Under the EIT Higher Education Initiative Community
EIT Urban Mobility invites startups created or supported by projects funded by the EIT Higher Education Initiative to submit their applications to participate in the second edition of the HEIPowered Startup Pitch Competition.
The main objective of this competition is to further accelerate the growth of HEI-supported startups, strengthen their market readiness, scalability, and long-term sustainability, and contribute to a stronger entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem in Europe.
This is a unique opportunity for early-stage startups to showcase their ventures and compete for funding, mentorship, and increased visibility.
The competition will consist of two stages: Stage 1 – Online Proposal Submission and Stage 2 – In-Person Startup Pitch Competition.
Stage 1: Online Proposal
Within the first stage, startups will submit an online application, including a Pitch Deck presentation. Based on the evaluation of these applications, the top five-ranked startups will be selected and invited to the in-person Startup Pitch Competition (second stage), scheduled to take place in Q4 2026 in a European city.
Stage 2: In-person Startup Pitch Competition and Selection
In the second stage, the five shortlisted startups will present their ventures through live pitches at the in-person event. Following the presentations, three winners will be selected to receive:
- Cash fund:
- 1st place: 15.000€
- 2nd place: 10.000€
- 3rd place: 5.000€
- Mentorship:
- The three winning startups will each receive 8 hours of individualized mentoring from a pool of expert mentors.
- Additionally, the two remaining finalists will each receive 3 hours of individualized mentoring.
EIT funding allocation
The funding allocated to this Prize is 30,000 EUR. The amounts will be allocated in the form of a lump sum as follows:
- 1st place: 15.000€
- 2nd place: 10.000€
- 3rd place: 5.000€
Who can apply?
Startups that were created or supported through a project funded by the EIT Higher Education Initiative and have been officially reported by their project (Cohorts 1–3 and Cohort 4, Phase 1) are eligible to apply. Please refer to Annex 1 – List of Projects Funded by the EIT Higher Education Initiative in the Call Manual.
Eligible startups must be registered legal entities in a Member State of the European Union and/or a third country associated with Horizon Europe. They must have a proof of concept, prototype, or minimum viable product (MVP), and must not have been among the top three winners of the first edition of the HEI Powered Startup Pitch Competition.
How can you apply?
Ensure at least one representative of the startup is registered to the EIT Higher Education Initiative Community and submit your online application through the EIT Urban Mobility Programmes Portal (NetSuite) (see section 7.2 of the Call Manual for submission steps).
Key dates:
Stage 1:
- Call publication/opening: 8 June 2026
- Info session: 22 June, 12 pm – 1pm
- Deadline for applications: 8 July 2026 (17.00 CET)
- Admissibility and eligibility check: Up to 1 week post-submission deadline.
- Online Proposal Evaluation and invitation to the in-person Startup Pitch Competition: Up to 2 weeks post-submission deadline.
- Communication of the startups that go to Stage 2: 29-31 July 2026
- Deadline for startups to confirm their participation to the in-person Startup Pitch Competition: 14 September 2026
Stage 2:
- In-person Startup Pitch Competition and selection of the three winners: Q4 2026 (city and date tbc)
- Signature of the prize declaration: Up to 30 days after the Startup Pitch Competition
- Prize instalment: after the contracting and validation are finalised.
List of documents to take into consideration
Info webinars
To help applicants prepare and submit their proposals, EIT Urban Mobility will host an information session on 22 June from 12 am to 1 pm. Register for the online informative session through the EIT Higher Education Initiative Community, with the following link. This event will focus on the prize content, the requirements and general procedures, such as the submission and evaluation process.
Contact details
All applicants may contact EIT Urban Mobility to answer any questions or address any concerns about the Call: [email protected]