EIT Regional Innovation Booster
Backing Bold Start-ups. Building Stronger Regions
The EIT Regional Innovation Booster is a new flagship initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) – offering targeted support to start-ups and scale-ups in emerging and moderate innovator countries [1], helping them grow towards commercial success, access international markets, and attract further investment.
It is a tailor-made programme co-designed with national stakeholders to address the specific needs of start-ups and scale-ups. Initially launched in Poland in 2025 as a pre-pilot, it is now being scaled and rolled out across additional Member States, including Malta and Hungary.
The programme aims to simplify and enhance country-specific support by connecting existing funding and initiatives, offering the most promising start-ups a seamless path to commercial success and internationalisation. The EIT plans to invest at least €30 million in piloting the EIT Regional Innovation Booster until 2028.
[1] Based on the classification of innovation performance in the European Innovation Scoreboard 2025.
The first-ever EIT Regional Innovation Booster is being piloted in Poland, a dedicated effort to boost the growth of Polish start-ups and scale-ups. Backed by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and delivered in partnership with Poland’s Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, the 2025-2026 edition has offered tailored, long-term support to high-potential ventures, helping them grow nationally and scale across three markets – Germany, Spain and the Nordic countries.
The pilot phase focuses on ecosystem mapping, start-up selection and mentoring, internationalisation support, and strategic alignment with Poland’s smart specialisation priorities.
Want to learn more about EIT Regional Innovation Booster 2025-2026 pilot? Download the Presentation here.
Read Terms & Conditions here.
Applications are now closed.
Malta Edition 2026
By clicking “Apply here”, you will be redirected to the EIT Food general application form covering all supported areas. Malta is the second country in the world to launch a dedicated edition of the EIT Regional Innovation Booster. Delivered jointly by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and Xjenza Malta – Malta’s national agency for research and innovation – the 2026 edition offers a structured, three-stage internationalisation programme exclusively for Maltese start-ups and scale-ups at TRL 7 or higher.
Selected ventures will receive expert support and grants of up to 90,000 EUR to enter and scale across target European markets – Italy, France, or Germany – with top performers gaining additional access to the UK market.
Application Window: : 14 May 2026 – 15 July 2026 (23:59 CEST)
By clicking “Apply here”, you will be redirected to the EIT Food general application form covering all supported areas.
It’s Not yet Another Acceleration
The EIT Regional Innovation Booster aims to reduce fragmentation in Europe’s innovation landscape by aligning local, national, and EU-level initiatives into a seamless entrepreneurial support pathway — particularly in countries with untapped innovation potential.
Strategic, Country-by-Country Investment
We identify the most promising, market-ready ventures country-by-country and give them the push they need to go further.
Tailored Support, No Templates
EIT Regional Innovation Booster offers custom-built, venture-specific support packages: technical de-risking, go-to-market planning, regulatory readiness, and commercial partnerships— co-designed with local stakeholders and aligned with existing EU and national schemes.
Plug-In to Europe’s Innovation Power Grid
EIT Regional Innovation Booster ensures that scale-ready ventures are connected to the EU’s top-tier innovation networks.
Committed, Long-Term Partnership
We work in direct partnership with national authorities, aligning support with regional priorities and industrial strategies. That means your venture gets traction not just from capital and mentoring, but from ecosystem alignment and visibility.
The Malta edition is delivered in direct partnership with Xjenza Malta - aligning programme objectives with Malta's national research and innovation priorities. Together with the EIT Community and national authorities, we are committed to long-term engagement - supporting selected ventures actively through to market entry and beyond.
You’ve built the technology. We help you take it to international markets
The Malta 2026 edition is exclusively open to Maltese start-ups and scale-ups - apply before 16 July 2026
Eligibility Criteria
- A for-profit small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) as defined by the EU SME definition.
- Legally registered with headquarters in Malta and maintaining active business operations in Malta prior to the opening of this call.
- Applying as a single entity - consortium submissions are not permitted.
- Not a sole trader; only registered legal entities are eligible.
- The applicant must own the IPR or hold full exploitation rights of the solution to be promoted in the target market.
- The sum of grants previously received from EIT must not exceed 60,000 EUR.
- The solution must be at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 or higher, indicating a mature product nearing or ready for market deployment.
- The solution must demonstrate clear potential for commercialisation and scalability in international markets.
- Deep tech solutions (rooted in cutting-edge scientific advances) are strongly encouraged, though not mandatory.
- The entity must have a minimum of 1-2 FTEs working at the time of proposal submission.
- A maximum of two co-founding members or management representatives per entity may participate in programme activities to ensure training quality. In justified cases, the EIT RIB Coordinator may admit additional team members to specific activities.
- To be eligible for Stage 2, the entity must have at least a CEO, CTO, or COO engaged on a full-time basis by the end of Stage 1. Personnel costs may be partially covered through the grant.
Applications must fall within one of the following thematic areas, each supported by an EIT Knowledge and Innovation Community:
- Climate innovation for place-based transformation at the local level - powered by Climate KIC
- Digital Tech, Digital Cities, Digital Industry, Digital Wellbeing, Digital Finance - powered by 28Digital
- Food & Agritech - powered by EIT Food
- Healthcare - powered by EIT Health
- Energy and Renewables - powered by InnoEnergy
- Metals, Minerals, Industrial Side Streams - powered by EIT RawMaterials
- Urban Mobility - powered by EIT Urban Mobility
- Culture, Audiovisual, and Creative Sectors - powered by EIT Culture and Creativity
We support start-ups and scale-ups developing innovative solutions, services, products, or business models that address relevant societal challenges in line with the thematic areas listed above. The venture must have a clear intent to scale up - expanding its workforce, revenue, or market presence - into one of the following target markets: Italy, Germany, or France. Top-performing participants in Stage 3 will additionally receive access to the UK market.
Deep tech dimension: Deep tech solutions are strongly encouraged but not mandatory. For EIT RIB, deep tech refers to technologies rooted in cutting-edge scientific advances that require continuous engagement with new research. Deep tech innovations have the potential to deliver transformative solutions combining advances in the physical, biological, and digital domains. (Definition based on the EIC Work Programme 2025)
- Solutions that can be used for both civilian and non-offensive defence purposes are allowed.
- Purely military technologies are not eligible.
Applicants must demonstrate early market traction through at least one of the following:
- Proof of customer traction in Malta - ideally Letters of Intent (LoI) or similar agreements with existing clients validating the technology.
- Funds obtained from other public and/or private sources for the proposed solution.
Priority is given to applicants with established sales and external investment, or those who are advanced and on track in these areas.
- Entities must have no ties (founders, shareholders, partners, or otherwise) to the Russian Federation and/or the Republic of Belarus.
- Entities must not be subject to any of the exclusion criteria set out in the Terms & Conditions, including: personal bankruptcy; bans from public procurement or professional duties; grave professional misconduct; fraud, corruption, money laundering, or terrorism-related offences; child labour or human trafficking; significant deficiencies in past EU contracts; or conflict of interest.
The EIT and the European Commission are strongly committed to gender equality in research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Proposals are expected to reflect gender balance within entity management teams. Additional weight will be given during evaluation to how gender aspects are addressed, in line with Horizon Europe requirements.
Note: During the Stage 1 selection process, ventures led or co-led by women will be awarded an additional evaluation point.
- Submit your application in English through the online application form before 15 July 2026 at 23:59 CEST. Late applications will not be accepted.
- Complete all required tabs in the application form. Incomplete submissions or submissions via any other means (e.g. email) will be rejected.
- Each applicant must use a unique email address. Multiple submissions from the same entity are not permitted.
- Team members may not participate in more than one submitted application simultaneously.
- Applicants are strongly advised to familiarise themselves with the full application form and begin at least 24 hours before the deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
No — the call is specifically designed for startups planning to scale into Germany, Spain, or the Nordic countries. Eligibility requires a “clear intent to scale… to one or more of the following markets: Nordic countries, Germany and Spain”.
You must be at TRL 7 or higher (technology ready for market deployment), i.e., beyond the idea or prototype stage. This means the product is almost market-ready, not just an idea or early MVP.
Yes — this category broadly covers innovative solutions in agriculture and food systems, which includes pet food. If your solution is a novel or scalable innovation in that sector, it is eligible.
Stage 1 doesn’t allocate direct funding; it grants access to bootcamps, mentoring, and matchmaking.
Stage 2, led by Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, will offer de minimis grants—this will be specified in an additional call.
Yes. The document does not require the same individuals who apply or participate in Stage 1 bootcamps to be the same during later stages. Delegated people implementing or representing the start‑up in bootcamps or mentoring can change, subject to programme team acceptance. There is no formal restriction that all the same people must attend each event.
Terms & Conditions, page 7: Deep Tech definition for EIT RIB programme - Deep tech is technology that is based on cuttingedge scientific advances and discoveries and is characterised by the need to stay at the technological forefront by constant interaction with new ideas and results from the lab. Deep tech innovations are understood to be those that have the potential to deliver transformative solutions, rooted in cuttingedge science, technology and engineering, including innovation that combines advances in the physical, biological and digital spheres. Deep tech is distinct from ‘high tech’ which tends to refer only to R&D intensity.
Want to learn more about EIT Regional Innovation Booster Malta 2026? Download the Presentation below.
Partners
For More Information about EIT Regional Innovation Booster please contact:
General inquires: Marta Kaczmarek at marta.kaczmarek@eithealth.eu
Malta edition: Adam Strzelecki: adam.strzelecki@eitfood.eu