Applications are now open for the 2026 edition of EIT Jumpstarter, a pre-acceleration programme designed to help early-stage innovators transform science-based ideas into viable start-ups. The initiative offers a structured entrepreneurial journey that includes training, mentoring, business development support, and an international pitch competition.
The programme provides participants with the tools and guidance needed to validate innovative concepts, assess market potential, and develop solutions into successful products or services. Its renewed design focuses on stronger alignment with European innovation priorities, helping participants accelerate progress, refine market fit, and confidently build scalable ventures.
Program Benefits and Opportunities
• Financial Support: Participants can compete for over €240,000 in financial support. This includes prizes of €10,000, €5,000, and €3,000 for the top teams in each thematic cohort, as well as a travel budget of €2,000 plus an additional €1,000.
• Special Prizes: Special awards of €2,500 will recognize the best projects from the EU Outermost Regions, the Western Balkans, and Ukraine, as well as solutions aligned with the New European Bauhaus initiative.
• Comprehensive Training: The programme includes more than 55 hours of entrepreneurial training, consisting of a 15-hour online bootcamp focused on business fundamentals and pitching practice, followed by 40 hours of in-person training dedicated to business plan development and soft skills.
• Expert Mentorship: Participants receive individual coaching and guidance from experienced mentors, industry experts, and leading investors.
• Pitch Development: The curriculum includes professional pitch development, culminating in the opportunity to present projects to real investors at the Grand Final.
• Networking Access: Innovators gain access to the EIT’s pan-European innovation network, connecting with a broad community of entrepreneurs, partners, experts, and potential investors.
Eligible Thematic Areas
• Food & Agritech: Powered by EIT Food.
• Healthcare: Powered by EIT Health.
• Energy & Renewables: Powered by EIT InnoEnergy.
• Advanced & Green Manufacturing: Powered by EIT Manufacturing.
• Raw Materials: Covering metals, minerals, advanced materials, and industrial side streams; powered by EIT RawMaterials.
• Smart Cities & Urban Mobility: Powered by EIT Urban Mobility.
• Malta Cohort: A special thematic-agnostic category dedicated to applicants from Malta; powered by EIT Community and Xjenza Malta.
Eligibility Criteria
The programme primarily targets innovators from countries participating in the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (EIT RIS). At least one participating team member must hold citizenship from one of the eligible countries or regions listed below:
• EU Member States: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Spain.
• EU Outermost Regions: Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Martinique, Mayotte, and Saint-Martin in France; the Azores and Madeira in Portugal; and the Canary Islands in Spain.
• Horizon Europe Associated Countries and Territories: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine, and Türkiye.
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.
Since its launch, EIT Jumpstarter has had a significant impact on Europe’s early-stage innovation ecosystem. The programme has trained more than 1,500 innovators, supported the creation of over 150 start-ups, generated more than 2,600 jobs, and helped young companies attract more than €150 million in investment.
By joining EIT Jumpstarter, participants become part of a supportive innovation community while gaining the entrepreneurial mindset, skills, and connections needed to build and scale successful start-ups. The programme continues to contribute to a stronger, more inclusive, and more dynamic European innovation landscape.