TEF Ignition in a nutshell

TEF Ignition is a 7-week program designed to launch students’ entrepreneurial journey, through a combination of:

Applications for the Spring Batch are open from January 16th 2026 till March 5th 2026 11.59 pm. The program will select 100 teams to participate in Ignition. At the end of the program, up to 15 best-performing teams will be selected to pitch at Demo Day and compete for TEF awards, which include cash prizes of up to €10,000 and participation in high-value training activities.

Who & what we are looking for

We are looking for curious and motivated people who want to explore an entrepreneurial idea built around a clearly identified and relevant problem.

We welcome applications from both solo founders and teams. That said, we strongly encourage team formation, as teams with complementary skills, diverse backgrounds, and a multidisciplinary approach tend to move faster and learn more.

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To support this, we offer Match-A, our co-founder matching platform, designed to help you find the right people to build with. You can explore it HERE.

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We do not expect fully polished startups. What matters most is the potential of the solution - its relevance, its possible impact and its ability to grow over time - together with the team’s entrepreneurial mindset and vision.

Ignition is sector-agnostic and open to ideas at any stage of development, including very early ones. Even if you’re unsure you tick all the boxes, we strongly encourage you to apply: entrepreneurship is about learning by doing, and Ignition is designed to support you throughout that journey.

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If you need some guidance on how to define your idea and communicate your vision effectively, here are some useful resources:

Application

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APPLY HERE: https://platform.tef.tech/ignition-form

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To apply, teams must submit: