10 years of celebrating Women Innovators

In its 10th edition, the EU Prize for Women Innovators celebrates the women entrepreneurs behind game-changing innovations. In doing so, the EU seeks to raise awareness of the need for more female innovators, and create role models for women and girls everywhere.

The prize is awarded to the most talented women entrepreneurs from across the EU and countries associated to Horizon Europe, who have founded a successful company and brought innovation to the market. The prize is managed by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, and the winners are chosen by an independent expert jury.

Three prizes of €100,000 each are awarded in the main category. A fourth prize of €50,000 is awarded to a promising ‘Rising Innovator’ aged 30 or younger. 

For the full text, please refer to the EIC 2021 Work Programme.

LINK TO VIDEO : https://youtu.be/DHUWVqbpJ28
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Applications to the 2021 edition of the EU Prize for Women Innovators are now open. All applications must be submitted via the Funding and Tenders Portal by 17:00 (CET) on 30 June 2021.

Who can apply?
To apply, you must be:

• a woman
• established in an EU Member State (including overseas countries and territories) or a country associated to Horizon Europe
• founder or co-founder of an active innovative company registered at least two years before the submission deadline.

In addition, those applying for the Rising Innovator category must be aged 30 or younger at the start of the call year. Applicants that have already received an EU or Euratom prize cannot receive a second prize for the same activities.
The eligibility and award criteria are described in the Rules of Contest for this prize. For more information, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions.

Award criteria
The prize is awarded to the applicants who in the opinion of the jury best address the following criteria:

1. Breakthrough innovation – the company founded or co-founded by the applicant provides a truly innovative product or service.
2. Impact – the product or service addresses a specific societal need or challenge, with significant benefits to citizens and to the economy.
3. Inspiration – the applicant has shown active leadership and has played a pivotal role in the success of the company. The applicant has the potential to inspire others.
The jury will review and score all eligible applications, and invite the shortlisted applicants to a hearing in front of the jury members to defend their application.

Previous editions
Discover the winners of previous editions, and read their inspiring stories.

Courtesy of EAIC member, My EU Consulting