IGNITING THE NEXT WAVE OF STREET FOOD INNOVATORS
Join Pune’s only food truck incubation program and launch your startup.
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About TREE Innovative Foundation (TREEI)
About TREE Innovative Foundation (TREEI)
TREE Innovative Foundation (TREEI) is a purpose-led social enterprise building scalable, system-driven development models across India. We work where progress is the hardest to sustain—tribal belts, unrecognized settlements, and dense urban slums—designing interventions that integrate clean energy access, inclusive entrepreneurship, youth empowerment, and dignified livelihood creation.
Our work has earned global recognition, from winning the Heller Challenge at MIT to being named a global winner of the SDG Challenge in Paris, along with several of India’s leading social innovation honours. Today, TREEI operates across 12+ regions, consistently demonstrating the ability to combine deep grassroots execution with systems thinking to drive long-term, community-led change.
The Third Wheel – Food Startup Incubation Program
The Third Wheel is a first-of-its-kind food startup incubation program designed to support aspiring culinary entrepreneurs in Pune. The program provides selected founders with a fully equipped food truck, three months of seed funding, and hands-on incubation and mentorship to help them turn a promising idea into a sustainable business.
By offering infrastructure, financial backing, and a guided learning environment, The Third Wheel bridges the crucial gap between a great idea and a thriving enterprise, enabling entrepreneurs to build and scale their ventures with confidence.
WHAT WILL WINNERS GET?
Fully Equipped & Professionally Developed Food Truck
Each entrepreneur receives a ready-to-operate food truck, custom-built to meet industry standards.
The truck includes:
A functional kitchen setup with essential appliances
Storage and safety systems
Branding-ready exteriors
Compliance with local mobility and hygiene norms
This ensures founders can start operations immediately without the burden of upfront capital investment or technical planning.
Seed Funding – Up to ₹3,00,000 for Initial Operations
Startups receive seed support covering up to three months of operational costs, valued at ₹3 lakh.
This funding helps manage:
Raw material procurement
Staff salaries
Fuel and logistics
Basic marketing and daily running costs
The goal is to provide a financial runway, allowing founders to focus on product quality, customer acquisition, and stabilising their business.
Licensing, Compliance & Strategic Networking Support
The program facilitates all essential government licences and food compliance requirements, ensuring the venture is legally ready to operate.
Entrepreneurs also gain access to:
Industry mentors
Supplier networks
Peer entrepreneurs
Potential partners and early customers
This network helps founders navigate challenges, build credibility, and accelerate early growth.
ABOUT THE CHALLENGE
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Teams with a strong interest in the food and beverage sector.
Age 23 – 40, with the ability to manage full-time operations.
Open to women, youth, home chefs, nutritionists, and culinary graduates.
Applicants must be based in or willing to operate from Pune or PCMC.
Business concepts must be original, feasible, and customer-focused.
Selection parameters
Innovation & creativity in food concepts.
Team bonding and understanding.
Understanding of founders about the emerging Food And Beverage industry of India.
Financial & operational feasibility of the idea.
Hygiene and quality awareness.
Entrepreneurial commitment.
What We Offer
What We Offer
Infrastructure Support: A fully equipped food truck is provided for the incubation period.
Seed Funding (Grant): Financial support for the first three months of operations.
Incubation & Mentorship: Business guidance on costing, pricing, marketing, sourcing, and compliance.
Pilot-to-Growth Pathway: Opportunity to transition from incubation to long-term ownership or franchise.
Networking Access: Visibility through partner networks and social media platforms at the global level.
Applications close on 15th December 2025
For any queries, reach out to us!
Email: contact@treei.org
Support: 9665447767
Or write to us at -
'TREE Innovative Foundation'
Office 202/A Camp Pune
Maharashtra- 11
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