Do you have an innovative idea in the field of food and agriculture? EIT Jumpstarter 2026 can help you develop it into a sustainable startup.
Applications are now open for the Food & Agritech category of the European pre-acceleration program EIT Jumpstarter, which supports early-stage innovators through education, mentorship, and business plan development.
The program is intended for researchers, innovators, students, and teams who want to validate their idea, develop entrepreneurial skills, and prepare for market entry.
Participants will have the opportunity to gain practical entrepreneurial knowledge, receive mentorship from industry experts, and get support in developing and validating their business model. Throughout the program, they will work on strengthening their entrepreneurial and business skills, learning how to confirm market demand for their solution, and developing a product or service ready for the market.
A key added value of the program is access to the EIT Food innovation ecosystem, a leading European community focused on transforming the food system, as well as high-quality networking opportunities and collaboration with mentors, experts, and other promising teams.
In the Food & Agritech category, ideas related to sustainable agriculture, food innovation, alternative proteins, circular food systems, and digital solutions for agriculture are being sought.
The program is open to individuals and teams from Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe, including Croatia, who have early-stage ideas.
The most promising teams may receive financial support during the program, and finalists in each category will have the opportunity to compete for prizes of up to €10,000, which can be used for further development of their solution.
The application deadline is May 8, 2026.
More information is available here.