EIT Food Proof-of-Concept Co-Financing Instrument - Call is Open

European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Food's Co-Financing Instrument aids agrifood startups by de-risking pilot projects and promoting innovation and collaboration with industry leaders. The purpose of the Proof-of-Concept Co-Financing Instrument is to financially de-risk the commercial activities of agrifood startups that will ultimately result in impactful technologies, products, and services reaching the market and scaling further in the food sector.

Usually, the first step towards a long-term collaboration between a startup and a potential corporate customer is a proof-of concept or small-scale pilot project. Once this kind of experiment was deemed successful from both sides, it will ideally lead to a bigger scale pilot project or the start of commercial activities. The extra support that EIT Food can offer at this stage is to financially de-risk startup-corporate experiments in an attempt to promote the commercial success of their solutions.

Proposed projects must exhibit a clear pathway towards commercial success. Project activities should therefore be strictly related to deliver on the proof-of-concept or pilot project proposed together with the corporate client. Example projects include but are not limited to: Sample creation, field trials, functionality & property tests, and efficiency assessments. 

The project can start from September 2026 and last up to a maximum of 12 months of funding from the start date. The maximum funding available for that period per application is €60 000.

There are 2 cut-off dates for this call:
Cutoff date 1: 31 July 2026
Cutoff date 2: 30 November 2026 (final deadline)