EIT Food, the world’s largest food innovation community, has announced a call for proposals to address one of the most critical food issues facing Europe and many other countries today – the impact that the Russian invasion has had on grain exports from Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Agriculture is seeking alternative ways, including an overland pipeline, to export large quantities of grain to mitigate their dependency on export by sea through ports affected by the Russian invasion. 

Functional and rapidly deployable grain transport system

To support this initiative, EIT Food is calling for proposals for a feasibility study for a functional and rapidly deployable grain transport system, meeting a series of criteria that have been specified by the Ukrainian government, including addressing the feasibility of long-distance grain transportation, over a minimum of 100km, up to 300-500km. 

Funding for the feasibility study is available to all organisations, both EIT Food partners and new applicants, from member states of the European Union (EU) and from Horizon Europe Associate Countries. 

A maximum grant of €300,000 is available to elaborate a feasibility study that will be presented to the Ukrainian government. More than one feasibility study may be funded. 

The call will be open from November 7, 2022, to January 6, 2023, with feasibility studies to be submitted by April 30, 2023. 

Further details on the criteria and how to apply can be found here. 

(EIT Food is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.)