The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is an independent EU body that is boosting Europe’s ability to innovate. The EIT nurtures entrepreneurial talent and supports new ideas, bringing together the “knowledge triangle” of leading companies, universities and research centres to form dynamic cross-border partnerships called Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). Currently there are eight thematic KICs: EIT Food, Climate-KIC, EIT Digital, EIT InnoEnergy, EIT Health, EIT Raw Materials, EIT Manufacturing and EIT Urban Mobility. The following KICs are participating in the EIT Jumpstarter program: EIT Food, EIT Innoenergy, EIT Health, EIT Raw Materials, EIT Manufacturing and EIT Urban Mobility.
The participants are financed from two different budget: Cross-KIC EIT RIS (Regional Innovation Scheme) and Cross-KIC Circular Economy in Western Balkans.
The EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (EIT RIS) is the EIT Community’s outreach scheme with the objective to contribute to boosting innovation in European countries and regions that belong to the groups of ‘modest and moderate’ innovators (according to the European Innovation Scoreboard). All participating KIC are part of the project and finance teams from this budget.
The Cross-KIC Western Balkans has the objective to strengthen and establish EIT presence and outreach in Western Balkans region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia), further developing collaboration in between KICs, based on previous experiences, results and acquired knowledge of the cross-KIC collaboration in previous years in working in Circular Economy. All participating KICs are part of this project and finance teams from this budget, except EIT Innoenergy.
EIT Health is one of the biggest healthcare initiatives worldwide, connecting approximately 150 partners exceptional in the worlds of business, education, research and health service delivery. Our EIT RIS program is a comprehensive, with the double goal of developing innovation ecosystems in targeted regions as well as to provide access for local actors to best-in-class EIT Health programs. Our mission is to accelerate entrepreneurship and innovation to address three key challenges: promote healthy living, support active ageing, improve healthcare.
EIT Health is also participating in Cross-KIC Western Balkans program and leading the Pre-Jumpstarter trainings in the region which focus on identifying innovative ideas, strengthening entrepreneurial mindset and supporting promising teams to apply to the Jumpstarter program.
EIT RawMaterials is the largest consortium in the raw materials sector worldwide. Its vision is to develop raw materials into a major strength for Europe. Its mission is to enable sustainable competitiveness of the European minerals, metals and materials sector along the value chain by driving innovation, education and entrepreneurship.
EIT RawMaterials unites more than 120 core and associate partners and 180+ project partners from leading industry, universities and research institutions from more than 20 EU countries. Partners of EIT RawMaterials are active across the entire raw materials value chain; from exploration, mining and mineral processing to substitution, recycling and circular economy. EIT RawMaterials aims to significantly enhance innovation in the raw materials sector by sharing knowledge, facilitating matchmaking activities, developing innovative technologies and supporting business creation.
EIT Food is a pan-European partnership, with a consumer-centred approach, to empower innovators, entrepreneurs and students to develop world-class solutions to societal challenges, accelerate innovation, create jobs and increase Europe’s competitiveness. As one of the largest food-related initiatives worldwide, EIT Food wants Europe to lead a global revolution in food innovation and production. Our ambition is to redesign the way our food is produced, delivered, consumed and recycled and to create a future-proof and effective food sector which supports a sustainable and circular bio-economy.
EIT InnoEnergy is the biggest cleantech accelerator worldwide and a world-class alliance of top European players from energy sector. It operates and pursues its mission by providing the Beneficiaries with financial and non-financial support, in order to enable them to conduct research and analyses, develop business plans for the purpose of commercialization of innovative ideas and to succeed in the market. Since 2012, KIC InnoEnergy has invested in over 300 various types of initiatives for a total amount exceeding EUR 470 million. Thanks to this, more than 100 new products and services generating revenues have been sent to customers. Currently, KIC InnoEnergy engages in around 30 new initiatives a year.
EIT Manufacturing is an Innovation Community within the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) – that connects the leading manufacturing actors in Europe. Fueled by a strong interdisciplinary and trusted community, we will add unique value to European products, processes, services – and inspire the creation of globally competitive and sustainable manufacturing.
EIT Manufacturing will establish an innovation community and build a network of ecosystems where people can acquire skills and find opportunities; and where innovators are able to attract investors and accede venture capital. For that purpose, EIT Manufacturing brings together 50 European leading partners from business, education and research, from 17 countries.
EIT Urban Mobility is one the largest European initiative transforming urban mobility with over 130 partners in 20 countries. Our goal is to encourage positive changes in the way people move and goods are moved around cities and how people are using public realm to make cities more livable places.
EIT Urban Mobility is one the largest European initiative transforming urban mobility with over 130 partners in 20 countries. Our goal is to encourage positive changes in the way people move and goods are moved around cities and how people are using public realm to make cities more livable places.
We create an innovation community to educate and inspire mobility solutions for 21st century cities. We will avoid fragmentation by encouraging all urban mobility players to work together — with cities and citizens at its heart — and increase social inclusion and equality.
Using our cities as living labs, our industry, start-ups and university partners will demonstrate how new technologies can work to solve real problems in real cities by transporting people, freight and waste in smarter ways.
Our programmes support our vision of creating more livable urban spaces. By fostering innovation and transformation, we can improve people’s quality of life, decarbonize mobility and make Europe’s economy more competitive. Together we aim to build a prosperous future for our cities.
EIT Health, EIT RawMaterials, EIT Food, EIT Innoenergy, EIT Manufacturing and EIT Urban Mobility jointly organize the EIT JumpStarter Competition 2021 (“Competition”), an innovation contest aiming to reach out, identify and support the best ideas from researchers and professionals with a potential impact in their respective sector. In addition to the six thematic fields, KICs are jointly covering a seventh thematic field, called New European Bauhaus targeting the creative sector. The addition of this new thematic field is part of the extension of the competition in the framework of New European Bauhaus initiative. The detailed scopes of each thematic fields are explained under point 3.
A selected list of candidates will be allowed to access to the very selective training and mentoring program that aims to provide expertise for business modeling, validation of the need, and knowledge about how to start a technology-based venture. The teams with the best quality deliverables and pitching will be awarded with a money prize.
This competition is divided into several phases:
The application deadline for the programme is 16th April 2021 23:59 CET. Please apply through our online application form. The applicants should put an emphasis on: the innovative concept, what is unique in their technology, the development stage of their idea, the team description, explaining the need the innovation solves, and current challenges of the team. Applications can be submitted once to only one organization (either EIT Health or EIT Food or EIT RawMaterials or EIT InnoEnergy or EIT Urban Mobility or EIT Manufacturing) and under the most appropriate thematic field.
The submitted applications will be assessed by a team of experts; and the applications are handled under confidentiality. A total of 210 teams – 30 per each thematic field (Health, Food, RawMaterials, Innoenergy, Urban Mobility, Manufacturing, New European Bauhaus) - will be selected to participate in the Competition. Due to cross-sectoral character of the program there are possible shifts of qualified teams between thematic cohorts: in case the scope of a business idea better fits into another thematical cohort, the team shall be requested to change their thematic field.
Applications shall be evaluated on a rolling basis; therefore, applicants are encouraged to complete their application form earlier than the expiration of the application deadline.
Additionally, 10 teams from the Western Balkans who participated in one of the 3 Pre-Jumpstarter trainings will be selected to join in the Competition in the fields of healthcare, agri-food, raw materials, urban mobility or manufacturing industries.
The aim of the training is to deliver the fundamental qualitative and quantitative skills of developing a business case for an entrepreneurial idea; as well as knowledge on pitching the business case in order to get investor funding. Focus areas: pitch deck development and identification of areas for further development and validation of the key modeling assumptions. Bootcamps will be organized online between the end of May and beginning of July 2021. All bootcamps run along the same curriculum, while the teams are mixed across the six thematic areas. Once the team joined one bootcamp, they are not eligible to participate in another. The maximum number of teams is limited per bootcamp, therefore if this number is exceeded, selected applicants accept that they may be contacted and redirected to attend another bootcamp.
After the bootcamps, teams will pitch their business ideas at an online, thematical Pitch Day. The pitch will be recorded and evaluated by the KIC’s evaluation committee. Teams will have the possibility to answer the jury’s questions and based on their pitches and answers, KICs will select the best performer, most committed 120 teams – 15-15 teams from Health, Food, RawMaterials, Innoenergy, Manufacturing and Urban Mobility thematic fields, 30 teams from New European Bauhaus thematic field – and invite them to attend the Local Joint Trainings.
Those 10 teams which are financed from Cross-KIC Western Balkan project also join the Local Joint Trainings. They also need to fulfill the aforementioned obligations: participate in the bootcamps, pitch their business ideas and they will be evaluated as well.
The videos and pitch decks will be handled under confidentiality.
Local Joint Trainings will be organized in various locations in September 2021. They will build on the knowledge acquired by teams during the Bootcamps. The aim of the trainings is to help teams test and validate their main assumptions set up in the Bootcamp phase, enrich knowledge and practice skills of using the tools presented during the Bootcamp, teach them how to present their business idea in a structured way and teach teams how to open a company. If possible, Teams will be directed to the nearest location of their city of residence. The length of the Local Joint Trainings is approximately 40 hours. Teams will be asked to prepare home assignment during the trainings: to work on business modelling tools. By the end of the training teams are expected to write a concise Business Plan considering the outcomes of the analyses prepared and delivered during the training.
After the Local Joint Trainings, teams should submit their business plans prepared with the support of local trainers. The business plans will be evaluated by the respective thematic EIT KIC’s evaluation committee. Based on the accepted proof documents and the business plans, KICs will invite the best 36 teams – 6 per each thematic field – to deliver a pitch at the EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final event.
This is the final pitching competition of the EIT Jumpstarter program organized together by EIT Health, EIT RawMaterials, EIT Food, EIT InnoEnergy, EIT Urban Mobility and EIT Manufacturing in November 2021. The teams will be grouped into seven thematic sessions (Health, Food, RawMaterials, Innoenergy, Manufacturing, Urban Mobility and New European Bauhaus), where six teams will pitch and compete. The teams will pitch their idea in front of an expert Jury, composed of KICs staff and partners.
The top 3 winners will be selected in each thematic field by the Jury and awarded:
Since the prizes are intended to incentivize the product or service development efforts, aimed at commercialization of innovative solutions by start-up companies, in the thematic fields of healthcare, food, energy, urban mobility, manufacturing they will be distributed only to teams setting up new business enterprises.
Please note that Finalists in the following thematic fields: healthcare, food, energy, urban mobility, manufacturing need to register their startup company and provide KICs with a registration proof or equivalent document in order to be eligible for financial prizes at the Grand Final. In the thematic fields of RawMaterials and New European Bauhaus, the company registration is not a requirement towards the prize winners.
EIT Jumpstarter is suitable for individuals with innovative business idea in the healthcare, agri-food, raw materials, energy, urban mobility, manufacturing or New European Bauhaus thematic field who want to gain a practical insight what it means to run a business and establish a start-up.
The competition is open to all individuals and teams of natural persons permanent settled or citizen of the EIT RIS eligible countries (further specified in point 3.e below). Natural person: Researchers, master and PhD students or research groups from universities and research organizations; professionals, entrepreneurs or idea owners that have an idea/ solution that is targeting the above mentioned markets and want to start a company.
The applications can be submitted either by a single idea holder or by a team of persons represented by a contact person. There is no pre-set number of members in a team, but maximum two (2) members are eligible for financing. The participation of a team is welcome and appreciated in the evaluation, especially when the team is covering different competences required in running a start-up. However, a maximum number of two (2) members per team is eligible to take part in the EIT Jumpstarter program.
Additional eligibility criteria are:
a. Proposals must be in English.
b. Incomplete submissions, or submissions via any other routes (e.g., email) will not be accepted.
c. The idea must be within the scope of the main challenges
d. Additional information such as weblink to the project, or a presentation can be uploaded to support your application. These additional documents are not mandatory, and please be aware that the reviewers may not consider these attachments as basis for their evaluation.
e. Countries eligible to take part in the programme from Cross-KIC RIS project are: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Romania, Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine and Kosovo1
f. Additional eligible countries in RawMaterials field: all Horizon 2020 eligible countries
g. Additional eligible countries in Food field: all countries eligible for Horizon Europe funding under condition that only up to 1 cohort out of 5 selected idea holders or startup founders are the citizens or residents of other than listed in point (e) countries eligible for HE funding.
h. Countries eligible to take part in the programme from Cross-KIC Western Balkans project are: Albania, Bosnia Hercegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia
1 Only individuals are accepted to participate in the program from Kosovo.
Financing is based on teams, no matter if the team is represented by 1 or 2 members. Team members are sharing their costs and will be reimbursed using eligibility criteria and reporting documents.
Successful applicants will receive support for covering their travel, accommodation, and other project development and start-up creation costs in two stages:
Prizes in each thematic fields at the EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final are:
and one Special prize available for all finalists regardless of their thematic field: 5,000€
These are non-dilutive awards.
Participants of the former editions of the EIT JumpStarter cannot receive any financial support at any stage of the competition.
The applications submitted to EIT Health, EIT RawMaterials, EIT Food, EIT Innoenergy, EIT Manufacturing and EIT Urban Mobility for the EIT Jumpstarter are handled under confidentiality. Everybody that comes in contact with the applications during the review process is bound by confidentiality agreements. By applying for the Competition, applicants consent to accessing, keeping and using their data by the KICs for the purposes of the Competition.
Applicants retain full and exclusive ownership of their prior information and intellectual property rights. The organizer and their authorized representatives in the program undertake to ensure the confidentiality of the ideas and projects presented and developed throughout the Competition.
✓ Deadline for submitting business ideas: 16 April 2021 at 23:59 CET
✓ Selection of ideas and invitation of the bootcamps: 16th May 2021.
✓ Bootcamps will be held online in June 2021 (to be defined)
✓ Local joint trainings: September 2021 (to be defined)
✓ Grand Final: November 2021 (to be defined)
Dates could change, but the organization will report them appropriately.
Contact from EIT Health: Ms. Anna Péli
Contact from EIT RawMaterials: Mr. Markus Klein
Contact from EIT Food: Mr. Adam Strzelecki
Contact from EIT Innoenergy: Mr. Kamil Szydlowski
Contact from EIT Manufacturing: Mr. Adam Sebestyen
Contact from EIT Urban Mobility: Mr. Bence Huba
Contact from EIT Urban Mobility: Ms. Anna Péli
More information on EIT Jumpstarter: https://eitjumpstarter.eu/
Last updated on: February 5 2021, Full Version