Call for Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) Grow Programme 2026 Participants

The Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) Grow Programme is part of the EWA programme, launched by EIT Food to support women entrepreneurs in the agrifood sector at early stages of their entrepreneurial journey. As part of the expanded EWA programme structure, EWA Grow focuses on helping women with early-stage startups or business ideas to develop, validate, and grow their ventures.

Through this programme, up to 120 selected participants (10 per country) will take part in a 6-month cohort running between May and November 2026. Participants will benefit from structured support including expert-led training, personalised one-to-one mentoring, and networking opportunities within the local and European agrifood ecosystem. The programme includes sessions covering business fundamentals, financial and legal aspects, market development, agrifood trends, and personal development, alongside weekly mentoring to support participants in advancing their business ideas.

Participants will also take part in key programme activities such as matchmaking events, masterclasses, and a final Demo Day, where selected participants will pitch their ventures and compete for prizes of up to €10,000. In addition, all participants will receive financial support to cover participation-related costs.

The programme supports innovative agrifood ideas aligned with EIT Food’s strategic priorities, including resilient agriculture, biotechnology, and protein diversification, while contributing to reducing the gender gap in entrepreneurship and increasing access to knowledge, networks, and funding opportunities for women in the sector.