Your gateway to the Testing Environment
In this call for projects, companies developing innovations in contexts of regulatory uncertainty will be able to carry out experimentation in a controlled and safe testing environment, generating solid technical evidence and meaningful insights to guide their technical and regulatory development.
At the same time, the work carried out produces information of public value that helps strengthen the technical dialogue between industry and the competent regulatory authorities.
For selected projects, all activities carried out by CNTA and its collaborating entities will be 100% funded.
What types of projects can participate?
Initiatives that require:
- Experimenting with products or ingredients that are not yet authorised.
- Assessing processes or practices with uncertain regulatory pathways.
- Generating the technical data needed to advance in evaluation or authorisation processes.
- Obtaining regulatory insights that are key for scaling decisions.
How does the call for projects work?
Applications will be evaluated by an expert committee based on quality, impact and feasibility.
Selected organisations will work with CNTA to develop the full proposal, formalise the agreement through a contract and gain access to the Testing Environment with full funding provided by CNTA and its collaborating entities.
Projects are expected to run for an estimated period of 4 to 12 months from the moment they are accepted.
Project workplan
Once inside the Testing Environment, a structured methodology is activated, which includes:
1. Initial regulatory and technical analysis
2. Experimental development within the Testing Environment
3. Evaluation and interpretation of results
4. Conclusions and recommendations for scaling or regulatory adaptation
Download the guidelines and submit your project
Review the full guidelines for the 2026 call for projects of Spain’s AgriFoodTech Sandbox and submit your proposal for evaluation.
Request for specific actions or services
If you wish to propose an initiative outside the scope of the current call for projects, or request a specific action linked to the Testing Environment, you can submit your proposal for evaluation.
These services will be delivered under a contractual model, depending on their scope and characteristics.
Initiatives from previous calls for projects
Explore the projects from previous calls for projects that, with the support of Spain’s AgriFoodTech Sandbox, have addressed regulatory challenges through supervised experimentation and the generation of solid evidence to guide their technical and regulatory development.
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.
Faqs
Does participating in the Sandbox guarantee regulatory authorisation or market entry?
No. Participation does not guarantee regulatory authorisation or market entry.
The call for projects enables supervised experimentation and the generation of relevant evidence, but all regulatory decisions rest exclusively with the competent authorities.
What percentage of funding does the call for projects provide?
Selected projects will receive 100% funding for all activities carried out by CNTA and its collaborating entities within the Testing Environment. Any additional project‑related costs that fall outside these activities are not covered by this funding.
Who can submit a project?
Companies, startups, associations and other agri‑food organisations developing innovations with relevant regulatory challenges.
What happens if my project is not selected?
If your project is not selected, you may still submit a proposal through other access routes to the Testing Environment or in future calls for projects.
Are the results made public?
Any information generated may be shared in accordance with the participation guidelines, while fully respecting the confidentiality commitments established.
