Food Entrepreneurship to Accelerate Sustainability Transitions (FEAST)

Europe’s transition towards sustainable, resilient and healthy urban food systems requires strong entrepreneurship, innovation and cross-regional collaboration. Across Europe, local initiatives and start-ups are developing promising solutions for food production, distribution and consumption. However, these initiatives often operate in fragmented ecosystems and struggle to scale their impact. Strengthening cooperation between research, cities, innovation hubs, SMEs and policymakers is essential to accelerate transformation.
FEAST (Food Entrepreneurship to Accelerate Sustainability Transitions) aims to establish a strategically aligned and sustainable European research and innovation network focused on entrepreneurship and innovation in urban food system transitions. A key ambition is to jointly prepare and submit a competitive proposal to a forthcoming Horizon Europe call on empowering local urban food systems entrepreneurship and innovation.
To achieve this, FEAST will first develop a shared understanding of the call’s scope, expected outcomes and impact ambitions, and agree on a common strategic positioning. The partnership will actively expand and consolidate a balanced European consortium, bringing together knowledge institutions, cities, innovation ecosystems and businesses. Roles, expertise and governance arrangements will be clearly defined to ensure effective collaboration.
Building on this foundation, partners will co-create a coherent, call-aligned project concept, including well-defined objectives, a structured work plan and a credible impact pathway. The consortium will then prepare a complete, internally reviewed and submission-ready proposal, ensuring consistency between objectives, activities, partner contributions and budget allocations.
Beyond a single proposal, FEAST will establish a multi-year roadmap for continued European collaboration. By aligning expertise and strengthening durable partnerships, the network will create a strong foundation for long-term cooperation and impactful innovation in Europe’s urban food system transition.