Legal and Accounting Support for Early Stage Entrepreneurs
EIT Food offers grants for legal and accounting support to early stage entrepreneurs from Southern and Eastern Europe that are making the food system better for people’s health and better for the environment.
Legal and Accounting Support was open for applications in 2020. The program will not reopen in 2021.
EIT Food knows that the legal and financial hurdles of startup life can be very challenging. In fact, recent statistics demonstrate that a failure to manage finances well and address legal issues are responsible for around half of all startup failures.
To help brilliant agrifood startups avoid these difficulties, EIT Food offers up to €2,500 to early stage entrepreneurs to help with specific legal and accounting challenges. These funds are only available to startups in Southern and Eastern Europe (a full list of eligible countries is available below).
Applications for Legal and Accounting Support are running in five rounds with the final deadline on September 30.
Please make sure to read Terms and Conditions of Legal and Accounting Support before applying for the program.
Editable templates of appendices necessary to complete the application form are available via following links: Appendix 1, Appendix 2.
FAQs
What is the process to receive the financial / accounting support?
Firstly, you will need to complete the online form on F6S platform providing information on your startup and needs. Secondly, as part of the application process, you need to provide three quotes from local legal or accounting providers (following Appendix1). We do this to make sure you are getting good value for money. Startups that would like to use the grand to apply for permits, licences or trademarks need to attach Appendix 2 to their application. Finally, if you are accepted by EIT Food to receive the support, you will have to sign a grant agreement and deliver a proof of actual incurred costs which will be reimbursed.
All applicants are advised to read the program's Terms and Conditions document before submitting their application.
For which countries in Southern and Eastern Europe is the programme open for?
This particular startup support programme is funded by the Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS). This Scheme is designed to support startups from areas in Europe who typically have less access to support for entrepreneurial and innovative programmes.
Eligible applicant must be a resident and/or citizen from one of the RIS eligible countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy* (only regions: Molise, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicilia, Sardegna, Umbria, Marche, Abruzzo, Campania, Valle d'Aosta), Latvia, Lithuania, Poland* (only regions: Łódzkie, Lubelskie, Małopolskie, Podkarpackie, Świętokrzyskie, Podlaskie, Wielkopolski, Lubuskie, Dolnośląskie, Opolskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie, Zachodniopomorskie, Mazovia Regional excluding Warsaw), Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain* (only regions: Galicia, Principado de Asturias, Cantabria, La Rioja, Castilla-la Mancha, Extremadura, Illes Balears, Andalucía, Región de Murcia, Canarias, Castilla y León, Aragón, Comunidad Valenciana), Turkey.
Who can apply?
The legal and accounting support is designed for early stage startups and entrepreneurs who cannot afford to pay for such services themselves. Please do not apply for these grants if you can pay for these services with your own revenue or investment. The grants can be paid to individuals or legally-registered companies.
How long does it take to receive the legal / accounting grant?
The application to receive the legal and accounting support is open throughout the year until September 30. You can apply during any of the following application rounds:
- February 3 - February 29
- March 1 - April 30
- May 1 - June 30
- July 1 - August 31
- September 1 - September 30
The EIT Food team will read the applications at the end of each application round. If you are selected to receive the legal/financial support and sign a grant agreement, you will be reimbursed within 15 to 30 days after providing the proof of the actual costs you have incurred and the details of the grant agreement.
Startups are encouraged to apply as early as possible - once EIT Food has distributed the available budget, the Legal and Accounting Support will stop until the following year.
What is the maximum amount of funding I can receive?
The maximum amount of the legal/accounting support grant is €2,500 per startup / entrepreneur.
You will only be able to access the support once.
Any more questions?
Feel free to send an email to yulia.bodnar@eitfood.eu.
