On 25 November, the spotlight will turn to Budapest for the EIT Innovation Awards 2025, a must-attend ceremony where the most inspiring entrepreneurs, innovators, and change-makers from across the #EITCommunity will compete for 4 innovation prizes. The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) celebrates the entrepreneurial and societal achievements of its innovators. By highlighting ground-breaking innovations and the teams behind them, the EIT Awards inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs across Europe.
The EIT Awards also showcase how the EIT Community, Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem, supports the development of entrepreneurial skills, products and services which address Europe’s biggest challenges
From climate-neutral cities to healthier food systems, from cutting-edge digital solutions to life-saving biotech, these are the stories that will define the future of Europe’s competitiveness and resilience.
Join us for a day packed with:
- Inspiring pitches from Europe’s brightest innovators: the finalists of the EIT Awards, EIT Jumpstarter and the Red Kalyna initiatives
- Engaging keynotes and thought-provoking discussions
- Valuable networking opportunities with the EIT Community, investors, startups, and policymakers.
At the EIT Innovation Awards, three flagship events are coming together for the first time:
- The EIT Awards: celebrating excellence across four categories:
- Most Promising EIT Changemaker: a leader whose activities create significant social impact.
- Best Innovation Team: a diverse group pioneering a transformative product or service.
- Most Promising Venture: a startup within the EIT Community showing strong growth potential.
- Public Award: the community’s favourite innovation, chosen by public vote.
- The EIT Jumpstarter Grand Finale: after a seven-month pre-acceleration programme, early-stage innovators from moderate and emerging regions compete for prizes of up to EUR 10 000 across seven categories: Energy, Food, Health, New European Bauhaus, Raw Materials, Urban Mobility, and Rebuild Ukraine. Selection also takes place for EIT Jumpstarter Next, a track for alumni advancing validated ideas to market entry.
- The EIT Red Kalyna Celebrations: recognising Ukrainian women entrepreneurs, educators, researchers, and mentors who drive innovation and positive change, honouring groundbreaking products, solutions, and businesses that embody resilience and determination.
Together, these initiatives reflect the full circle of European innovation: no region left behind, every innovator recognised, no good idea unsupported. By connecting countries, sectors, and stages of development, the EIT acts as Europe’s bridge – from East to West, North to South, from the earliest pitch to global breakthrough.
The full day event will start with pitches of the EIT Jumpstarter finalists from 9.00 AM, with the main stage programme commencing at 11.20 AM (CET).
