Entrepreneurs from Romania and the Republic of Moldova developing food products can apply until 15 February for a business growth programme, with accepted founding teams set to benefit from workshops with industry leaders as well as prizes totalling EUR 45,000, awarded in marketing services.
The F&B Business Accelerator, a growth programme for food product businesses, is now in its 16th edition.
"Food products are no longer judged solely on taste or price. Consumers are increasingly attentive to labels, ingredient origins and the impact on health and the environment. In the first half of 2025, the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market recorded growth of 11%, according to YouGov Shopper Romania, with half of this growth driven by higher volumes and the other half by consumers' shift towards higher-quality products," explained Robert Agarici, Programme Director of F&B Business Accelerator, in a press release.
According to him, the programme helps entrepreneurs test business hypotheses, validate recipes and marketing plans, access relevant distributors, retailers and HoReCa operators, connect with investors and win prizes designed to support rapid business scaling.
The founding teams selected for the programme will take part in an intensive acceleration process comprising three stages: Acceleration (20-22 February, Bucharest) - three days of workshops, presentations and mentoring sessions, during which founders will work alongside leaders from the food industry, retail specialists, marketing and product labelling experts, distributors and nutritionists; Consolidation (2-12 March) - a series of online group workshops; Validation (25-27 May, Poiana Brasov) - full access, with all costs covered, to the F&B Innovation Camp, Romania's only innovation bootcamp dedicated to the food industry.
The F&B Business Accelerator offers total prizes worth EUR 45,000 in marketing services. The grand prize, valued at EUR 15,000, consists of a comprehensive package of integrated marketing services, covering everything from strategy and communication to video production planning, filming, editing, campaign setup and optimisation.
F&B Business Accelerator is a project of the Hospitality Culture Institute (HCI), a European research and leadership platform that examines how gastronomic culture, hospitality and services shape human behaviour and economic value. Other key HCI initiatives include F&B Innovation Camp, Romanian Hospitality Awards, National Food Service Research and Intimate Roundtable Conversations.
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