Completed project · Science Division

EIT Food Challenge Labs
Macedonia 2025

A three-day national innovation event co-funded by the European Union through EIT Food, uniting entrepreneurs, researchers, students, and industry leaders around the future of agro-food in the Western Balkans.

EU Co-funded Food Innovation Agrifood Startup Competition
100+
Participants across 3 days
3
Winning startups funded
€1,500
In EU-backed vouchers awarded
2
Expert panel discussions
EIT Food Challenge Labs Macedonia 2025 — opening keynote at Mercedes-Benz Rooftop Skopje

About the project

Vita Nova Consulting, in partnership with EIT Food and co-funded by the European Union, organised the EIT Food Challenge Labs Macedonia 2025 as part of the Vita Nova Innovation Days — a flagship three-day event held 28–30 October 2025 across two Skopje venues.

The event brought together over 100 participants including young entrepreneurs, students, researchers, innovators, and senior industry professionals to collaborate on solutions to the most pressing challenges in the agro-food sector.

What we delivered

  • Two full days of workshops, pitching sessions, and mentoring at Javna Soba, Skopje (28–29 October)
  • A high-profile finale day at the Mercedes-Benz Rooftop, Skopje (30 October) with keynote presentations, expert panel discussions, and award ceremony
  • Two expert panel discussions featuring academics, clinicians, EU representatives, and industry leaders
  • A startup competition judged by an independent jury, with three winning teams receiving €500 EU-backed vouchers each
  • Networking sessions connecting participants with investors, mentors, and potential partners across the Western Balkans region

The winning startups

Three early-stage food and agri startups were selected by the jury and awarded €500 vouchers each to accelerate their development:

  • Dry Form — an innovative approach to food drying and preservation technology for the agro-food supply chain
  • Agri pHLY — agri-tech solution addressing soil health and precision farming challenges in the region
  • SynViozen — a synbiotics and functional nutrition startup targeting gut health and microbiome innovation

Our role

Vita Nova Consulting served as the lead implementing organisation — responsible for the full event design, programme curation, venue logistics, participant recruitment, jury selection, media outreach, and all EU co-funding compliance and reporting requirements.

This project demonstrates our ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder EU-funded programmes from concept through delivery and impact reporting.

The winning startups

Three teams were selected by an independent jury and each awarded a €500 EU-backed innovation voucher.

Winner 01
€500

Dry Form

An innovative food drying and preservation technology startup addressing post-harvest losses and supply chain efficiency in the agro-food sector.

Winner 02
€500

Agri pHLY

Agri-tech precision farming solution focused on soil health monitoring and data-driven agricultural decision-making for the Western Balkans.

Winner 03
€500

SynViozen

A functional nutrition and synbiotics startup targeting gut microbiome health, combining probiotic and prebiotic innovation for consumer wellness.

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