About Seedbed Incubator

The Seedbed Incubator is a six month programme that aims to transform science and technology based innovations, that can help solve global food system challenges, into market-validated businesses. The programme is delivered by world-class EIT Food partner organisations.

All entrepreneurial teams and newly-formed startups accepted onto the Seedbed Incubator receive funding and access to our thriving ecosystem to facilitate market testing activities with potential customers or end-users. Each cohort team is supported by business coaches and sector experts to be ready a successful business launch
The Seedbed Incubator will enable you to identify and connect with key customers, test the market and take your minimum viable product or service from a commercial proposition to a validated business.

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Benefits of Seedbed

The EIT Food Seedbed Programme provides participants with world-class start-up training and coaching to identify their core business assumptions and the support to refine their business value propositions. Seedbed Hubs provide participants with the skills, personalised business coaching, industry connections and funding to test innovative ideas directly with 100+ potential customers and end-user. The programme includes:

 

  • Training at a 4-day online bootcamp based on a unique customer-oriented methodology to allow participants to define clear value propositions; winning business models, and a market validation plan to better understand the needs of the market and develop a solution customers are willing to pay for
  • Coaching from seasoned entrepreneurs and leading experts in the agrifood sector
  • Funding of up to €6,000 to facilitate market testing activities and to speak to potential customers, stakeholders and end-users to validate business ideas; plus the opportunity to access follow-on EIT Food funding and support through the Startup Launch Grant.
  • An opportunity to pitch to a panel of industry experts and receive constructive feedback.

 

Ultimately, Seedbed is designed to produce independent, creative, and market-aware entrepreneurs with the necessary multi-disciplinary skillset to address not only key challenges in the agri-food sector but make important contributions to ensure our food system is secure and trusted. Most importantly, our teams finish with a validated business model primed for attracting follow-on support and investment that will help take their proposition closer to market. As a Seedbed alumnus, you’ll have continued access and opportunities within the EIT Food network including access to EIT Food investment schemes.

Who Should Apply?

Are you doing or supporting research that has commercial potential? Have you got an innovative technology that could revolutionise the food system? Then our Seedbed Incubator Programme could be for you!

 

The EIT Food Seedbed Programme is focused on supporting three participant groups with business propositions underpinned by science and technology, that could transform the food system:

  • Entrepreneurial Teams seeking to validate the commercial potential of their innovation
  • Science Entrepreneurs seeking to validate the commercial potential of technology they are developing as a student, academic or employee at a Research Organisation or University

Recently incorporated companies (spinouts or startups, typically less than a year old) seeking to validate the commercial potential of their innovation

What are the eligibility criteria?

Be eligible for the programme potential participants must meet the following criteria:

Business propositions must be underpinned by scientific or technological innovations with proof of concept established. They must fall under one of the six of EIT Food’s Focus Areas i.e.

  • Sustainable Agriculture
  • Sustainable Aquaculture
  • Alternative Proteins
  • Digital Traceability
  • Circular Food Systems
  • Targeted Nutrition

If applying as a team: one of the founders must be a citizen or resident of an EU member state or associated countries.

If applying as a startup: company must be established in an EU member state or associated countries.

Funding

Funding of up to €6,000 to facilitate market testing activities and to speak to potential customers, stakeholders and end-users to validate business ideas; plus the opportunity to access follow-on EIT Food funding and support through the Startup Launch Grant.

F.A.Q

The program is limited to 2 team representatives.

Yes, but an individual academic entrepreneur or solo researcher should have support from one member of their Technology Transfer Office, whose contact details should be included in the application.

Applications are assessed against the following criteria: eligibility, motivation, problem validation, solution fit, technology readiness and USP, potential business model, and team.

When the Seedbed programme is completed participants become a Seedbed Alumni and have the opportunity to access follow on funding to support their commercial roadmap. This may include spinning-out or starting-up a new company, or establishing technology feasibility tests with identified partners. There is the possibility to progress to the EIT Food Accelerator Network (EIT FAN), which connects impactful agrifood startups with industry-leading corporate and research partners to pilot their technology and drive the ultimate goal: a successful market adoption. Visit eitfan.eu for more information.

A number of incubator programmes that exist are generic and they have general market validation programmes. Seedbed gives direct access to the agrifood sector and sector experts across Europe which is crucial to understand the commercial potential of a technology in this sector.

* For more detailed information about the Seedbed Incubator, please refer to the programme Terms and Conditions