Cyprus seeks 15 promising startups for major European tech expo

RIF offers Cyprus startups support to attend Slush 2026 The Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) on Wednesday opened applications for up to 15 Cyprus startups to take part in Slush 2026 in Helsinki on November 18 and 19. The initiative is aimed at promoting Cyprus’ innovation ecosystem and supporting local startups, particularly businesses that have received funding through RIF innovation programmes. Slush 2026 is expected to bring together more than 6,000 startups and over 3,500 investors and businesses, offering participating companies opportunities for exposure, customer acquisition and networking. RIF’s support for Cyprus’ participation forms part of the activities of Enterprise Europe Network Cyprus, in which the foundation participates as a partner. Under the scheme, RIF will cover the €395 entry ticket, including VAT, and provide a €300 subsidy per person towards participation costs. The total support will therefore be worth up to €695 per person. The support will be provided as indirect state aid under the European Commission’s De Minimis Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2023/2831 of December 13, 2023, concerning the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to de minimis aid. Applicants will be required to submit a Single Undertaking Declaration as part of the application process. Participating companies will have to cover their own travel and accommodation costs. For companies with current RIF-funded projects, such expenses may be eligible under those projects where they are related to the funded work. The call is open to Cyprus-based businesses from across the technology sector that conduct their economic activities in areas under the control of the Republic of Cyprus. Eligible applicants include companies that have received RIF funding as contracting entities under the Pre-Seed, Seed, Innovate, Disrupt, STEP, FTI and BOOST programmes, including the relevant Covid-related Seed and Innovate calls. Companies that previously submitted proposals as contracting entities and were invited to participate in the second stage of evaluation under the Pre-Seed, Seed, Innovate or Disrupt programmes can also apply. Businesses that submitted proposals as contracting entities under the FTI and BOOST programmes are also eligible. The call is additionally open to startups with a technology focus and high-growth potential that have been established to develop a product or service intended for the international market. Companies holding an Innovative Enterprise Certificate issued by the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy are also eligible. For the purposes of the call, a startup is defined as a technology-oriented business with the potential for a high growth rate, established to develop a product or service that its founders intend to take to international markets. Applicants must also satisfy the separate startup eligibility criteria set by Slush. Companies can participate through representatives who must either be founders or hold an established position within the business. Applications must be submitted through Microsoft Forms, with the deadline set for September 14, 2026, at 1pm. Applications will undergo an eligibility check and evaluation based on whether all required information has been submitted, whether the applicant meets the minimum eligibility requirements and whether the company can justify its participation in the event and its proposed promotional and networking activities. As part of the internal evaluation, applicants will also be required to submit a Single Undertaking Declaration. RIF said its decision will be final and applicants will have no right of appeal. A maximum of 15 companies will be selected, provided they are deemed eligible following the evaluation process. Priority will first be given to companies that have signed a project contract with RIF as contracting entities under the relevant programmes, with applications ranked according to the order in which expressions of interest are submitted. The next priority group will comprise companies that submitted proposals as contracting entities and were invited to participate in the second evaluation stage under the relevant programmes. Companies that submitted proposals as contracting entities under the FTI and BOOST programmes will then be considered. Startups will subsequently be considered according to the order in which they submitted their expressions of interest. Companies holding an Innovative Enterprise Certificate will also be considered according to the order in which they apply. Companies selected by RIF must subsequently be approved by the Slush organisers according to the event’s own eligibility criteria before they become beneficiaries. If additional tickets are available, RIF may allow further representatives from the same company to attend, taking into account the time of submission and the applicant’s response to the relevant question in the application form. RIF reserves the right to cancel the process if there is insufficient interest. Selected companies will be required to create a Partnership Profile before RIF issues their ticket. The profile will be published on the Enterprise Europe Network’s business profile database to facilitate networking and promote the companies’ technologies internationally. Tickets will be provided once the company has been approved, while the lump-sum payment will be made after the company’s participation in the event has been confirmed. Participating companies will also be entitled to attend parallel activities organised as part of Slush 2026, including Founders Day and Slush Week Side Events. Interested companies have been encouraged to review the participation requirements for those activities and register in good time. The Slush event will take place in Helsinki on November 18 and 19, 2026.