.
More information and details about the matchmaking event can be found at: https://www.eitfood.eu/projects/ris-central-and-eastern-europe-cee-open-innovation-call.
For more information, please contact: Ewa Karólewska ewa.karolewska@eitfood.eu
About EIT Food
RIS Central and Eastern Europe CEE Open Innovation Call is a project under the support of EIT Food. EIT Food is the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation community. We accelerate innovation to build a future-fit food system that produces healthy and sustainable food for all.
Supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, we invest in projects, organisations and individuals that share our goals for a healthy and sustainable food system. We unlock innovation potential in businesses and universities and create and scale agrifood startups to bring new technologies and products to market. We equip entrepreneurs and professionals with the skills needed to transform the food system and put consumers at the heart of our work, helping build trust by reconnecting them to the origins of their food.
We are one of nine innovation communities established by the European Institute for Innovation & Technology (EIT), an independent EU body set up in 2008 to drive innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe.
Find out more at www.eitfood.eu or follow us via social media: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
