Open Calls

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

by News Editor

August 3, 2026

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.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

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 Future Forbes Realty Global Properties

Keve To Host Round Table On Working Carers And New Care Subsidy Scheme In Nicosia

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 21, 2026

The Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Keve) will bring together policymakers, employers and social partners in Nicosia on September 29, 2026, for a round-table discussion on one of the workplace’s most pressing but often overlooked challenges: how employees with care responsibilities can remain fully engaged in work while supporting a family member in need.

A Growing Workplace Priority

The discussion will focus on workers who care for an elderly relative, a person with a disability or another family member requiring assistance. As populations age and care needs rise, the pressure on employees to balance professional obligations with informal caregiving is becoming a significant issue for businesses, public authorities and society at large.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

For employers, the question is no longer whether care responsibilities affect the workplace, but how to respond in a way that supports retention, productivity and employee wellbeing.

What The Event Will Cover

Organised as part of Keve’s participation in the European CareDivide project, the round table will provide a forum for information-sharing, discussion and the exchange of practical experience on the realities facing working carers.

A key theme will be the need for a better balance between professional and personal life for employees who provide unpaid care. The event will also examine how employers, public authorities and other relevant organisations can better address the needs of this workforce segment.

Care Subsidy Scheme To Be Presented

Phanos Kouroufexis, senior officer at the Welfare Benefits Administration Service of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, will present the Care Services Subsidy Scheme during the session.

His remarks will outline the support available to people who require care, their families and informal carers. The presentation will be followed by an open discussion and question-and-answer session, allowing participants to raise practical concerns and learn more about available forms of support.

Policy Ideas And Workplace Solutions

The round table will also present policy proposals developed through the CareDivide project and explore concrete ways in which businesses, public administration and social partners can help create more accommodating workplaces for employees with care responsibilities.

That includes approaches that can reduce the strain on workers who must navigate deadlines, schedules and family care obligations simultaneously—an issue that can affect attendance, engagement and long-term labour market participation.

Who Should Attend

The event is aimed at employers, human resources professionals, policymakers, public authorities, social partners, non-governmental organisations and researchers, as well as anyone with an interest in employment, equality and care.

Participation is free. Keve said the session is intended to encourage the exchange of information and practical approaches that could contribute to a more supportive working environment.

Event Details

The discussion will be held in Greek on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Keve building in Nicosia.

Interested participants can register through this registration link until September 25, 2026.

Keve is part of the consortium behind the CareDivide project, which is co-funded by the European Union through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme. The initiative is being implemented in Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Romania and Spain.

The broader significance is clear: workers who provide informal care are increasingly central to the conversation about labour force participation, workplace flexibility and social support. As care demands grow, the ability to combine employment with caregiving will remain a practical test for both employers and policymakers.