More support programmes for domestic innovators in the food and agriculture sector
Startups, scaleup companies, researchers, students, entrepreneurs and organisations from Serbia will have stronger support for the development of innovations, access to international programmes, funding and partnerships, thanks to the continuation of NALED’s cooperation with EIT Food, the leading European network for innovation in the food sector, within the new three-year mandate for the period 2026–2028.
Through NALED, Serbia will be part of a network of 15 selected countries, with the aim of increasing our country’s participation in international projects and programmes, as well as enabling domestic innovators to develop, test and launch their ideas on the market more quickly.
– EIT Food currently offers more than 75 educational programmes, including the new international Master in Food Systems, intended for the education of future leaders in the transformation of food systems. Innovation development programmes currently open include Ignite NEB, which provides funding of up to EUR 52,000, and EIT Jumpstarter, which includes mentoring support in business model development and preparation for access to investors – said Todo Terzić, Head of the Food and Agriculture Unit at NALED.
According to him, programmes focused on women’s entrepreneurship are also open, such as EWA Grow and EWA Advance 2026, for women entrepreneurs in the early and advanced stages of business development, as well as the Proof-of-Concept Co-Financing Instrument 2026, which provides financial support of up to EUR 60,000 for testing and validating innovations through pilot projects. The AI Growth Studio programme is also available for technology startups, supporting the development of solutions in the field of artificial intelligence and robotics, with funding of up to EUR 200,000.
In addition, educational programmes are also available to interested participants, including the EWA Explore online course, intended for women entrepreneurs who want to develop their business ideas in the agri-food sector.
The aim of these activities is to further improve the competitiveness of domestic agriculture and the food industry.
As the EIT Food Country Representative for Serbia, NALED is available to all interested parties for additional information, support in selecting the appropriate programme and in the application process, as well as for connecting with relevant partners from the country and Europe. All information about the programmes is available on the page https://www.eitfood.eu/news/new-eit-food-country-representatives-selected-to-boost-regional-innovation-ecosystems.
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