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The EIT Jumpstarter is an award-winning pre-acceleration programme funded by the European Union designed to help validate innovative ideas and develop business skills to create and run innovative start-ups. The programme focuses on talents coming from countries located in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, where the pace of innovation is moderate or emerging. By addressing the unique needs of these regions, the EIT Jumpstarter Program aims to create a lasting economic impact. 

The program targets early-stage ideas, which have not yet been turned into fully developed businesses or startups. These ideas should aim to address key challenges in the chosen category. To apply for the EIT Jumpstarter Program, at least 1 of the co-founders should have citizenship in 1 of the countries/territories specified in the Eligibility Criteria.

Main Challenges 

1. Healthcare cohort powered by EIT Health: New models to deliver healthcare; Facilitating the uptake of digital medical devices in Europe; Harnessing the full potential of health data for innovation;
2. Metals, minerals, advanced materials and & industrial side streams cohort powered by EIT RawMaterials
3. Food & Agritech cohort powered by EIT Food
4. Energy and Renewables powered by EIT InnoEnergy
5. Advanced and Green Manufacturing cohort powered by EIT Manufacturing
6. Smart cities and Mobility powered by EIT Urban Mobility
7. New European Bauhaus powered by EIT Culture & Creativity
8. Rebuild Ukraine: expecting ideas from all thematic fields that participate in the EIT Jumpstarter program (Health, Food, RawMaterials, Manufacturing, Urban Mobility, InnoEnergy, New European Bauhaus). Applicants must be Ukrainian citizens who either habitually reside in Ukraine, or if they are habitually not residing in Ukraine, they are willing to commit to incorporating their future company in Ukraine.

Eligibility Criteria

The competition is open to all individuals and teams of natural persons holding the citizenship of the following EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) eligible countries and Moldova:

• EU Member States: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia,
  Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia
• Horizon Europe Associated Countries and territories: Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Türkiye, Ukraine
• EU Outermost Regions: Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Martinique, Mayotte and Saint-Martin (France), the Azores and Madeira (Portugal), and the Canary Islands (Spain)
   

Natural persons: researchers, Masters, and PhD students or research groups from universities and research organisations; professionals, idea holders, or idea owners that have an idea/solution that is targeting the scope of one of our categories (main challenges) and wants to start a company. Those teams who already have registered start-ups (legal entities) before January 1st 2025, connected to their business ideas submitted in the application phase, are not eligible to participate and will not be accepted to this particular competition. Start-ups who registered their company in the given calendar year (from January 1st 2025) are eligible for the programme.

The submitted project must be exclusively concentrated on civil applications, with no intention of military use or serving military purposes. Multiple submissions are not accepted. Each applicant must use a unique email address for submission. Individuals, co-founders, and project team members are not eligible to be part of more than one submitted project at the same time and/or submit more than one project at the same time.

Funding

The EIT Jumpstarter programme stipulates the provision of financial support to the teams during the competition cycle. Teams will be eligible to receive financial support at different stages of the competition, depending on their successful completion of each stage. Financing is based on teams, no matter if the team is represented by just one or two or more members.

1. Online Bootcamps phase (May-June 2025)
- Not applicable
2. Local Joint Training phase (July-September 2025)
- Each team will receive financial support up to EUR 2,000 to cover their own individual travel and accommodation costs related to attending the local training as well as to finance other eligible project development activities.
3. Grand Final phase (November 2025)
- The six finalists teams of each cohort in the competition will receive an additional up to EUR 1,000 to cover travel and accommodation for participation in the Grand Final as well as to finance other expenses related to the implementation of the project

The top 3 winners will be selected in each category by the Jury and awarded with financial prizes:
- 1st prize: EUR 10,000
- 2nd prize: EUR 5,000
- 3rd prize: EUR 2,500
- EUR 5,000 will receive the best team from the Western Balkans regardless of the category.
- EUR 2,500 will receive the best team from the EU Outermost regions.
- EUR 2,500 will receive the best team from the Mediterranean.

More details about the program at https://eitjumpstarter.eu/
Full descriptions of the main challenges, terms and conditions including IP Rights here
https://eitjumpstarter.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/EIT_Jumpstarter_2025_TermsConditions.pdf

If you are interested to pursue this opportunity, kindly contact ingrid.schembri@aalto.fi ahead of the application deadline (2 April 2025).