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Inspire Programme

Boost your skills, drive change and do business in the agrifood sector!

2021
2025

The Inspire Programmes aim to develop a new generation of entrepreneurs and innovators equipped to shape a new kind of innovative, resilient, and sustainable food system. 

Inspire is driven by the three missions of EIT Food: 

  1. Healthier lives through food 
  2. A net zero food system 
  3. Reducing Risk for a Fair & Resilient Food System

Welcome to Inspire Programmes - Where Your Entrepreneurial Journey Begins!

Have a passion for innovation in the food system? Turn your ideas into reality and compete for exciting cash prizes!

Building on your entrepreneurial foundation, the Inspire Programme equips you with the skills and mindset to drive real change. Join us in revolutionizing the global food system and shaping a more sustainable future.

Are you ready to make an impact? Let’s shape the future of food together!

Our offer

Inspire Schools 2025

Exciting news! The Inspire Programme for 2025 is finally decided. Below is a short description of the 7 schools available this year. More information will be released soon.

Inspire - Restorative Aquaculture

Provides training in seaweed farming, finfish, shellfish, and algae biology, covering culturing, growth, and molecular analysis. Participants explore economic, environmental, and market challenges in aquaculture while developing innovative…

Inspire - Digital Technologies in the Food System

Explores challenges in the food system and future technological advancements in agriculture and food industries. Participants learn to apply digital tools such as cybersecurity, data analytics, and AI while gaining entrepreneurship and…

Inspire - Circular Agrifood

Focuses on circularity, sustainability, and innovation in the agrifood sector. Through hands-on learning and cutting-edge technologies, participants develop practical skills to drive positive change and create a more resilient and…

RIS Inspire - HealthySoil4Life

Provides entrepreneurial training focused on soil health and climate farming. Participants explore cutting-edge methodologies to create sustainable farming innovations that enhance value, safety, and consumer trust in the food system.

RIS Inspire - Deep Tech in Regenerative Agriculture

Empowers participants to become leaders in regenerative agriculture by integrating deep technology with sustainable farming practices. The programme offers insights into innovative solutions shaping the future of agriculture.

RIS Inspire - Sustainable Food Production and Consumption

Encourages participants to develop entrepreneurial ideas for healthier living through food. With expert guidance and a project-based approach, they co-create solutions for sustainable food production and consumption.

RIS Inspire - SAFER (Student Entrepreneurship for an Agri-Food Ecosystem Recovery)

Equips participants with essential skills to drive innovation in the agri-food sector. Combines business modeling, sustainability, mentorship, and hands-on learning to develop impactful solutions for a resilient food ecosystem.

Get ready!

Stay tuned to have the latest information about the Inspire Programme!

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What you learn?

The Inspire Programme equips you with the skills and knowledge to drive innovation in the food system. With hands-on experience and real-world problem-solving, you’ll have the flexibility to learn at your own pace through online, onsite, synchronous, and asynchronous formats - including field visits for practical learning.

• Gain key entrepreneurial skills in design thinking, business idea development, team building, market research, risk analysis, negotiation, and pitching, all within the context of food systems.

• Learn from a high-quality curriculum based on EIT Food’s Competency Framework, combining entrepreneurship education with leadership, communication, problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking.

• Receive expert mentorship from EIT Food professionals, industry leaders, and startup entrepreneurs who will guide and support you throughout the programme.

• Explore cutting-edge Deep Tech fields such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, blockchain, robotics, sustainable energy, and geosensing, while addressing key EIT Food focus areas, including alternative proteins, sustainable agriculture, targeted nutrition, circular food systems, and digital traceability.

Details for individual programmes will be available shortly – join our community to receive updates!

Who is it for?

The Inspire Programmes are open to the participants from around the world at different career levels (students, young professionals, food retailers, aspiring entrepreneurs, established employees and entrepreneurs). Thanks to the flexibility of our programmes everyone can choose the learning path that suits their needs best. Multidisciplinary backgrounds (e.g. Food Science, Other Sciences, Engineering, Business/ Marketing, Informatics and Computational Science) are welcome and encouraged.

We are looking for:

  • Students and researchers researching on the topic with multidisciplinary backgrounds and looking for a new career opportunity
  • Aspiring entrepreneurs interested in innovating in the food system and in improving the wellbeing of the population by providing them with safer and healthier products and looking for a coaching experience by EIT Food renowned experts in entrepreneurship, innovation, and food systems.
  • Commercial organisations interested in building links with a pool of talented food and nutrition researchers, innovators and students and aiming to shape the new generation of talent in the food system we are looking for sponsorship opportunities; get in touch!

***

For RIS INSPIRE PROGRAMME activities, all candidates must additionally hold a RIS citizenship from the following countries or regions:

  • Member States: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain.
  • Horizon Europe Associated Countries*: Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine.
  • Outermost Regions: Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Martinique, Mayotte and Saint-Martin (France), the Azores and Madeira (Portugal), and the Canary Islands (Spain).

*These third countries, which are all listed in the European Innovation Scoreboard, will be fully eligible for the https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/statistics/performance-indicators/regional-innovation-scoreboard_en, following the successful conclusion of individual Horizon Europe Association Agreements.

Project lead

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Dario Peirone

Inspire Activity Lead (Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Management, Università degli Studi di Torino)

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Begum Mutus

Partnerships Lead (Global Public Affairs General Manager, Ambassador of Yıldız Holding Women Platform)

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Elvira Domingo EIT Food South

Programme Delivery Director at EIT Food

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Mariana Fazenda

EIT Food Education - Programme Manager

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Magdalena Marczewska

Teaching Lead (Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Management, University of Warsaw)

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