Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS)

The EIT Food RIS strategy focuses on enhancing development within the agrifood sector by implementing activities related to innovation, education, business creation and communication in RIS countries and regions. This outreach scheme is open to students, researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs and consumers and it’s aimed at upgrading their skills and taking full advantage of their creativity.

The EIT RIS is the EIT Community’s outreach scheme introduced in 2014 to share good practices and experiences emerging from EIT Community activities. The EIT RIS opens up the activities of EIT’s Innovation Communities to innovators that are not partners, by providing targeted support to individuals and organisations to take part in and benefit from EIT Innovation Communities’ activities, services and programmes.

The objective of the EIT RIS is to contribute to boosting the ability to innovate of countries and regions in Europe that belong to the groups of so-called ‘modest and moderate’ innovators (according to the European Innovation Scoreboard).

EIT Food Regional Innovation Scheme (EIT Food RIS)

EIT Food RIS aims at strengthening those regions in Europe which are modest and moderate in terms of innovation in agrifood sector. This outreach scheme is open to innovators that are not partners of EIT Food and provides targeted support to EIT RIS stakeholders through a portfolio of projects.

Countries eligible to take part in the EIT RIS (2021-2024):

• EU 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 EIT RIS, following the successful conclusion of individual Horizon Europe Association Agreements.

Our national contact points: EIT Food HUBs

Selected through an open call, EIT Food HUBs are our regional ‘contact points’ in EIT RIS countries. These organisations are key players in their national innovation eco-systems and gather strong regional outreach and experience in supporting entrepreneurs and organising local events.

There is currently a network of 21 EIT Food HUBs located in 15 targeted EIT RIS countries: Croatia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey.

You can find more information on EIT Food HUBs here.

EIT Food RIS activities

There is a portfolio of projects currently being implemented or under development within the EIT Food RIS Strategy. These activities are in line with the Innovation, Education, Business Creation and Communication areas.