Open Calls

Ground2Scale+ Returns To Help Cyprus Agrifood Innovators Become Investment-Ready

by News Editor

Overview

Applications are now open for the second edition of Ground2Scale+, under the EIT Food Challenge Lab designed to support agrifood innovators in Europe. SocialTech Lab delivers the Cyprusprogramme in its role as EIT Food Country Representative for Cyprus. The eight-week programme is aimed at entrepreneurs, researchers, startups, SMEs, research spin-offs and multidisciplinary teams developing solutions for the future of food. EIT Food is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.

The programme is designed to help participants turn promising ideas, technologies and research into stronger, market-ready and investment-ready ventures. Through practical learning, expert guidance and personalised support, participants will work on customer validation, value propositions, business models, commercialisation and go-to-market strategies.

Benefits

The programme will begin on Saturday, 12 September 2026, with an intensive, in-person Challenge Lab Day in Nicosia. Participants will take part in challenge-based workshops covering food-systems thinking, venture strategy, customer discovery, market validation, Product-Market-System Fit, impact assessment and pitch development.

The Challenge Lab Day will be followed by expert-led masterclasses on areas including investment and funding readiness, commercialisation, financial planning, international growth and scaling beyond Cyprus.

Each participating team or individual will receive at least eight dedicated mentoring hours from experienced mentors and the SocialTech Lab team. The mentoring process will be tailored to the needs and development stage of each venture, helping participants test assumptions, strengthen go-to-market strategies, improve investment readiness and prepare their final pitches.

The programme will conclude with a Demo Day and awards ceremony in early November 2026, where participants will present their ventures and progress to investors, industry representatives, researchers, mentors and other agrifood ecosystem stakeholders.

A total cash prize pool of €2,000 will be awarded to the two highest-performing teams. The first- and second-place teams will each receive a €1,000 cash sub-grant. The first-place team will also receive automatic entry into SocialTech Lab’s 2027 Venture Builder under the agrifood theme, providing access to further training and potential funding opportunities.

Participants who successfully complete the programme will receive an official EIT Food certificate, recognising the entrepreneurial knowledge, skills and competencies developed through Ground2Scale+.

Who Can Apply

The programme is aimed at entrepreneurs, researchers, startups, SMEs, research spin-offs, innovators and multidisciplinary teams developing solutions for the future of food, with a focus on Cyprus’ agrifood ecosystem.

It is particularly relevant for early-stage teams looking to validate agrifood innovations, strengthen investment readiness and accelerate growth. The programme will be delivered in English, and participation is free of charge.

Criteria

The press release does not list formal selection criteria, evaluation rules or a fixed number of available places.

It states that Ground2Scale+ is designed for participants developing solutions for the future of food and seeking to strengthen the commercial and investment readiness of their ventures. The programme responds to priorities identified through SocialTech Lab’s long-term engagement with Cyprus’ agrifood ecosystem, including research commercialisation, access to funding, digital innovation, sustainability, climate resilience and support for ventures scaling beyond the local market.

How To Apply

Applications close at 23:59 on Wednesday, 26 August 2026. Interested entrepreneurs, researchers, startups, SMEs and innovators can learn more and apply at agrifood.socialtechlab.org/g2s.

About Ground2Scale+

Ground2Scale+ is delivered under the EIT Food Challenge Labs. It combines challenge-based entrepreneurship education, expert-led learning, personalised mentoring and ecosystem collaboration to strengthen the pipeline of commercially viable, scalable and impact-driven agrifood ventures emerging from Cyprus.

EIT Food is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, a body of the European Union. It works to grow Europe’s food innovation ecosystem and build a healthy, sustainable and resilient food system by supporting innovators, entrepreneurs, ideas and talent across the food sector.

SocialTech Lab is a Cyprus-based non-profit working at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship and innovation. Its focus areas include sustainable agriculture, social cohesion, urban innovation, culture and creativity, and health and wellbeing.

The League Opens Free Cyprus Basecamp For Young People To Build Agentic AI Systems

by News Editor

Overview

The League is opening applications for its first Agentic AI Basecamp, a free, in-person programme in Cyprus for participants aged 16 and over. The Basecamp offers 15 seats, and its eight-Saturday sprint will run at Space307 from 3rd October to 21st November 2026, every Saturday from 09:00 to 12:00. Applications open on 10 September and close on 25 September 2026.

The programme is the entry point into The League, a year-round educational ecosystem designed to bridge the gap between school and professional life. It is built around real company projects, expert mentorship, and continuous evidence-building, with participants joining independent programmes one at a time.

The wider Agentic AI Basecamp entry point is listed as running from October to December 2026 and includes the first Saturday sprint, eight Saturdays, plus a December Hackathon.

What Makes It Different

The League is neither a school, nor a university, nor a one-off camp. Its model is based on the idea that young people need proof of how they work, specifically how they break down unclear tasks, take ownership, collaborate, recover from setbacks, and deliver visible results.

The programme responds to a gap seen on both sides of the talent pipeline. Companies often struggle to identify young talent that can execute, collaborate, and take ownership, while teenagers are often pushed to choose a career direction without real exposure to industries, constraints, teams, or feedback.

What Participants Will Build

The Agentic AI Basecamp is an eight-Saturday sprint focused on building one real system from scratch. Sessions take place at Space307, described by the organisers as a working technology company environment rather than a classroom.

The first two weeks will cover what today’s AI can and cannot do, Python, and the use of git and GitHub in a real team context. Weeks three and four focus on building an agent loop, including an AI system that takes real actions and the use of a third-party AI API.

In weeks five and six, participants will develop their own agentic system around a real problem of their choice, wrap it in their own API, and work with Linux and real servers. The final two weeks cover Docker and deployment, including health checks, logs, testing against an evaluation set, and a final Demo Day.

Benefits

By the end of the Basecamp, every participant is expected to leave with a working agentic AI system they designed, built, and published online. They will also have a development record showing how the project evolved and what they personally contributed.

Participants will also complete an independent technical defence at Demo Day, receive written feedback from a professional mentor and join The League alumni community. Together, these outcomes are intended to give participants evidence they can show to a university or first employer.

The wider aim is not only technical output, but professional development. The programme is designed to build independence, ownership, teamwork, communication, resilience, judgement and career direction through real experience.

Who Can Apply

The Basecamp is open to people aged 16+. There are 15 seats available, and the first Basecamp starts on 3rd October 2026.

The programme is especially relevant for teenagers and young people who want early exposure to real technology work, AI systems, team-based problem-solving and professional mentorship before choosing or committing to a future study or career path.

How Selection Works

Applicants must complete an application form. The process also includes a short interview, described as a conversation rather than an exam. Fifteen offers will then be made for the first Basecamp.

The Wider League Ecosystem

The Agentic AI Basecamp is the first programme currently open for applications, but The League is designed as a wider year-round ecosystem. Planned programmes include an MIT MISTI Bootcamp in January 2027, a GameDev & Interactive Tech Sprint from late January to March 2027, a JASS Bootcamp at the end of March 2027, a Software & Product Sprint from April to June 2027, and a Talent Showcase in June 2027.

Each programme has its own application, interview, age range, and calendar. Completing the Basecamp brings participants into The League, but does not automatically secure a place in later programmes such as MIT MISTI or JASS.

How To Apply

Applications for the Agentic AI Basecamp open on 10 September and close on 25 September 2026. The programme is free, offers 15 seats, and will take place at Space307 in Cyprus.

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