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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

EIT Food aims to fund ambitious, long-term collaborations and innovative projects that drive fundamental change across the food system. The core objective is to improve food systems for the benefit of all, by integrating innovation, education, entrepreneurship, and crucially, citizen/public engagement. This grant is sector-specific, targeting the agri-food industry and broader food systems. It is open to consortia of organizations, not individuals, and specifically seeks partners capable of generating significant, measurable impact. The geographic scope covers all EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe, such as the United Kingdom. Entities from Switzerland are also eligible but face a funding cap of EUR 60,000 per grant agreement until their association agreement with the EU is finalized. This is a recurring grant opportunity, with multiple cut-off deadlines throughout the year, forming part of the larger EIT Food Impact Funding Framework. Key filtering criteria for potential applicants include the requirement for collaborative partnerships and a clear focus on addressing specific food system challenges in alignment with EU strategies like 'Farm to Fork' and 'EU Green Deal', as well as UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Financial Structure

Funding Amounts

Single Projects - Commercial: Can request a maximum EIT grant funding of €1,000,000 over a period of no longer than 18 months.
Single Projects - Not-for-profit: Can request a maximum EIT grant funding of €100,000 per project over a period of no longer than 18 months.
Collaborative Programmes: Can request a total programme budget of no more than €1,000,000 per year for up to 2 years. The budget must be commensurate with the work plan and proposed outcomes, and demonstrate 'Value for Money'.

Co-financing and Eligible Costs

Co-funding Requirement: A 30% co-funding rate generally applies at the project level. This means the consortium as a whole must contribute 30% of the eligible costs, though individual organizations within the consortium may agree on different internal contribution levels.
Eligible Expenditure: Full project cost eligibility follows Horizon Europe regulations, specifically Article 6 of the Model Grant Agreement and the Annotated Model Grant Agreement. Applicants can use their own company's resources for co-funding if the expenditure is identifiable and verifiable in accounts.

Payment and Success Sharing

Payment Schedule: Pre-financing is provided once all consortium members are validated and contracts are signed. Subsequent payments are contingent upon the timely reporting of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and deliverables.
Success Sharing Mechanism: For projects that generate a 'commercial return' or 'equivalent commercial value' (e.g., trading profits, IP sales, spin-out investments), the relevant benefiting partner will be required to commit to sharing a 'proportionate share' of that return with EIT Food. This serves as a form of reinvestment into the EIT Food community. For projects with limited cost-recovery income, applicants must demonstrate a 'significant social return on investment' in line with the Strategic Agenda 2021-27, in lieu of financial sharing.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Requirements

Eligible Organization Types: Proposals must come from consortia, not single entities. Each consortium must include a minimum of two organizations working together.
- One organization must be a company or social enterprise directly involved with key communities.
- At least one other organization must be a research or university organization.
- Consortium partners should represent different 'sides of the knowledge triangle' (innovation, education, entrepreneurship, and citizen/public engagement).
Legal Structure: One-person legal entities are not eligible to participate.

Geographic and Temporal Requirements

Geographic Location: Organizations must be from at least two different countries eligible to Horizon Europe. This includes all EU Member States and Associated Countries (e.g., the United Kingdom).
Swiss Entities: Currently, Swiss entities can receive a maximum of EUR 60,000 per grant agreement if duly justified, as their association agreement with the EU is pending.

Capacity and Experience

Track Record: Consortia should be led by organizations with demonstrated capabilities to 'move quickly and effectively' in creating impact, supported by 'high-quality research, communications, and impact assessment expertise'.
Prior Funding: Projects that have received funding from other EIT organizations, EU programmes, or third-party funders are eligible to apply, but double funding for activities already financed by current EU programmes is not permitted. Existing EIT Food consortia can apply for new activities.

Application Process

Submission Method: All proposals must be submitted via an online application form available on the EIT Food portal.
Application Windows: The grant operates on a 'multiple cut-off' deadline model, with several submission windows throughout the year.
Latest Submission Deadline: The latest indicated deadline for submissions is 2025-11-13 12:00:00+0000 (Window 7).

Project Duration

Single Projects: Expected duration is no longer than 18 months.
Collaborative Programmes: Expected duration is up to 2 years.

Required Documentation Applicants must submit the following materials for evaluation: * The completed Application Form (templates are available). * A Business Model Canvas (template provided). * A Launch Plan, which should outline the commercial case or strategy for user adoption, supported by evidence and research (template provided). * Where applicable: * A Success Sharing Mechanism proposal (for commercial projects). * Proof of the current Technology Readiness Level (TRL) for technology-based ideas. * A clear impact methodology must be included in the proposal. Evaluation and Communication Timeline

Evaluation Period: Proposals are evaluated for up to 6 weeks following each submission deadline.
Preliminary Communication: Applicants can expect preliminary communication regarding selected projects approximately 9 weeks after the submission deadline.
Contracting: Grant award and contracting processes typically begin approximately 8 weeks after preliminary communication.

Application Support

Expression of Interest (EOI): An informal EOI form is available to help applicants connect with the EIT Food community and teams to shape their proposals.
Resources: Applicants are encouraged to use FoodHIVE, EIT Food's online community platform, for consortium building and support. Regional offices are also available for contact.
Resubmission Policy: Unsuccessful proposals may be improved and resubmitted for a later submission window, taking into consideration feedback from the evaluation process.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals are rigorously evaluated by at least three external and one internal evaluator based on the following key criteria:

Excellence: Assesses the quality, novelty, and ambition of the proposed project, including the soundness of the concept and the clarity of objectives.
Impact: Focuses on the potential for the project to create significant, lasting change within the food system. This includes alignment with EIT Food's mission and specific thematic areas (e.g., Protein Diversification, Regenerative Agriculture, Labelling & Transparency for Single Projects; or diet, environmental harms, food integrity for Collaborative Programmes). A clear impact methodology must be provided, demonstrating how economic and/or social value will be delivered. All projects must align with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Quality and efficiency of implementation: Examines the coherence and effectiveness of the work plan, the suitability of the resources, and the overall value for money. This includes the team's composition, the proposed management structures, and risk mitigation strategies.
KIC Portfolio strategic fit and compliance with the financial sustainability principles and knowledge triangle integration: Evaluates how well the project aligns with EIT Food's broader strategic agenda, its long-term financial viability, and its successful integration of innovation, education, entrepreneurship, and citizen/public engagement.

Quality Thresholds

Single Projects Co-funding Opportunity: Proposals must achieve a minimum quality threshold of 3.5.
Collaborative Missions Programmes: Proposals must achieve a minimum quality threshold of 3.0.

Innovation and Social Impact

Innovation: The grant explicitly seeks new R&D and commercialization projects, new applications or business models for existing technology, and market demonstration/scale-up activities for high-impact products or services.
Social Impact: A primary focus for the grant, especially for 'not-for-profit' projects, which must demonstrate 'real-world benefit' and positive outcomes for populations, health, or consumer behaviour. Citizen/public engagement is considered a vital 'fourth element' in the knowledge triangle and is central to impact assessment.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory and Ethical Compliance

Regulatory Alignment: Proposals must align with the current EU regulatory framework and policies, including the 'Farm to Fork' strategy and the 'EU Green Deal'. Applicants should address how regulatory barriers or access to capital might be overcome for technologies not yet market-ready.
Ethical Standards: Strong emphasis is placed on addressing and supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as detailed in EIT Food's Strategic Agenda 2021–2027.

Data and Reporting Standards

Environmental Impact: For environmental impact of products, applicants are recommended to utilize EIT Food's standardized food and beverage environmental impact assessment and labelling framework, which is based on the European Commission's (EC) Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): It is mandatory to use Core EIT KPIs. While no minimum number is specified, selected KPIs must align with the proposal. For Single Projects, participants must declare at least one of the two core KPIs: 'Marketed Innovations (EITHE02.4)' or 'Start-ups created of/for innovation (EITHE04.4)'.

Intellectual Property and Risk Management

Intellectual Property (IP): Commercial projects that involve licensable or saleable IP, or the creation of spin-out vehicles, are subject to the Success Sharing Mechanism (see Financial Structure section).
Risk Mitigation: Proposals involving technology that faces regulatory or capital barriers must include clear strategies for overcoming these challenges or explicit assumptions about changes to these barriers beyond the project's direct control.

Unique Aspects and Strategic Alignment

Knowledge Triangle Integration: EIT Food uniquely emphasizes a 'fourth element' alongside innovation, education, and entrepreneurship: citizen/public engagement. This is a crucial aspect for all projects.
Strategic Alignment Opportunities: Applicants are encouraged to leverage existing EIT Food assets and infrastructure (e.g., commercial test bed environments, course development expertise) to accelerate project outcomes and maximize impact.
Collaboration: The framework fosters extensive collaboration, not just within the consortium but also by connecting with wider EIT Food networks, like the Consumer Observatory.

Grant Details