PRACTICAL INFORMATION

On this page you will find all the information you need regarding your participation in the Accelerate in the Netherlands program, Protein Edition. Curious who can participate, how it works, terms and conditions and more? Then you've come to the right place!

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

On this page you will find all the information you need regarding your participation in the Accelerate in the Netherlands program, Protein Edition. Curious who can participate, how it works, terms and conditions and more? Then you've come to the right place!

Who can participate?

Foreign startups, scale-ups and SMEs (20+ FTE):

Ready for the first or next step 
in international expansion

Active within the 
alternative protein sector

Have relevant added value 
for Dutch ecosystems

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Sign up via the registration form.
Send in your pitch deck. You can find more details on this below. As soon as you have uploaded your pitch, you will receive a confirmation e-mail.
After the deadline, our partners will assess all pitches individually. If a partner thinks they are able to help you, you will receive a personal invitation for a 1-on-1 meeting during the Online Matchmaking Event on March 4th, 2025.


A selected group of 25 companies will also be invited for a live follow-up event at Plant FWD 2025 on the 8th and 9th of April 2025 in The Netherlands.

A group of 10 companies will also be selected to join the individual support program of Invest in Holland.


Registration form

YOUR PITCH DECK

Your pitch deck may be submitted in free form (presentation, slide deck, letter form), but must be uploaded as a PDF file (landscape or portrait A4 - max 30MB). Videos, example websites, etc. can be included as a link.

Tips for your pitch deck

Tip 1

Keep it short and to the point

(max 10-12 slides)

Tip 2

Describe your solution/product

Tip 3

Outline what makes your solution/product unique

Tip 4

Describe the market you are in

Tip 5

Include a company description

When did you start? What stage are you in?

Tip 6

Describe the founders / team members

Tip 7

Indicate your financing need

Type: investment, loan, subsidy
Amount of money

Terms and conditions

You will remain the owner of your intellectual rights, concept or solution in your pitch, until you agree otherwise.

Be aware of the fact that your pitch will be viewed by multiple partners of our program may be shared with others (colleagues) to discuss the possibilities of whether and how they can further assist you.

Keep IP sensitive (technical) details out of your pitch, keep it a secret that you can share later.

Timeline

Launch Accelerate in the Netherlands 
Protein Edition

19 November 2024

Submission Deadline 

28 January 2025

Selection Announcement

11 February 2025

Online Matchmaking Event

04 March 2025

Live Follow-up Event
Plant FWD

08 April 2025

All categories Protein Edition

In total there are five categories in the 'Accelerate in the Netherlands Protein Edition' program. Interested? Sign up before the 28th of January 2025.


QUESTIONS?

Ask them via the Q&A module on the corresponding briefing pages. Still have questions? Reach out to our Program Manager Maaike van Lynden: info@nfia.nl.


Still have questions? Find your answers here!

How can I participate?
  1. Create a brief proposal/pitch document about your solution and organization upload it via the button at the top of the open call briefing page. In addition, fill out the questions in the form. The deadline is on the 28th of January 2025.
    1. In the form you also apply for the category you want to participate in if you are selected for the online matchmaking event. The categories are: The Dutch Ecosystem, Funding, Leading Food Companies, Facilities and Experts.
  2. On 11th of February 2025 the selection will be announced and you will be informed if you're invited to the Online Matchmaking Event. Even if you are not invited you will receive a message.
  3. If you match with one or more of the categories, you will be invited to multiple conversations. The Online Matchmaking Event will take place on the 4th of March 2025.
  4. A selected group of 25 foreign companies will be invited for a live follow-up event at Plant FWD 2025 on the 8th and 9th of April 2025.
  5. A  group of maximum 10 foreign companies will be selected to join the individual support program.
Who can participate?

The Accelerate in Holland Protein Edition call is meant for foreign startups, scale-ups and SMEs (20+ FTE) that are ready for the first or next step in international expansion. With a particular focus on companies with relevant added value for regional Dutch ecosystems and/or specific market leaders.

Are there participation costs involved?

We really appreciate it when you make the effort to participate and pitch your solution! Therefore, there are no costs to participate. The Online Matchmaking Event is also free of charge.

Where can I ask a question about participating, the program etc. ?

A separate challenge briefing was written for each specific category. In this briefing you will find detailed information about the problems, solution directions and conditions. You will also find more external links or documentation with relevant background information. Do you still have questions? Then ask them via the Q&A module (you can find it as a tab on the corresponding briefing page).

How likely am I to be invited to the Online Matchmaking Event?

This depends on the quality and quantity of submissions, but in similar open calls and matchmaking events (hosted by co-organizer Starthubs), 25 to 50 percent of the total number of participants are invited to the Online Matchmaking Event.

What does the process look like after I upload a pitch document?

After you have uploaded your pitch document you will receive a confirmation of receipt by email. If you have not received this, please contact us at info@starthubs.co as soon as possible and before the deadline of the open call of challenge.  

After the deadline (January 28th 2025 at 17.00), representatives and experts from the Accelerate in Holland program will evaluate the submissions.

On February 11th 2025 it will be announced who will be invited to the Online Matchmaking Event, which will take place on March 4th 2025 (mark that day in your agenda!).

If I submit a pitch, what happens to that information?

After submitting a pitch, you will receive a confirmation email stating it was successfully received. The information is securely stored in Starthubs' review system and is shared only with specific individuals. These are the professionals designated from the challenge organizer as 'reviewer' or 'challenge manager'. So your pitch will never just become public. Are you selected as a winner? Then both Starthubs and the challenge organizer often write a positive news item to put you/your company in the spotlight. In it we briefly describe what the solution entails and why it was selected. If you object to sharing this information you can email us in advance at info@starthubs.co.


 

Contact

Do you have any questions or do you want to get in touch with us? Feel free to reach out to info@nfia.nl.