Request for EIT Food Accelerator Network Programme Implementing Participants (KIC Partnership call)
EIT Food is launching a call for Implementing Participants (Hubs) to deliver the EIT Food Accelerator Network (EIT FAN) Programme for 2026–2028. The call is open to EIT Food Partners based in Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, and the Netherlands. Selected Hubs will scout, evaluate, train, and connect high-potential agrifoodtech startups within one of six thematic areas:
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Personalised and Preventive Nutrition
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Packaging, Circularity, and Resource Efficiency in Food Systems
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Novel Food Ingredients and Processing Technologies
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Smart and Sustainable Supply Chains
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Digital and Autonomous Farming Solutions
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Water-Smart Agrifood Systems
Each Hub will run a 2–3 month hybrid acceleration programme, combining training, mentoring, ecosystem engagement, tech validation, corporate and investment readiness support.
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Funding available: €720,000 per selected Hub (total call budget €4.32M) for 2026-2028
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Project duration: January 2026 – December 2028
Countries included: Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands
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Deadline: October 1, 2025, 23:59 CET
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How to apply & contact: Please check the Call Guidelines attached or email Yulia Bodnar at yulia.bodnar@eitfood.eu
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply to the call?
Only EIT Food partners (strategic, delivery, or community partners with signed partnership agreements in place at the moment of application) based in the following eligible countries: Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands.
Can non-partners join a consortium application?
No. All consortium members (a maximum of two entities per application) must be EIT Food partners.
Can partners apply for a Hub outside their country?
Yes. Partners from any eligible country may apply to any theme. One partner or consortium must submit only one application.
How much co-financing is required?
Under the strategic guidance of EIT Food and the EIT, EIT FAN is transitioning towards a financially sustainable model to ensure the long-term delivery and impact of the programme. From the beginning of 2027 at the latest, continued participation in the EIT FAN network by Implementing Partners will be conditional on securing 50% of the total costs required to operate a Hub – equivalent to €180,000–200,000 per year.
This figure covers not only Hub programme delivery but also network coordination and startup subgrants, which are centrally managed by EIT Food. Implementing Partners are not responsible for distributing startup grants. In other words, the 50% co-financing is calculated on the total costs it takes to run a Hub and not only on the Hub’s direct programme delivery budget. Applicants should outline a preliminary financial sustainability strategy in their proposal, describing any current or planned mechanisms for generating or attracting co-financing.
Is co-financing required in 2026?
Preference will be given to partners able to contribute co-financing from 2026 onwards, with the aim of making financial sustainability a mandatory mechanism as of 2027.
What sources of co-financing are acceptable?
- Acceptable sources include banks, public institutions, regional authorities, private donors, or other national/international funding organisations that can provide stable and mission-aligned support.
- Corporate co-financing is not accepted to avoid clashes with EIT Food’s corporate offering.
- Co-financing may come from outside Europe.
- If co-financing comes with conditions (for example, quotas for local startups), these should be clearly mentioned in the proposal. Such cases will be evaluated individually.
- There is no risk of double EU funding as long as funding goals, KPIs, and reporting are not the same and therefore not reported twice.
Who pays for startup grants (e.g. travel and Tech Validation funding)?
EIT Food directly provides these funds to the startups. Implementing Partners are not responsible for distributing them.
Will branding, marketing, and communications support be provided?
Yes. EIT Food provides centralised assets and branding guidelines. EIT FAN Hubs may adapt content while following the branding framework.
Who scouts startups?
Joint effort – EIT Food runs a central open call and promotion, while EIT FAN Hubs actively scout through their own networks.
Who scouts corporates?
EIT Food’s Corporate Venturing team.
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