Startups spur innovation and are open to fierce competition, therefore we provide them with support at every step of their company’s development, from ideation to acceleration and funding.  

• Innovation Prizes: Europe’s largest agrifood startup competition with more than 250.000 euros in prizes. The competition is for early-stage entrepreneurs who are transforming our food system with innovative products and services, making it better for people’s health and the environment. There are 15 live finals across Europe, where entrepreneurs will receive top quality business training and be able to pitch to investors and industry experts.
  RIS Innovation Prize: applicants must be citizens and/or residents of Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Portugal, Spain, Turkey
  Innovation Prize: any resident, citizen or legal entity based in an EU Member State and Horizon 2020 associated countries
  
  For whom: early-stage start-ups and entrepreneurs
  More information here or here
  
  Demo Day: this is the final step of the RIS Innovation Prizes. It is a series of 1-day local events for agrifood entrepreneurs in RIS countries organized by each EIT Food Hub. During those events entrepreneurs meet and pitch in front of the agrifood community, producers, investors and innovators.
  For whom: early-stage start-ups and entrepreneurs from RIS targeted countries (Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Portugal, Spain, Turkey)
   
• RIS Legal and accounting support: grant that provides entrepreneurs and early stage startups from RIS countries with pro-bono legal and accounting services to support their legal and accounting needs (entity registration, investment, labelling, compliance, sales contracts etc.)
  
  For whom: idea holders (not registered yet) and registered startups from RIS targeted countries (Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Portugal, Spain, Turkey)
  More information here or here
   
• Test farms: this project matches high-potential startups with farmers to test the most innovative technologies on the field
  
  Fom whom: startups with solution applicable in farming; farmers open to testing new technologies from RIS targeted countries: Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Portugal, Spain, Turkey
   
• Challenge Labs: creative groups designed to find solutions to current and future challenges in the food and agriculture system and spark cofounder relationships in a mixed environment of agrifood enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, industry experts and EIT Food partners
  
  For whom: enthusiasts wanting to start a business or with an idea in mind, experts from the agrifood field from RIS targeted countries: Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Portugal, Spain, Turkey

For all the business creation activities you can contact Adriana Bałazy (CLC North-East) adriana.balazy@eitfood.eu or Joseph Gridley (CLC South) joseph.gridley@eitfood.e