More than 230 students from across the EU GREEN Alliance applied to take part in this year’s entrepreneurial journey. After months of workshops, collaboration and idea development, 18 emerging business ideas will come together in Évora for the third EU GREEN Entrepreneurship Festival, taking place from 23 to 27 November 2026.
The five-day Festival, hosted by the University of Évora, will bring together students from the nine EU GREEN partner universities for an intensive programme focused on entrepreneurship, sustainability, innovation and collaboration.
The 18 selected business ideas, two from each EU GREEN partner university, are the result of a structured entrepreneurial journey designed to support participants in moving from identifying challenges and opportunities to developing and communicating sustainable business ideas.
This year’s edition follows the experience of the 2025 Festival, which brought 31 business ideas to Évora. With more than 230 students applying to participate in the 2026 entrepreneurial journey, the decision to select 18 teams reflects a deliberate choice to create a more focused experience and allow more time for dedicated mentoring, feedback and further development of each business idea.
The journey began with the EU GREEN Innovation Days, where participants explored sustainability challenges and opportunities for innovation. Following this initial stage, participants took part in a series of online workshops structured around six modules on entrepreneurship and sustainability, covering different aspects of entrepreneurial thinking and business idea development. The Festival in Évora will represent the culmination of this journey.
Throughout the week, participants will have the opportunity to work with mentors, exchange ideas with peers from across the Alliance and further develop their proposals through an intensive programme of workshops and practical sessions.The programme includes sessions on EU funding and smart specialisation strategies, stakeholder engagement, commercialisation, business models and demonstrations, and pitching, complemented by dedicated mentoring sessions to help teams prepare their final proposals.A central moment of the week will be the Final Pitch, where the 18 teams will present their business ideas. The programme will conclude with a Diploma Delivery, recognising the participants’ completion of the entrepreneurial journey.
The 2026 edition will also run alongside the EU GREEN Entrepreneurship & Innovation Staff Week, creating an additional opportunity for university staff to exchange practices and explore how entrepreneurship and innovation can be further embedded across the Alliance.
