As established in the EIT’s Strategic Innovation Agenda and by Horizon 2020, it was planned that two new KICs (or 'innovation communities') were to be established in 2016 to address the thematic fields of:

• EIT Food: Food4Future - Sustainable Supply Chain from Resources to Consumers; and
• EIT Manufacturing: Added-value Manufacturing.

The first step in the process leading up to the designation of the new innovation communities in the fourth quarter of 2016 was the publication of the Evaluation Criteria in October 2015, the Framework of Guidance in November 2015 followed by the launch of the Call for Proposals in January 2016. These criteria build on the principles set in the EIT Regulation and the EIT's core values. Aligned with the EIT's mission, these criteria will ensure that the designated KICs have all the elements needed for a KIC to be a KIC.

The EIT organised an Information Day for the 2016 Call for Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) Proposals to provide participants with information on the Call and guidance to potential applicants in submitting high quality and successful proposals. Presentations are available here. 

Submission of the proposals for EIT Food and EIT Manufacturing was through the Horizon 2020 Participant Portal:

• EIT Food
• EIT Manufacturing

The following background documents were made available to applicants: 

• EIT Monitoring Strategy
• Decision of the EIT Governing Board on "Principles on KICs' Financial Sustainability" 
• EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (EIT RIS) Implementation Guidance Note (31/03/2016)

Outcome of the 2016 Call

In November 2016, the winning team was selected following a thorough evaluation by external experts and the EIT Governing Board.

The winner of EIT Food (Sustainable Supply Chain from Resources to Consumers) – was FoodConnects, a consortium of 50 partners from 13 countries, including PepsiCo Inc., Fraunhofer, the University of Cambridge, the Polish Academy of Science, Robert Bosch GmbH, the Autonomous University of Madrid and Sodexo SA.

Thomas Hofmann from the Technical University of Munich, the key coordinating partner, said ‘We are thrilled to win. Our partnership will put Europe at the centre of a global revolution in food innovation and production. We will do this by delivering products, services and ideas that will contribute to the safety and sustainability of food across Europe. EIT Food will support the creation of 350 start-ups in the next seven years to help us achieve our goals.’

The EIT did not select an innovation community in the area of Added-value Manufacturing. After a thorough evaluation procedure and Hearings with the EIT Governing Board, the EIT Governing Board concluded that the proposal did not meet the excellence levels required to be designated as a KIC.

Download the EIT Food Factsheet.

Read the press release.

Read here the Independent Observer’s Final Report on the conduct of the evaluation process and application of the evaluation criteria by the evaluators

Further information on the Call for Proposals can be found in the documents below.