Calling2Scale Gunma: Gateway to Japan 2026 – Call for Applications

Calling2Scale Gunma:Gateway to Japan 2026 is a three-month hybrid cascade funding programme delivered by EIT Food to connect advanced European startups with Gunma-based corporates for market-entry, PoC and pilot development in Japan. The call targets legally incorporated entities in EU Member States or Horizon Europe-associated countries with market-ready products at TRL 7+ and evidence of at least one completed funding round. Up to 14 startups will be selected, each receiving a fixed lump-sum sub-grant of €2,200 (total call budget €30,800) plus training, corporate matchmaking and an immersion lab in Japan. Applications must be submitted in English via the MyEITFood portal by 3 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time and will be evaluated through an eligibility check, scored written application and shortlisted interviews.

What it funds

Overview

A curated market-entry and corporate-collaboration programme that connects advanced European start-ups with Gunma Prefecture and participating Japanese corporates to develop PoC pathways, pilot projects and market-entry roadmaps. Selected start-ups receive programme delivery (training, corporate meetings, immersion lab) and a fixed lump-sum travel/accommodation sub-grant.

Financials:Total programme funding available: €30,800. Each selected start-up receives a pre-fixed lump-sum sub-grant of €2,200 to support travel and accommodation for the Immersion Lab in Japan ¹.

1. 1Who can apply: legal entities incorporated in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe-associated country eligible for Pillar III activities; must provide a PIC.
2. 2Product requirements: market-ready solution at Technology Readiness Level 7 or higher and evidence of at least one completed funding round (seed or later).
3. 3Programme capacity and selection: maximum of 14 start-ups selected. Two-stage evaluation (written application scored on Excellence, Impact, Implementation; then 30-minute online interview).

Application essentials:submit one application in English via the MyEITFood portal by the deadline; include incorporation certificate, evidence of TRL 7+, proof of a completed funding round and a pitch deck. Selection threshold: minimum 11/15 on written evaluation and minimum scores per criterion; interview minimum score required.

Footnotes

1. 1Official call details, guidelines and application portal are available on the programme webpage: Calling2Scale Gunma.

Opportunity summary

Calling2Scale Gunma:Gateway to Japan 2026 is a curated international market entry and corporate collaboration programme funded under the Cross KIC EIT Regional Innovation and Internationalisation Business Plan 2026. The activity is implemented through the 26-28 XKIC Regional Innovation Internationalisation project (grant agreement 101270107). The call opens on 3 August 2026 and applications must be submitted in English via the MyEITFood portal by 3 September 2026 at 17:00 CET. Selection is for advanced European start-ups with market ready products seeking access to the Japanese market and collaboration with Gunma Prefecture and participating Gunma-based companies.

Key dates:Opening date 03 August 2026. Deadline 03 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. Participation runs from selection until 15 December 2026 and includes online activities from October to early December and a five-day Immersion Lab in Gunma and Tokyo during the week of 24 November 2026.

Total funding available:Total budget allocated to this call is €30 800. Each selected start-up will receive a pre fixed lump sum sub grant of €2 200 to support travel and accommodation related to the Immersion Lab in Japan.

Who can apply and eligibility

Eligibility is restricted to legally incorporated entities established in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe associated country eligible for Pillar III activities. Applicants must provide a PIC number, have a market ready product at Technology Readiness Level 7 or higher, and have completed at least one funding round (for example seed or later). Each applicant may submit only one application and must address one of the innovation challenge areas presented by the participating Japanese corporates. Applications must be complete, submitted through the MyEITFood portal, written entirely in English and submitted by the deadline.

Selection and evaluation process

The selection process has multiple steps:an initial eligibility and admissibility check, a Phase 1 evaluation of the application form by independent external evaluators, a Phase 2 online interview for shortlisted applicants, and a final ranking combining both phase scores. Up to five highest ranked threshold passing applicants per participating corporate are invited to Phase 2. A maximum of 14 start ups will be selected overall.

1. 1Eligibility and admissibility check: verification of legal incorporation in eligible country, PIC, TRL 7 or higher, evidence of at least one completed funding round, relevance to corporate challenge areas, completeness and timely submission through MyEITFood portal.
2. 2Phase 1 application evaluation: assessed by independent external evaluator against three criteria Excellence, Impact, Quality and efficiency of implementation. Each criterion scored 0 to 5. Applicants must achieve at least 11 out of 15 overall and at least 3 out of 5 for each criterion. Up to five top applicants per participating corporate progress to Phase 2.
3. 3Phase 2 online interview: up to 30 minutes with representatives of Gunma Prefecture, participating Gunma based companies and EIT Food. Interview scored 0 to 5 with minimum required score of 3.
4. 4Final ranking: Phase 1 score counts for 60 percent and Phase 2 interview counts for 40 percent. Selection subject to available places and portfolio composition rules. Maximum of 14 start ups selected. All applicants receive written outcome and structured evaluation feedback.

Required supporting documents

• Incorporation or registration certificate
• Evidence demonstrating TRL 7 or higher
• Evidence of at least one completed funding round
• Pitch deck

Programme activities and support offered

1. 1Six online market entry training sessions (Online Bootcamp)
2. 2Structured one to one meetings with participating Japanese corporates between 9 October and 13 November 2026
3. 3Five day Immersion Lab in Gunma and Tokyo during the week of 24 November 2026 including corporate site visits, matchmaking, workshops and Proof of Concept scoping
4. 4Closing virtual sessions focused on follow up and next steps in early December 2026
5. 5Submission of final report and proof of participation by 15 December 2026
6. 6Lump sum sub grant of €2 200 per selected start up to support travel and accommodation for the Immersion Lab in Japan

Structured categorisation answers

Eligible Applicant Types

Primary eligible applicants are start ups established as legally incorporated entities in EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries eligible for Pillar III activities. The call specifically targets start ups with a market ready product at TRL 7 or above that have completed at least one funding round. Other applicant types such as SMEs in general and potentially small R D intensive companies would fit the start up profile, but universities, research institutes, large enterprises, individual applicants and NGOs are not the intended primary beneficiaries based on the eligibility criteria.

Funding Type

The primary financial mechanism is a grant delivered as a pre fixed lump sum sub grant. The call is part of a cascade funding model under an EU funded project and provides non repayable financial support to selected start ups for travel and accommodation related to participation in the Immersion Lab.

Consortium Requirement

Single applicant is expected. There is no requirement to form a consortium. Each start up applies as a single legal entity and receives the lump sum irrespective of number of team members participating.

Beneficiary Scope Geographic Eligibility

Eligible applicants must be legal entities established in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe associated country eligible for Pillar III activities. The call is targeted at entities within the EU and Horizon Europe associated countries; it is not open to worldwide international applicants outside those categories.

Target Sector

The programme is sector agnostic within the food innovation and agri food value chain focus associated with EIT Food activities. It targets advanced start ups whose solutions match participating Japanese corporates innovation challenge areas. The call text emphasizes market entry, corporate collaboration, Proof of Concept and pilot development but does not list specific technology domains. Expected relevant thematic areas include agri food innovation, food technology, supply chain solutions, and corporate open innovation use cases aligned with Gunma based companies.

Mentioned Countries

Explicitly mentioned jurisdictions:Gunma Prefecture in Japan and Japan as the target market for immersion activities. Applicant home countries must be in the European Union or Horizon Europe associated countries eligible for Pillar III activities; the call text does not list specific associated countries by name.

Project Stage

Targeted project maturity is demonstration to market ready. Applicants must have a market ready product at Technology Readiness Level 7 or higher, which corresponds to a system prototype demonstrated in operational environment and ready for pilots, Proof of Concept activities and market entry.

Funding Amount

The overall call budget is €30 800. Each selected start up receives a fixed lump sum of €2 200. With a maximum of 14 start ups to be selected, the per start up allocation matches the stated lump sum and the total budget is consistent with selecting up to 14 participants.

Application Type

This is an open single stage competitive call with applications submitted through the MyEITFood portal. The call is not rolling; there is a single application window with a fixed deadline of 3 September 2026 at 17:00 CET. Applications by email, late submissions or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Nature of Support

Selected beneficiaries receive monetary support in the form of a lump sum sub grant of €2 200 as well as substantial non monetary services: market entry training, corporate matchmaking and one to one meetings, immersion visits, workshops, Proof of Concept scoping and follow up support. The offer therefore combines monetary and non monetary forms of support.

Application Stages

There are four main stages in the application and selection process:1 eligibility and admissibility check, 2 Phase 1 written application evaluation, 3 Phase 2 online interview, and 4 final ranking and selection. Operationally applicants submit one application and, if shortlisted, attend an interview.

Success Rates

Success rates are not explicitly published in absolute percentages. The call will select a maximum of 14 start ups. The number of applications expected is not stated; historical programme experience for curated international acceleration calls often results in single digit to low double digit selection rates depending on interest. Applicants should consider selection competitive given the requirement to pass score thresholds and portfolio composition rules.

Co funding Requirement

No co funding from applicants is required for the lump sum travel and accommodation support. There is no explicit requirement for co financing of programme activities. Start ups will need to cover their own costs outside the lump sum or secure additional resources for extended pilot or Proof of Concept activities beyond the Immersion Lab as needed.

Templates and application structure

Applications must be submitted through the MyEITFood portal in English. The call references a call guidelines document, handbook and an application portal available from the Calling2Scale Gunma webpage. The application form is evaluated against Excellence, Impact and Quality and efficiency of implementation. Typical required elements and structured inputs include applicant identification and PIC, proof of incorporation, TRL evidence, funding round evidence, a pitch deck and responses describing the start up solution, alignment to a specific corporate innovation challenge, expected impact and implementation plan for participation in the programme. Applicants should prepare a concise pitch deck and evidence documents in advance and draft clear answers mapped to the three evaluation criteria, including measurable impact indicators, commercial readiness and implementation capacity. Use the programme guidance documents available on the Calling2Scale Gunma webpage and the MyEITFood portal for the exact form fields and templates.

Applicants must consult the Calling2Scale Gunma webpage and call guidelines for the definitive application form, portal link and handbook prior to submission. All applications must be written in English and completed via the MyEITFood portal by the deadline. Late or incomplete applications or applications submitted by email will not be accepted.

This call is delivered under the Cross KIC EIT Regional Innovation and Internationalisation Business Plan 2026 through project 26 28 XKIC Regional Innovation Internationalisation, grant agreement 101270107. For official reference and full call materials consult the EU Funding and Tenders Portal opportunity page Calling2Scale Gunma opportunity page. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Call reference and full documentation available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal opportunity page and on the Calling2Scale Gunma webpage. Applicants should follow the portal link to access the call guidelines, handbook and the MyEITFood application portal.

This cascade funding call supports advanced European startups and scale-ups that want to enter the Japanese market and work with Gunma-based corporates on defined innovation challenges.[1][2] It is delivered through EIT Food under the Cross-KIC EIT Regional Innovation and Internationalisation Business Plan 2026.[1][2]

What the opportunity is about

The programme is a three-month hybrid market-entry and corporate-collaboration initiative that connects selected startups with Japanese corporates, Gunma Prefecture, and EIT Food to develop collaboration opportunities, proof-of-concept pathways, pilot project ideas, and market-entry roadmaps.[1]

Who can apply

• Legally incorporated entities established in an EU Member State or in a Horizon Europe-associated country eligible for Pillar III activities.[1][6]
• Applicants must provide a PIC number.[1][6]
• Applicants must have a market-ready product at TRL 7 or above.[1][6]
• Applicants must have completed at least one funding round, such as seed or later.[1][6]
• Each application must address one innovation challenge from the participating Japanese corporates.[1]
• Applicants may submit only one application, and it must be submitted in English through the MyEITFood portal.[1]

Participating corporate challenge areas

Funding and practical support

Total funding available:€30,800 is published as the total funding available for the call.[2]

Support per selected startup:Each selected startup receives a fixed lump sum sub-grant of €2,200 to support travel and accommodation for the Immersion Lab in Japan.[1]

Selection scale:Up to 14 startups will be selected, and the financial support is awarded per startup regardless of the number of team members participating.[1][2]

Programme format and duration

Selection and evaluation process

1. 1Eligibility and admissibility are checked first. Applications must be complete, on time, written entirely in English, submitted through the MyEITFood portal, and aligned with one of the thematic challenge areas.[1]
2. 2Phase 1 evaluates the application form against Excellence, Impact, and Quality and efficiency of implementation, each scored from 0 to 5.[1]
3. 3Applicants must score at least 11 out of 15 overall and at least 3 out of 5 in each criterion to pass Phase 1.[1]
4. 4Up to five of the highest-ranked threshold-passing applicants per participating corporate are invited to a Phase 2 online interview of up to 30 minutes.[1]
5. 5Phase 2 is scored from 0 to 5, with a minimum required score of 3.[1]
6. 6Final ranking uses a 60 percent weight for the Phase 1 score and a 40 percent weight for the interview score.[1]
7. 7All applicants receive written notification of the outcome and structured evaluation feedback.[1]

Required supporting documents

• Incorporation or registration certificate.[1]
• Evidence demonstrating TRL 7 or higher.[1]
• Evidence of at least one completed funding round.[1]
• Pitch deck.[1]

What applicants should know

This opportunity is best suited to later-stage startups with a validated product and a clear corporate collaboration use case in Japan.[1] The programme is designed for teams that can credibly pursue Proof of Concept work, pilot projects, and structured market-entry planning rather than early-stage technology development.[1]

For applicants, the strongest practical value is the direct access to Japanese corporates, the chance to test product-market fit in a demanding market, and the small but useful travel support attached to the in-person immersion phase.[1][2]