Challenge Lab 2026: seven weeks of food innovation
Applications closed on 13 Oct 2026.
The programme is running. Teams present their solutions at the DemoDay on 4 December 2026 in Prague.
A seven-week hybrid programme in which teams of five work on real challenges from food companies. October to December 2026, Prague and online, together with EIT Food and UCT Prague.
What you get
Real challenges from Beavia and Jídelní plán
EIT Food certificate and feedback from UCT Prague and DEX IC experts
CZK 20,000 for the winning team
What it is about
Challenge Lab is for students, graduates, innovators and founders who want to move food forward with their own ideas. Each team has five people with different skills and picks one of the prepared challenges.
Who can apply
- Students of any field, graduates, founders and innovators
- About 4 to 6 hours of teamwork a week
How it works
- 1
20 Oct 2026, Prague
Kick-off: teams, challenge selection, problem definition
- 2
27 Oct – 24 Nov 2026, online
Three workshops: prototype, business model, pitch
- 3
4 Dec 2026, Prague
DemoDay at UCT Prague and announcement
EIT Food, UCT Prague and DEX Innovation Centre
Open opportunities