The amount funded by the “Proof-of-Concept Co-Financing Instrument” is €2,000,000 in total, and the funding is allocated as follows:

A maximum allocation of €100,000 per individual project.

Funding distribution follows two options, depending on the project budget size:

• For projects with costs under €60,000, beneficiaries receive a lump sum payment within 30 days after signing all agreements.

• For projects between €60,000 and €100,000, 90% of the grant is paid upfront based on actual costs, with the remaining 10% released after submission of evidence demonstrating achievement of the key performance indicator (KPI), which includes at least €10,000 in sales revenue from the marketed innovation.

Responsible for the funding 

While EIT Food oversees the funding process, the financial support itself originates from the EIT, which provides the funds to EIT Food. 

The funding under the PoC Co-Financing Instrument has been approved within the framework of a three-year Grant Agreement.

Individual projects funded under this instrument can last from 1 up to a maximum of 12 months starting from their official start date. 

This means each funded proof-of-concept or small-scale pilot project must be completed within one year of commencement.

Regarding the call timeline, the call opens on June 1, 2025, and the final deadline for submitting applications is November 30, 2025. There are six cutoff dates spread monthly from June through November 2025, allowing for multiple evaluation rounds within that period:

• Cutoff date 1: 30/06/2025
• Cutoff date 2: 31/07/2025
• Cutoff date 3: 30/08/2025
• Cutoff date 4: 30/09/2025
• Cutoff date 5: 31/10/2025
• Cutoff date 6: 30/11/2025

Financial conditions

• non-repayable subgrant;

• Beneficiaries receive funding based on actual project costs and value for money, in compliance with Horizon Europe regulations regarding eligible expenses. This is cascade funding, meaning EIT Food distributes funds to selected startups to co-finance proof-of-concept projects.

Financial entities

• European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) — the original funder providing resources to the program.

• EIT Food — the managing organization responsible for fund allocation, monitoring, and contractual arrangements.

• Corporate clients — partners required to accept funding terms, facilitating startup-corporate collaboration.

• Beneficiary startups — recipients of the subgrant funding for proof-of-concept projects.