Editor’s Note: This post has been created in collaboration and with financial support from EIT Food. If you’re also interested in partnering with us, just reach out.
Are you a woman entrepreneur willing to develop your business idea in the agrifood sector? Or are you looking for mentoring and support in developing your product or services? Discover the rising female entrepreneurial stars’ experience with the EIT Food’s programme Empowering Women in Agrifood in 2022 and join the new edition in 2024! EIT Food is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.
Insights from EWA Alumni
EIT Food conducted a survey to monitor the progress of female entrepreneurs who received support from the Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) Programme in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in 2022. EWA programme invites female entrepreneurs with a startup at a very early stage of development but also participants only with a business idea. In 2022 more than half of the respondents joined the EWA programme with already registered company. Some of the participants have managed to transform the idea they were working on during the EWA programme into a registered startup and 11 of them confirmed they introduced new product or service on the market after finishing the EWA programme.
The survey revealed a diverse range of participants in terms of their business development stages within the EWA programme. The participants spanned from those at the Basic Principles stage to those with Proven Operational Systems. Notably, the second most frequently mentioned stage of business development among alumni was the Final Phase, following Experimental Proof of Concept. This underscores the varied and progressing nature of ideas nurtured within the programme.
25% of respondents acknowledged securing external funding—regional, national, or international — apart from support provided by EIT Food for their business ideas post the EWA programme. The reported amounts obtained by the female entrepreneurs varied, ranging from €500 to €135,000.
The vast majority (90%) of EWA alumni, included in the monitoring activity, were very satisfied with the fact that they took part in EWA programme in 2022. Among key benefits gained through this experience, mentees mentioned networking, motivating and supportive community, great mentors and teachers, financial education, improvement of personal presentation, pitching and sales skills.
The main goal of the monitoring was to learn about the future entrepreneurial journeys of EWA 2022 graduates to improve the structure of the programme, including better clarification of application criteria and improvement of mentoring and training processes best to adapt them to the needs of programme female participants. As EIT Food continues to champion the cause of female entrepreneurs in Europe, the survey results underscore the program’s efficacy in fostering a supportive ecosystem. The findings shows that the programme is working well in creating a supportive environment and also emphasize the tangible outcomes, such as the registration of new startups. Through initiatives like EWA, EIT Food is contributing significantly to empowering women in the agrifood industry, fostering innovation and driving positive change in the entrepreneurship in the Central and Eastern Europe.
Programme Overview
Empowering Women in Agrifood programme aims to provide comprehensive support for early-stage female entrepreneurs in using their potential, providing them with appropriate knowledge and access to a wide network of contacts to successfully set up and develop a sustainable business in the agrifood industry.
The programme has already supported 370 female entrepreneurs in seventeen European countries for the past four years. For six months EWA Mentees participate in workshops, dedicated trainings and events while developing ideas under the individual supervision of a professional female or male Mentor. At the end of the programme, participants pitch their business ideas in front of a wide audience. This performance adds the last point to the final score for each Mentee, who may be selected to receive a final grant of €10,000 or €5,000.
Get to know the participants of the EWA programme and read more about their impressions after six-month adventure here.
Join EWA 2024
The 5 th edition of the EWA programme will take place in 2024. The programme is conducted in local languages, and the exact list of eligible countries will be confirmed at the beginning of 2024. The programme is organized around the following steps:
1. Open application for EWA programme’s participants: April – June
2. Evaluation and selection of applicants: May – June
3. Matchmaking activity – creating mentoring pairs (Mentee & Mentor): June – July
4. Mentoring and training process including Masterclass activity: June – November
5. Pitching day (final event at local level): November
6. Women in Agrifood Summit – final international event summarizing whole EWA programme: December
Find more details about the programme here.
About EIT Food
Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) is a project under the support of EIT Food. EIT Food is the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation community. They accelerate innovation to build a future-fit food system that produces healthy and sustainable food for all.
Supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, they invest in projects, organisations and individuals that share their goals for a healthy and sustainable food system. EIT Food unlocks innovation potential in businesses and universities and create and scale agrifood startups to bring new technologies and products to market. They equip entrepreneurs and professionals with the skills needed to transform the food system and put consumers at the heart of their work, helping build trust by reconnecting them to the origins of their food. Find out more about EIT Food via their website, or follow them on social media.
