Proof-of-Concept Co-Financing Instrument

Proof-of-Concept Co-Financing — Cutoff 1 31)

Funds proof-of-concept and pilot projects for agrifood startups collaborating with corporate partners.

Eligibility · EU member states

The EIT Food Proof-of-Concept Co-Financing Instrument is a cash sub-grant programme that de-risks early-stage startup-corporate collaborations in the agrifood sector by co-financing small-scale pilot projects and proofs-of-concept. The instrument operates on a twice-annual submission calendar; the first cutoff for 2026 is July 31. Eligible activities include sample creation, field trials, functionality tests, and efficiency assessments conducted jointly with a corporate client partner. The corporate collaboration is mandatory — applications without a named corporate client are ineligible. Total project cost must be less than €60,000; the specific co-financing share provided by EIT Food is not published on the call page. The instrument is structured as a Lump Sum Subgrant Agreement.

Eligibility is restricted to for-profit agrifood startups registered in EU member states or EIT Food-participating countries. Non-profits, universities, and research organisations cannot lead applications under this instrument. There is no stated minimum or maximum TRL requirement, but the programme targets early commercial validation rather than fundamental research. Applicants must demonstrate a clear pathway toward commercial success. The call is available across all EIT Food regions, making it one of the more geographically inclusive instruments in the EIT Food portfolio.

Applications are submitted through the MyEITFood platform at myeitfood.eu, with a Letter of Intent template required as part of the submission package. Supporting documents include the Call Guidelines PDF, a Budget template, and the Lump Sum Subgrant Agreement — all available on the platform. An expert panel evaluates submissions after each cutoff date. Startups targeting the July 31 deadline should build in time to identify and formalise the corporate client partnership before submission, as this is the primary eligibility gate. The November 30 cutoff provides a second annual window for teams not ready by mid-year.