European Prize for Women Innovators

The European Prize for Women Innovators is jointly awarded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and the European Innovation Council (EIC). Through this collaboration, the EIT and EIC are showcasing a large pool of women innovators, offering more opportunities for trailblazers and providing inspiring role models for women and girls everywhere.

There are three prize categories:

• In the EIC Women Innovators category, three prizes of EUR 100,000 (£85K), EUR 70,000 (£60K), and EUR 50,000 (£42K) are awarded to the three highest-ranked applications.
• In the EIC Rising Innovators, three prizes of EUR 50,000 (£42K), EUR 30,000 (£25K), and EUR 20,000 (£17) are awarded to the three highest-ranked applications from promising “Rising Innovators” under the age of 35.
• The EIT Women Leadership Award, awarded to exceptional women leaders from the EIT Community. The winner is awarded EUR 50,000, and two runners-up are awarded EUR 30,000 (£25K) and EUR 20,000 (£17K), respectively.

All applicants must comply with the following eligibility criteria to participate:

• The applicant must be a woman (please remember you must apply as a natural person and not as a legal entity).
• The applicant must be legally established in an EU Member State, including overseas countries and territories (OCTs) or a country associated to Horizon Europe.
• The applicant must be the founder or co-founder of the company or organisation.
• The company or organisation must be established in an EU Member State, including overseas countries and territories, (OCTs) or a country associated to Horizon Europe, and registered or incorporated at least two years before 1 January 2022.
• Applicants who have already received an EU or Euratom prize cannot receive a second prize for the same activities.

In addition to the above, those applying for the Rising Innovators category must be aged under 35 at the start of the call year. There is no age limit to apply for the Women Innovators category (or for the EIT Women Leadership category), though applicants eligible for several prize categories can only apply to one.

Eligible applications will be evaluated against three award criteria:

• Breakthrough innovation – the company or organisation founded or co-founded by the applicant is pioneering a breakthrough and disruptive innovation focusing, among others, on deep-tech and science technology engineering, mathematics (STEM) fields within the EU or countries associated to Horizon Europe.
• Impact – this innovation addresses a real need or challenge, with significant benefits for people and/or the planet.
• Inspiration – the applicant is an inspiring leader, who has played a pivotal role in the success of the company or organisation and is a role model empowering other women and girls in realising their full potential.

Applications must be complete and contain all the requested information and all required annexes and supporting documents:

• Application Form Part A – contains administrative information about the applicant (natural person) (to be filled in directly online).
• Application Form Part B – contains the technical description of the application (template to be downloaded from the Portal Submission System, completed, assembled and re-uploaded).
• Mandatory annexes and supporting documents (templates to be downloaded from the Portal Submission System, completed, assembled and reuploaded).
• Applicants must support their applications with an inspiring video message lasting no more than 90 seconds, describing themselves and their achievements.
• Proof of age for Rising Innovators category.

Your application must be readable, accessible, and printable.

Applications are limited to a maximum of 15 pages (Part B). Evaluators will not consider any additional pages.