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.

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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

Alpha Bank Opens Applications For FinQuest 2026 Across Europe

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

July 31, 2026

Alpha Bank has opened applications for FinQuest 2026, its flagship innovation competition designed to identify startups, fintech companies and scale-ups developing technologies that can reshape banking. Applications remain open until September 20, with the programme now positioned around a broader European mandate.

A European Search For Banking Innovation

This year’s edition is explicitly focused on solutions emerging across the continent. Alpha Bank is inviting companies operating in different European markets to bring forward ideas that address some of the sector’s most pressing challenges, from operational efficiency and fraud prevention to customer experience and new digital business models.

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At the centre of the competition is artificial intelligence, which will serve as the foundation for proposals across four thematic areas.

Four Priority Areas For Applicants

AI First Banking & Value Transformation is aimed at solutions that use artificial intelligence, automation and advanced analytics to improve productivity, strengthen decision-making and generate measurable business value across banking operations.

Fraud Zero & Digital Trust focuses on technologies that enhance fraud prevention, cybersecurity, digital identity and trust within the digital banking ecosystem, while preserving a seamless customer experience.

Next Generation Customer Experience seeks ideas that redefine how customers interact with banks through personalised, simple and integrated services across physical and digital channels. Technologies such as conversational AI, hyper-personalisation and digital onboarding are central to this track.

Open Innovation & Emerging Technologies is designed for breakthrough technologies that can create new opportunities for financial services, unlock additional sources of value and accelerate the next phase of banking innovation.

What The Winning Teams Receive

The overall winner will be offered the chance to develop a pilot project with Alpha Bank, working alongside the bank’s business and technology teams to test the solution in a live banking environment. The winning team will also gain access to key business stakeholders and the opportunity to explore a broader commercial partnership with the group.

Alpha Bank will award the top team a cash prize of €15,000 to support further development of the solution.

After applications close, a specialist evaluation committee will review all submissions and select six proposals to move forward. Those shortlisted teams will then enter a two-month accelerator programme in October and November 2026, which will include mentoring, workshops, networking opportunities and ongoing support.

The finalists will present their solutions at a dedicated innovation event, where the judging panel will select the three winning teams.

Why The Programme Matters Beyond The Prize

Alpha Bank said the benefits extend well beyond the final ranking. Finalist teams will have direct access to executives actively searching for innovative technologies and may, regardless of placement, be selected for pilot projects or future commercial discussions.

The bank described the programme as an opportunity for participating teams to engage directly with one of the largest banking groups in Southeast Europe, gaining access to decision-makers and business stakeholders inside the organisation.

Participants will also receive feedback from experienced bank executives, expand their networks across the banking and fintech ecosystem and work on real-world business needs and current use cases.