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.