Call for expression of interest to become participant of EIT Food Regional Innovation Scheme in 2024-2025
EIT Food is looking for organisations that would assume the role of EIT Food Hub, one in each of the countries targeted by EIT Food’s Regional Innovation Scheme: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Türkiye.
About the Call
Potential EIT Food Hubs should be organisations from Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Türkiye across the Knowledge Triangle of research, higher education and business, but also spanning across the public sector, NGOs as well as interested in tackling agri-food challenges through active national and international cooperation among various stakeholders. Ideal EIT Food Hub should be either an individual organisation OR up to three organisations acting as a consortium (one organisation as a lead entity, the other(s) acting as supporting entities for educational activities or business creation activities and start-up ecosystem, and, optionally, Food Educators implementor).
EIT Food invites organisations from EIT RIS countries targeted by this call to submit their proposals with a view to selecting and designating EIT Food Hubs contracted for two years 2024-2025.
All information can be found in the Call for expression of interest below.
How to apply
Please, download the EIT Food Hub Application form:
- For CLC North-East region (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia)
- For CLC South region (Greece, Italy, Portugal, Türkiye)
and send the electronic versions of proposals in two formats (both Word .docx file and PDF version) via email to:
• milda.krauzlis@eitfood.eu (for applicants from Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia)
• elvira.domingo@eitfood.eu (for applicants from Greece, Italy, Portugal, Türkiye)
Interested and eligible organisations are invited to submit their applications in English by 26 January 2024, 23:59 CET.
Q&A sessions
EIT Food will organise two information sessions on the Call, you may join the Q&A session that will be organised:
- 20 Dec 2023, 10.00-11-30 CET time
- 18 Jan 2024, 10.00-11.30 CET time by entering this LINK
Frequently Asked Questions
Our organisation is already involved with another Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) of EIT. Can we still apply to become an EIT Food Hub?
Yes, it is possible to get involved with more than one KIC. We even encourage synergies between activities.
Is there additional funding available under the EIT RIS?
The call determines the annual gross funding for HUB activities defined in the workplan of the KAVA contract that defines the tasks for which this budget is allocated. However, EIT Food may launch additional calls for organisations that will become a project participant.
If successful in the call, do we have to become an EIT Food partner?
No, organisation selected to become an EIT Food Hub does not have to become an EIT Food Partner. EIT Food Hubs act as project participant.
If you are an organisation looking to join the partnership, please reach out to your regional contact, or complete the partnership application in the section below. More information regarding partnership at EIT Food is available HERE.
If successful in the call, will we operate as EIT Food Hub until 2025?
Selected organisation(s) will perform as EIT Food HUB until 31 December 2024. Nevertheless, the participation in the Project will be renewed for another year if the specific criteria (based on objectively measurable indicators set up in the agreement) are met with a timely submission of interim and final reports and fulfilment of at least 90% of each of the specific agreed performance targets. The final renewal year is 2025.
What will be the funding for EIT Food Hub performance in 2025?
The amount of funding for the following years will be decided on a yearly basis in accordance with the EIT Food RIS Strategy and EIT Food Business Plan.
How many organisations can form a Consortium?
Consortium may be formed by up to 3 organisations, having the status of legal entities where one organisation acts as a lead entity AND implements educational activities OR business creation activities, the second organisation implements educational activities OR business creation activities (the one not implemented by the lead entity) that would be designated both as EIT Food Hub in one of the EIT RIS targeted country (acting as project participants or subcontractors). Both lead entity or supporting entity may also be the organisation implementing the optional activities within FoodEducators. The FoodEducators can also be implemented by a third organisation in the consortium.
Can Consortium leader or Consortium member take the role of FoodEducator implementor?
Yes, Consortium leader or Consortium member may take the role of FoodEducator implementor.
Can individual organisation apply alone for a role of EIT Food HUB?
Yes, one organisation can perform as EIT Food HUB with the condition that it will implement all activities listed in the call document in points 3.3.1, 3.3.2 and 3.3.3.
What are the eligible costs covered by project participation?
Only the costs that contribute to the implementation of the activities defined in the workplan are eligible and can include personnel costs, travel costs, or costs of other goods and services such as equipment, catering, technical support, fee for keynote speakers, mentors and trainers subcontracted externally. Please note that EIT Food Hub is entitled to involve subcontractors only with the prior written consent of CLC. Subcontractors need to be selected considering the best value for money criterion or, if appropriate, the lowest price.
What documents will be required during due diligence?
Organisation receiving EIT Food grant in the total value of more than 60K euro within KAVA contract will go through due diligence and will need to provide balance sheet (over the last three years), profit and Loss (P&L) statements (over the last three years), certificate of incorporation and information on statutory officers.
What is the FoodEducators programme?
Food Educators is an EIT Food programme (launched in 2022) that provides teachers and educators with fun, creative and interesting activities to engage young people, mainly schoolchildren. Our easily accessible, science-based food education materials enhance pupil’s learning so they can become better-informed, conscious consumers of the future. Our resources were tried and tested successfully by teachers in 8 countries already (Poland, Türkiye, United Kingdom, Hungary, Czechia, Cyprus, Israel, Spain) You can read more information about the programme on our webpage (in progress): www.foodeducators.eu and see what resources we offer here: https://www.foodeducators.eu/resources.
How many activities do we need to conduct for FoodEducators?
We have put together a comprehensive list of expected tasks, please find it here. According to our experience, our materials are well received by teachers, and the key to successful implementation is the access to teachers/school databases. If your organisation does not have one, we suggest partnering up with an educational organisation that is regularly reaching schools with other offers and can support your recruitment (eg. NGOs, Ministry of Education, already existing school networks such as eco-schools, etc.). In our kick-off meeting we are going to provide all information and trainings necessary for you to implement FoodEducators in your country. For further questions regarding implementation of FoodEducators please reach out to: viktoria.soos@eitfood.eu.
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