CALL FOR STARTUPS

Pitch Competition Mediterranean Innovation Agrifood Week 2025

Campus CIHEAM Bari, Valenzano (BA), Italy, 25–28 November 2025

Pitch Competition: 27 November 2025 open to startup that operate in the agrifood, green or blue sectors.

Organized by CIHEAM Bari in collaboration with Puglia Region, ARTI Puglia and Puglia Sviluppo.

About the Mediterranean Innovation Agrifood Week

The Mediterranean Innovation Agrifood Week is the annual gathering organized by CIHEAM Bari that brings together organizations, BSOs, companies, startups, experts, investors and changemakers to co-design sustainable and innovative visions for agri-food systems in the Mediterranean and Africa. This new edition will bring together representatives from more than 12 Med-Africa countries, 60 startups, 25 BSOs, incubators and innovation hubs, 14 international organizations, and 50 international experts, 10 investors.

The Pitch Competition

The Pitch Competition is the core event of the Mediterranean Innovation Agrifood Week, a platform designed to connect high-potential startups with investors, corporations, and innovation networks.

The Pitch Competition is open to startups that operate in the agrifood, green or blue sectors.

Selected startups will pitch live on stage before a jury of international experts, investors and companies.

From the call, 10 finalist startups will be selected to pitch during the Pitch Competition on 27 November 2025, competing for awards and visibility among top investors, corporates, and experts.

Every selected startup will have access to a dedicated exhibition desk

The Awards

Winning startups (Italian and International) will gain access to a high-value package designed to accelerate their growth, market entry, and funding readiness.

• Mentorship: Access to exclusive, short-term mentorship and empowerment programs offered by leading partner.
• Cash Grants: provided by leading partners for the most promising startups.

The Structure of the Pitch competition

The MIA Week organizers will announce the 10 finalist startups, selected from Italian and international applicants, who will present their pitch on 27^th November on the Main Stage.

Rules:

• 3 minutes to present the key elements of their business
• 2 minutes of Q&A from the jury
• The pitch deck, speech and Q&A will be in English

At the end of the session:

• The jury will vote to determine the winners of the cash grant
• Leading partners will select the startups for the mentorship

Who Can Apply

We welcome startups that:

• Operate in the agrifood, green or blue economy sectors
• Offer innovative and scalable solutions
• Based in Europe, Africa, Middle East
• Have a working prototype or early market validation

Selection Criteria

10 finalist startups will be selected based on:

• Team skills and composition (max 20 points)
• Product/Service Innovation Potential & Competitive Advantage (max 20 points)
• Market responsiveness and potential customer base (max 20 points)
• Business potential and scalability (max 20 points)
• Completeness and clarity of submitted documentation (max 20 points)

Key Dates

How to Apply

Submit your application through the official event website:

innovationweek.iamb.it