European consortium EIT Food has launched Seedbed 2020, a programme to boost new agri-food companies. With this intensive six-month programme, EIT Food wants to train new companies so they can turn their projects into viable companies with a future.
The application deadline is 15 March and you can find all the information and send your application here.
Seedbed is designed for early stage products or services that utilise innovative agri-food technologies set to make a big impact on any part of the food sector, including the way we produce, deliver, consume, recycle and value our food.
The headquarters of the European consortium EIT Food at Bizkaia Science and Technology Park will be one of the incubators where ten entrepreneurs will receive training – online and in person. The programme will be carried out simultaneously in Northern Ireland, Poland, Denmark and Germany.
Seedbed 2020 allows participating companies to test the market directly with 100+ potential clients, and learn how to progress from commercial proposition to validated business. Moreover, they will pitch their ideas to a panel of industry experts, receiving constructive feedback and funding of up to €10,000, plus the chance to get up to €20,000 through a “Startup Launch Grant”.
This is the second consecutive year that this initiative is taking place in Bilbao. In 2019 six entrepreneurs took part in the programme and they were able to make the most of an important business and industrial environment within the agri-food sector.
Various EIT Food partners are taking part in the programme: PepsiCo, University of Warsaw, Queens University, AZTI, DIL, Grupo AN, EIT Food CLC North-East, EIT Food CLC South, PeakBridge, University of Aarhus, Danone and Döhler. What’s more, the Bilbao incubator, which is mainly looking for projects that help to tackle challenges in the agri-food sector in the Southern Europe, is supported by the Basque Government.
ABOUT EIT FOOD
EIT Food is Europe’s leading food innovation initiative, working to make the food system more sustainable, healthy and trusted. This consortium comprises over 60 companies, including key industries, leading companies in the sector, startups, research centres and universities from all over Europe.
It is one of the eight innovation communities established by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT), an independent body of the EU set up in 2008 to spur innovation and entrepreneurship. The headquarters for Southern Europe are in Spain (in Madrid and Bilbao).