The experimentation space where innovation and regulation meet
Spain’s AgriFoodTech Sandbox is the first comprehensive agri-food sandbox in the European Union: a controlled testing environment where industry can experiment with products, processes and technologies operating at the regulatory frontier, generating solid evidence to support decision-making for both companies and competent authorities.
The aim is to facilitate the market entry of food innovations while always safeguarding the public interest.
The support your innovation needs
Is your innovation operating at the regulatory frontier? We can support you
In the context of increasingly rapid and complex technological transformation, the AgriFoodTech Sandbox was created to close the gap between the pace of innovation and the speed at which regulatory frameworks adapt.
It offers the sector a space to continue researching, generating evidence and advancing the development of innovations in situations of regulatory uncertainty — helping ease their path to market.
A public‑private partnership serving the agri‑food sector
The Spain’s Sandbox AgriFoodTech is promoted by the Government of Spain—through the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA)—alongside the regional governments of Navarra and La Rioja, and CNTA through its EATEX Food Innovation Hub.
Together, they form a collaboration model that connects technological innovation, regulation and market needs.
How does Spain’s AgriFoodTech Sandbox work?
CNTA, through the EATEX Food Innovation Hub, is responsible for designing, implementing and managing the activities and programs of Spain’s Sandbox AgriFoodTech, as well as building the collaboration ecosystem and expert network required for its effective operation. CNTA also provides the scientific‑technical capabilities, specialized knowledge and infrastructure needed for experimentation.
Participating public entities contribute to the strategy and orientation of Spain’s Sandbox AgriFoodTech, provide funding, and in some cases act as regulatory authorities or help channel the dissemination of results to other competent regulatory bodies.
Access routes and funding models
Evidence and support to innovate with greater confidence
Experimenting within Spain’s AgriFoodTech Sandbox allows companies to advance the development of their innovations in a controlled testing environment, generating knowledge and evidence that provide greater technical and regulatory certainty throughout the process.
01
Reducing regulatory uncertainty
The Sandbox allows innovators to test their solutions in a structured setting, generating insights that clarify potential regulatory pathways and support better‑informed decisions.
02
Robust technical evidence
All trials follow scientific methodologies and rely on specialized facilities, producing high‑quality technical evidence that can contribute to future regulatory evaluations.
03
Closer engagement with the regulatory landscape
The Sandbox provides a framework where learnings from experimentation can be shared with competent authorities, helping enrich the technical dialogue around emerging innovations.
04
Clearer strategic decision‑making
By reducing technical and regulatory unknowns, the Sandbox gives companies greater clarity to shape their development roadmap and anticipate different growth scenarios.
05
A structured public‑private collaboration model
The initiative brings together industry, scientific expertise and public administrations to generate evidence of shared value for the agri‑food sector.
06
Flexible access and funding options
Different access routes and funding schemes are available, adapted to the needs and maturity level of each project.
Apply to the 2nd Spain’s AgriFoodTech Sandbox Call for Projects — by 15 May
If your project needs to generate regulatory, normative, or procedural learnings to move forward, this second call for projects of Spain’s Sandbox AgriFoodTech is your opportunity to do so. We are looking for initiatives capable of generating evidence of value for the sector in areas such as:
- Identification or development of new ingredients.
- New foods and beverages are oriented toward healthy nutrition.
- Innovation in preservation and packaging systems.
- Resource optimization: circularity, waste and by‑product valorization.
Past editions
Reducing energy consumption in the cold chain: feasibility of storing frozen vegetable-based ingredients at –15 °C without compromising quality.
Support for the regulatory evaluation of coffee silverskin.
Optimización y validación avanzada de la tecnología UraFood para el lavado seguro de productos vegetales.
Characterization of functional fractions obtained from Lathyrus sativus flour.
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Our blog was created to keep you up to date with the latest developments in the sector, provide training opportunities on the agri‑food industry and highlight the key events taking place each year.
Faqs
What is Spain’s Sandbox AgriFoodTech?
Spain’s Sandbox AgriFoodTech is the first experimentation space in Spain, and one of the first in Europe, dedicated to the agri‑food sector. It is a public‑private initiative conceived as an evidence‑based regulatory innovation instrument, designed to reduce regulatory uncertainty and enable agri‑food innovation to progress toward market deployment with the appropriate safeguards. It provides a controlled environment in which products, processes, and technologies operating at the regulatory frontier can be developed and validated under rigorous scientific and technical criteria, generating valuable knowledge for companies and competent authorities.
Who is driving Spain’s Sandbox AgriFoodTech?
Spain’s Sandbox AgriFoodTech is promoted by the Government of Spain —through the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food— together with the regional governments of Navarra and La Rioja (Spain), and CNTA through its innovation hub, Eatex Food Innovation Hub, within a public‑private collaboration model focused on regulatory innovation.
CNTA is responsible for the design, implementation, and operational management of the Sandbox, ensuring scientific and technical accuracy and high methodological standards. Depending on the needs of each project, the Sandbox may integrate additional technology centers, research institutions, and other actors from across the agri‑food ecosystem.
What impact is expected from Spain’s Sandbox AgriFoodTech?
Spain’s Sandbox AgriFoodTech helps reduce risks and shorten development timelines for agri‑food innovations, supporting R&D, investment, and scaling decisions in a highly regulated environment. Its impact is reflected in the generation of robust technical and regulatory evidence, enabling more informed dialogue with competent authorities and facilitating the arrival of better-prepared innovation to the market, while strengthening Spain’s position as a leader in responsible, high‑rigor agri‑food innovation.
How does Spain’s Sandbox AgriFoodTech work?
Spain’s Sandbox AgriFoodTech operates primarily through periodic project calls, funded at 100%, which enable the execution of trials in a controlled environment with real regulatory impact. Beginning in 2026, the model expands to incorporate proactive service requests, which may be developed with public funding, co‑funding, or on a fee‑for‑service basis, depending on the nature of each initiative.
Projects are jointly defined and executed by the promoting entity and CNTA, as the managing body and guarantor of scientific and technical rigor. They may also involve additional technology centers, research organizations, and ecosystem actors. This collaborative approach ensures methodological discipline and supports the generation of solid and actionable technical and regulatory evidence from the outset.
What results has Spain’s Sandbox AgriFoodTech achieved?
The first call of Spain’s Sandbox AgriFoodTech, launched in 2025, received 17 proposals, of which 6 were selected. These projects addressed challenges such as developing new foods, innovating preservation techniques, and generating scientific evidence on the safe use of reclaimed water in the agri‑food industry.
The trials were conducted during the second half of 2025, and their technical and regulatory conclusions will be submitted to the competent authorities in 2026, reinforcing the role of the Sandbox as a generator of knowledge with regulatory relevance.
What are the next steps for Spain’s Sandbox AgriFoodTech?
In March 2026, a new cross‑cutting project call is expected to be launched, open to a wide range of agri‑food topics. In parallel, Spain’s Sandbox AgriFoodTech is moving toward its consolidation as a permanent regulatory innovation instrument.
The objective is to support the progressive adaptation of regulatory frameworks to innovation—based on solid evidence—without replacing the role of competent authorities and while strengthening a more informed and effective regulatory dialogue.
