EIT Food partnerships
EIT Food is a network of organisations that are complementary, demonstrate excellence in their domain and show commitment to the objectives of EIT Food.
Our partnership model is evolving
To maximise our impact and to truly make the food system future-fit, we need to create a strong, diverse partnership which engages in systems challenges aligned to our three missions:
- Healthier lives through food
- A net zero food system
- Managing risk for a fair and resilient food system
This will help us to focus on the strength of our portfolio rather than measuring success on individual project basis.
We also want to ensure we are recognising and meeting the needs of our partners, who want to drive change in the agrifood sector in different ways. To do this, we are evolving our partnership model into a broader, more diverse partnership which focusses on impact at scale. We believe we are stronger and can have more impact when we collaborate together around our missions which address the key challenges our food system is currently facing.
To support evolution to this new partnership model, EIT Food will be investing more in our relationships with our partners, in accessing new funding opportunities, and in public affairs.
Our new partnership model includes three categories. These are based on the type of role that individual organisations want to play in the EIT Food community and are aligned to the services that we are delivering as a Knowledge Innovation Community (KIC).
Our 3 partnership categories
We believe in the value of diversity within our partnership. The size of your organisation does not determine the categories open to you, and our fee structure also reflects this. We want to encourage a range of organisations from across the agrifood sector to join each of our three different partnership categories - from startups, right through to large global corporates, universities and research organisations.
Choose the best path for your organisation.
Strategic partner
Delivery partner
Community member
Next Steps
If you are an existing EIT Food Partner, you should have received the new partnership contract and supporting documentation. To make the transition to the new partnership you simply need to sign the partnership contract and the declaration of size, both of which are done electronically through Adobe Sign. More information on the new partnership approach and all of the relevant documentation is available here on FoodHIVE (Documents | EIT FoodHIVE). Please do take a look, if you have any questions please email partnership@eitfood.eu or drop your regional contact an email.
If you are an organisation looking to join the partnership, please reach out to your regional contact, or complete the partnership application in the section below.
FAQs
What are the benefits of joining the EIT Food partnership?
We offer a range of benefits in each of our partnership categories. These benefits range from full access to our community, promotional opportunities, engaging on an EU level and one-to-one support from one of our Key Account Managers and lots more. Explore our full partnership offering in our PDF. Partnership offering EIT Food PDF
How much does it cost to become an EIT Food partner?
The cost is determined by the partnership category you choose and the size and turnover of your organisation. Our community membership ranges between €500-€2,500. Our delivery partner category ranges between €4,500-€30,000. Finally, our strategic partner category ranges from €11,250-€75,000. Explore our fees further. - EIT Food Partner Fee Structure December 2023
How do I sign-up to become an EIT Food Partner?
Please complete the “partner application form” on our EIT Food Partnerships page. Firstly, our partnership team is happy to help recommend the best partnership category for you. When you submit your form it is received by our partnership committee. Then your application is reviewed by our EIT Food executive management team. If your application is approved then we begin the onboarding process.
How can I speak to someone from EIT Food before I sign-up to be a Partner?
You can find and contact a representative from one of our EIT Food regions here.
- For Western Europe please contact: west@eitfood.eu
- For Southern Europe please contact: south@eitfood.eu
- For Northern and Eastern Europe please contact: clcnortheast@eitfood.eu
- If unsure, please contact: partnership@eitfood.eu
What documents need to be submitted to be fully onboarded as a partner?
Firstly, you need to submit a Partner Application Form to begin the process of becoming a partner. After your application is approved, you will be sent a “Declaration of Size” document followed by a “Partner Contract” or “Community Agreement” for signature, depending on the partnership category selected. Finally, you are invoiced and welcomed to our community
How can I modify my partnership level?
Strategic partners and delivery partners have the option to request to change their partner status from strategic partner to delivery partner or vice versa by submitting a request in writing to their key account manager or regional director. If community members would like to upgrade to a delivery or strategic, then they should contact their region for further information. If unsure, please contact your respective region or partnership@eitfood.eu to discuss further.
Who is in the EIT Food community?
What are the EIT Food missions and how can I get involved?
Our missions are healthier lives through food, a net zero food system and a fair and resilient food system. As a partner you can co-create and support mission-related activities. Learn more here.
What is the Impact Funding Framework and how can I get involved?
The Impact Funding Framework is our open call for funding, with multiple application windows up to and during 2025. We are funding large collaborative programmes related to our missions and single projects related to our priority areas. Learn more here.
As a partner, can I get involved in corporate venturing services and do I have to pay?
Yes, partners can get involved in our corporate venturing services. Strategic and delivery partners can receive a discounted fee on these services.
As a partner, are all EIT Food events free for me to attend?
This depends on your partnership category and how many representatives from your company you want to attend an event. Some events may be free, while others require a fee to attend.
Can I get an overview of all the EIT Food newsletters I can subscribe to?
You can subscribe to EIT Food’s “The Feed” newsletter for general news and stories. You can subscribe to our open calls newsletter for regular updates about funding opportunities. Please contact your region to find out about regional newsletters.Â
Do you have a tutorial about how to use the FoodHIVE community platform?
Yes, watch the tutorial here. FoodHIVE is our community platform where you can connect with other members of our network.
Can I receive communications support from EIT Food?
Yes, please visit our communications hub for answers to FAQs here
Why has our partnership model changed in 2023?
The reasons we evolved our partnership model are both a combination of strategic choice and necessity from our funders.
The EIT Food partnership was first formed in 2018 with the purpose of delivering a set of innovation programmes funded by EIT, and much has changed since then. We have achieved a lot together, and now in order to maximise our impact and to truly make the food system future-fit, we need to approach things differently. We want to fully embrace a missions-led approach, increase diversity within our partnership community and ensure our partners are able to engage in ways which best suit their organisational needs.
The evolution of the partnership model is also prompted by changes to Horizon Europe legislation, and the EIT regulations, which require us to both open up the partnership and decouple the payment of fees by partners from access to funding.
In our new partnership model, there is no link between being a partner and receiving funding for a project. This means you can be a partner and choose not to apply for any funding or engage in any projects, but still access the other benefits of being an active part of the EIT Food community; or you can be a non-partner organisation that chooses to participate in an EIT Food funded project through one of our open funding calls.
The new partnership model will enable us to become more financially independent and have more impact.
When did the new partnership model come into effect?
The new partnership model came into effect from 01 January 2023. We are working with new and existing partners to help choose the best partnership category for their organisation. If you are already a partner of EIT Food, you should have received the new partnership contract. If not, please email partnership@eitfood.eu. If you are interested in joining, please reach out to your regional representative, or complete the partnership application here (or in the section above).
Will partners who joined EIT Food before 2022 be automatically assigned to one of the new categories?
Our partners are not going to automatically get assigned to a new category. The three categories of partnership have been created to provide three options for our partners to choose from depending on what their needs are.
- If you are a partner that is really interested and engaged in the strategy for the agrifood sector, for either a specific region or within a focus area, then Strategic partner is probably the category for you.
- If, on the other hand, your focus is really on project delivery and you want support to build a network, build consortia and put strong bids in, then we can help you do that as a Delivery partner.
- And if what you want is to benefit from engagement with a really strong community of organisations and people and in the agrifood sector, then join us as a Community member.
There is no straight mapping from where a partner is today to where they are within the new model, it’s all about what services are best for you as an organisation.