The EIT Jumpstarter program is an award-winning pre-acceleration program for participants who want to validate their idea and develop business skills in order to launch their own start-up.

The program is focused on talents coming from the countries of Central, Eastern and Southern Europe where currently the overall pace of innovation is moderate or modest. The EIT Jumpstarter program includes a creative community, advanced knowledge and experience, a unique program, expert trainers and mentors.

The program creates a new European community of innovators who can offer solutions to some of the global challenges such as climate change, the energy crisis, access to raw materials, health, well-being and active ageing, sustainable production or smart livable cities.During the seven-month program, participants will acquire a unique set of business skills necessary for future entrepreneurs, including business modeling and validation of market needs. They will be provided with the best possible networking, and know how to transfer innovation from the laboratory to the market and achieve potential influence in industries.

EIT Jumpstarter has already launched 70 start-ups and trained more than 750 researchers, scientists, experts.

The program is open to students, PhDs, researchers, entrepreneurs, idea owners from over 20 countries in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, including the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Turkey. 

Participants can submit their idea in one of nine categories:

• Health

• Food

• Raw materials

• Foreign energy

• Production

• Urban mobility

• Digital

• New European Bauhaus

• Construction of Ukraine.

The deadline for submitting business ideas is April 16, 2023. 

A total of 210 teams will be selected to participate in the first phase of the program - 20 for each thematic area with 30 additional teams from the Western Balkans. Online Bootcamps and group coaching will provide the fundamental qualitative and quantitative skills of developing an entrepreneurial idea, as well as the knowledge of presenting a business case to obtain funding from investors. Bootcamps will be organized online in May-June 2023, while local joint trainings will be organized in different European locations from July to September 2023.

 The 54 best teams will be chosen for the Final Event - 6 in each category, and the 3 best teams in each category (9 categories) will be awarded cash prizes:

·         1st prize: EUR 10,000

·         2nd prize: EUR 5,000

·         3rd prize: EUR 2,500.

Special prize for the best team coming from the Western Balkans: EUR 5,000. 

Application

EIT Jumpstarter terms and conditions

Source: EIT