Inclusive Gender Equality Champions

The EU Award for Gender Equality Champions 2026 is a Horizon Europe recognition prize awarding one winner in the Inclusive category €100,000 for an innovative Gender Equality Plan (GEP) that addresses intersectionality by linking gender with at least two other social categories and demonstrates measurable institutional change. Eligible single legal entities include universities, research organisations, public bodies, non-profits and for-profit organisations established in an EU Member State, a Horizon Europe Associated Country, or an EU candidate country. Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal using the required Part A and Part B templates and include the full GEP annex; Part B is limited to 15 pages. Submission deadline is 29 September 2026 at 17:00 CET and applications will be evaluated by an independent expert jury against category-specific thresholds and award criteria.

What it funds

Recognition prize for organisational Gender Equality Plans (GEPs)

A Horizon Europe recognition prize to reward organisations that demonstrate significant impact from implementing Gender Equality Plans. The award promotes sustained, recent and intersectional/inclusive GEP practice across the European Research Area.

Total prize budget:€400,000 (four prizes of €100,000 each).

1. 1Sustainable Gender Equality Champions — 1 winner (€100,000)
2. 2Newcomer Gender Equality Champions — 2 winners (€100,000 each)
3. 3Inclusive Gender Equality Champions — 1 winner (€100,000)

Who can apply

Single legal entities only:public bodies, private entities, non-profits, for-profits, research organisations and higher education establishments. Applicants must be established in an EU Member State, an Associated Country to Horizon Europe, or a candidate country for EU accession and must have a current GEP and the GEP on which the application is based that meet Horizon Europe minimum process-related requirements.

Key conditions and process

1. 1Applications submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal; Part B limited to 15 pages.
2. 2Evaluation by an independent jury against category-specific award criteria (impact, progress, stakeholder engagement, innovative inclusiveness).
3. 3Winners may be asked later for legal validation documents and a short video for communication.

Applicants that have already received an EU or Euratom prize cannot receive a second prize for the same activities. Full contest Rules of Contest and application templates are published on the Funding & Tenders Portal (Topic HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-GENDER-Prize).

Call Basics and Objective

Opportunity Title:Inclusive Gender Equality Champions. Call Title: EU Award for Gender Equality Champions 2026. Type: Call for proposals / Recognition Prize (HORIZON Recognition Prize). Deadline: 29 September 2026, 17:00 CET (Brussels). This is a single-stage electronic submission through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Submission System. The contest is managed directly by the European Commission and implemented by the European Research Executive Agency (REA).

Specific challenge and purpose:The EU Award for Gender Equality Champions is a recognition prize designed to complement the Gender Equality Plan (GEP) eligibility criterion in Horizon Europe and to support inclusive GEPs and policy development under the ERA Policy Agenda. The Prize targets institutional change in research and higher education organisations, raising visibility and incentivising sustained and/or innovative gender equality and inclusiveness measures, including intersectional approaches.

Prize Structure, Categories and Expected Results

Number and amount of prizes:Total prize budget is €0.4 million for 2026. Each prize winner receives €0.1 million. There will be four prize winners distributed across categories as follows: one winner in Sustainable Gender Equality Champions, two winners in Newcomer Gender Equality Champions, and one winner in Inclusive Gender Equality Champions. If any category has no winner, prize funds may be reallocated to the highest-ranking applications in other categories following the reallocation rules stated in the Rules of Contest.

1. 1Sustainable Gender Equality Champions: Organisations demonstrating a significant and sustained record of activity and high level of achievement through implementation of one or more GEPs.
2. 2Newcomer Gender Equality Champions: Organisations without prior sustained gender equality activity that have recently completed implementation of their first GEP and can demonstrate the most progress.
3. 3Inclusive Gender Equality Champions: Organisations with the most innovative inclusive GEP addressing intersectionality between gender and at least two other social categories (for example racial or ethnic origin, social origin, sexual orientation and gender identity (LGBTIQ), disability) with demonstrated concrete results.

Expected outcomes:Recognition of organisations with most significant impact from GEP implementation; strengthened gender equality and inclusiveness across the European Research Area; creation of role models and a community of champions to inspire others; increased public awareness and institutional change incentives for inclusive GEPs.

Eligibility and Applicant Requirements

Eligible contestant types and legal status:Single legal entities may apply. Eligible legal entities include private entities, public bodies, non-profit organisations and for-profit organisations, research organisations and higher education establishments. Entities without legal personality under national law may exceptionally participate provided their representatives have capacity to assume legal obligations and equivalent protections for EU financial interests. Joint or multi-entity (consortium) applications are not allowed; only single-entity applications are admissible.

Geographic eligibility (beneficiary scope):Applicants must be established in an EU Member State (including overseas countries and territories), a non-EU country associated to Horizon Europe (Associated Country), or a candidate country for accession to the EU. Applications must relate to activities in those countries. The list of candidate countries and associated countries is referenced in the Rules of Contest and Horizon documentation EU enlargement background.

Gender Equality Plan requirements:Applicants must have a current GEP and the GEP on which the application is based (if different) that comply with the minimum process-related GEP requirements set out in Horizon Europe General Annexes. The mandatory process-related requirements are: publication (formal document published on the institution website and signed/adopted by top management), dedicated resources committed to GEP implementation, data collection and monitoring (sex/gender disaggregated personnel and student data with reporting at least every two years), and awareness-raising/training for staff and decision-makers on gender equality (e.g. unconscious bias training). For Category 2 (Newcomer), applicants must have finalised implementation of their first GEP (audit, planning, implementation phases completed and reached monitoring and evaluation) by call closure. Applicants must have completed the GEP self-declaration questionnaire in the Participant Register Legal Information tab by the call closure date.

Application Process, Admissibility and Documents

Submission procedure:Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System. Paper submissions are not accepted. Submission is a two-step process: create EU Login and register the organisation in the Participant Register (obtain PIC) and then submit the application in the Submission System. Applications must use the forms and templates provided in the Submission System (Part A online; Part B download, complete and re-upload). Part B is limited to 15 pages (evaluators will ignore extra pages).

1. 1Part A: Administrative information — completed directly online in Submission System.
2. 2Part B: Technical description — use mandatory template downloaded from Submission System, complete and upload as PDF; maximum 15 pages.
3. 3Mandatory Annex: Gender Equality Plan (GEP) on which the application is based, uploaded as PDF (in English if available).
4. 4Applicants must provide the weblink to where the GEP is published and signed/adopted by top management.

Possible later requests:After the initial application, contestants may be asked to provide additional documentation for legal entity validation, bank account validation, ethics review, declaration of honour, etc., and may be invited to submit a short video message highlighting their achievements for communication purposes. Applications must be readable, accessible and printable.

Award Criteria and Evaluation Process

Evaluation and jury:Eligible applications will be evaluated per category by a jury of independent experts. If more than 40 applications per category are received, a pre-selection will shortlist the top 20 to pass to the jury; otherwise all applications go to jury review. Evaluations include mandatory checks (ethics, security, legal entity validation, non-exclusion, double funding, plagiarism). Evaluators score applications per the award criteria for each category. For tie-breaking, the score for criterion No 1 carries double weight and intersectionality is used as an ex aequo prioritisation criterion in certain tie situations. In certain tie situations where equality remains, the prize budget assigned to the position may be shared equally among tied applicants.

1. 1Category 1 Sustainable Gender Equality Champions — Award criteria: (1) Sustainable Impact (weight 10, threshold 7.5) and (2) Inspirational Model (weight 5, threshold 3.5). Overall threshold 11/15. Evaluators assess comprehensive actions across the five GEP thematic areas, measurable achievements, sustainability and institutionalisation, outreach and external influence.
2. 2Category 2 Newcomer Gender Equality Champions — Award criteria: (1) Progress Achieved (weight 10, threshold 7.5) and (2) Stakeholder Engagement (weight 5, threshold 3.0). Overall threshold 10/15. Evaluators assess coverage of at least four thematic areas, qualitative and quantitative progress, ambition relative to starting point, and internal stakeholder engagement across GEP lifecycle phases.
3. 3Category 3 Inclusive Gender Equality Champions — Award criteria: (1) Progress Achieved (weight 10, threshold 7.5) and (2) Innovative Inclusiveness (weight 5, threshold 3.5). Overall threshold 11/15. Evaluators assess thematic coverage (at least three areas), demonstrable progress with data, intersectional approach addressing gender plus at least two other social categories, and innovative measures with added value.

Scoring and thresholds:Each criterion is scored with one decimal resolution. Applicants must pass both individual criterion thresholds and the overall threshold for their category to be considered successful. The jury makes award recommendations and the awarding authority (European Commission / REA) decides after mandatory checks.

Budget, Prizes and Payment

Payment arrangements:Prize money will be paid after the award ceremony subject to submission of requested documents and successful completion of checks. The awarding authority may withdraw prizes and recover payments in cases of fraud, misrepresentation, ineligibility, or serious breaches of obligations.

Key Administrative and Legal Conditions

Single-entity application only:Only single legal entities may submit applications. Applicants must register in the Participant Register and be validated by the Central Validation Service (REA Validation). Applicants that have already received an EU or Euratom prize cannot receive a second prize for the same activities. Winners of previous editions of this award are not eligible for any category.

Exclusion and eligibility restrictions:Entities subject to EU restrictive measures, EU exclusion decisions, or conditionality measures (e.g., entities subject to Regulation 2020/2092 measures) are not eligible. Applicants in exclusion situations (bankruptcy, fraud, grave professional misconduct, etc.) are ineligible. Ethics compliance and respect for EU values are mandatory; activities must be exclusively for civil applications and cannot breach ethical prohibitions listed in the Rules of Contest.

Admissibility and format constraints:Use the application templates in the Submission System (do not use Topic page documents for submission). Part B maximum is 15 pages. Applications must be submitted before the deadline and a submission confirmation e-mail must be received. If IT issues prevent submission, applicants should file a complaint via the IT Helpdesk immediately and attach the application copy.

Evaluation Stages, Success Rates and Co-Funding

Application stages and evaluation timeline:Single-stage submission. If >40 applications per category, there is a pre-selection to identify the top 20 per category to pass to jury evaluation. Otherwise, all applications go to jury review. Timetable for 2026: Call opening 16 June 2026; submission deadline 29 September 2026; evaluation October 2026 to January 2027; information on results / award January–March 2027.

Number of stages:1 (single-stage electronic submission) with potential pre-selection and jury review. After selection, mandatory checks (validation, ethics, security, anti-fraud) take place prior to award decision.

Success rates:Not specified in the call documentation. Due to the fixed number of prizes (4) and open eligibility across many institution types and countries, the overall success rate is expected to be low and depends on the number of applicants per category; pre-selection thresholds (if >40 applications) may further reduce progression to jury review. No historical success-rate percentages are provided in the Rules of Contest.

Co-funding:No co-funding is required to receive a prize. The prize is a recognition award (lump-sum payment). However, applicants must bear all preparation and participation costs, and winners must respect obligations on communication and visibility. For other WIDERA actions referenced in the Work Programme (not the Prize), co-funding rules may apply where specified.

Eligible Applicant Types (detailed)

1. 1Universities and higher education establishments (research-performing organisations) with legal personality and subject to GEP requirements.
2. 2Research institutes and research-performing organisations (public and private).
3. 3Public bodies and authorities (including ministries and municipal/regional bodies) provided they host or implement a GEP that fulfils Horizon Europe process requirements.
4. 4Non-profit organisations and NGOs formally established in eligible countries.
5. 5For-profit organisations and private entities established in eligible countries.
6. 6Entities without legal personality may exceptionally apply if representatives can assume legal obligations on their behalf and provide equivalent safeguards.

Not eligible:Joint or consortium applications; applicants subject to EU restrictive/conditionality measures or exclusion decisions; applicants previously awarded an EU or Euratom prize for the same activities; winners of prior editions of the EU Award for Gender Equality Champions for participation in 2026 awards.

Target Sectors, Project Stage and Nature of Support

Target sector:Thematic focus is gender equality and inclusiveness within research, higher education and research-performing organisations. The Prize is policy and institutional reform-oriented rather than sectoral (it is cross-sectoral and relevant to health, STEM, social sciences, humanities, research infrastructures, and more because it addresses institutional change processes and organisational policies).

Project stage and maturity:Expected maturity: Institutional implementation stage (monitoring, evaluation and institutionalisation of GEPs). For Category 1 applicants, sustained implementation over time is expected; Category 2 applicants must have completed initial implementation phases and reached monitoring and evaluation; Category 3 focuses on mature implementation of intersectional GEPs with demonstrable results.

Nature of support:Monetary prize payment (€100,000 to winners) — the Prize is a monetary award. Additional support is non-monetary in nature through visibility, communications, and role-modelling; winners must also provide materials for communication (photos, videos) which the awarding authority may use for dissemination. No direct project funding or grant agreement is established other than prize payment; additional checks and documentation may be required before payment.

Application Templates and Guidance

Application forms and templates:Applicants must use the Application Form Part A (online) and Part B (mandatory template available in the Submission System). Part B details the technical description and must include structure and content as per the application template in the Submission System. The Rules of Contest state that applicants must include the public weblink to the GEP and upload the GEP as a mandatory annex. The Part B template in the Submission System includes sections and page limits; applicants must download the template from the Submission System, complete it, convert to PDF and re-upload. The Submission System will not accept other formats or documents placed in incorrect slots. Guidance documents: Rules of Contest document, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Work Programme Part 11 WIDERA, General Annexes (including GEP eligibility rules), Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, and Helpdesk services. Applicants are encouraged to consult all of these and the Topic Q&A on the Portal for clarifications.

Recommended structure for Part B (based on Rules of Contest guidance and award criteria):Suggested Part B structure (max 15 pages): 1) Executive summary (1 page) with chosen category and public GEP weblink; 2) Organisational profile and context (1 page) including size, mission and baseline gender equality situation; 3) Description of the GEP on which the application is based (2–3 pages) — lifecycle phases, process-related compliance with Horizon requirements; 4) Evidence of achievements and results (3–4 pages) — qualitative and quantitative indicators, baselines and monitoring data; 5) Category-specific demonstration: Sustainable impact and external influence (Category 1); Progress and stakeholder engagement (Category 2); Intersectionality integration and innovation (Category 3) (3–4 pages); 6) Sustainability plan, institutionalisation and external outreach / knowledge-sharing (1–2 pages); 7) Annex references and list of supporting documents/links (0.5 page). Applicants should use clear, evidence-based indicators and include disaggregated data where relevant. Videos or other multimedia materials may be requested later for communication purposes.

Communication, Visibility and IPR

Communication obligations:Winners must promote the prize and results via targeted information to multiple audiences (media, public). Communication materials and activities must acknowledge EU support and display the EU emblem and funding statement. Winners may use the emblem without prior approval but cannot claim exclusive use. Publications and communications must include the disclaimer specified in the Rules of Contest. The awarding authority has the right to use non-sensitive information and materials (pictures, audiovisual) from winners for information, communication and publicity. Photos and videos taken by the awarding authority are its property.

Intellectual property:The awarding authority does not obtain ownership of results produced. Rights of use for non-sensitive materials submitted for communication are retained by the awarding authority as described in the Rules of Contest.

Checks, Audits, Complaints and Important Notices

Checks and audits:The awarding authority, European Commission, OLAF, EPPO and the European Court of Auditors may carry out checks, audits and investigations related to the prize. The awarding authority may withdraw the prize and recover payments in cases of false information, fraud, ineligibility or serious breaches.

Complaints and remedies:If an applicant believes the evaluation procedure was flawed, a complaint may be filed following the deadlines and procedures indicated in the evaluation result letter. Notifications are deemed received 10 days after sending and deadlines are counted from then. The Funding & Tenders Portal Terms & Conditions govern portal use. The awarding authority may cancel the contest or decide not to award the prize without obligation to compensate participants.

Key documents and references:Rules of Contest for this Prize (Call Document), Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026–2027 Part 11 Widening participation and strengthening the ERA, Horizon Europe General Annexes (GEP eligibility rules), Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Programme Guide and legal references (Horizon Europe Regulation, EU Financial Regulation). For call-specific documents and templates, use the Submission System and Topic page on the Funding & Tenders Portal Topic page.

For full procedural, eligibility and award details applicants must consult the Rules of Contest document and the Topic page on the Funding & Tenders Portal. The Rules of Contest provide the full legal and operational framework and are the authoritative reference for this Prize ¹.

Comprehensive Summary — What this opportunity is about and how to approach it

This opportunity is a recognition prize under Horizon Europe (WIDERA) that rewards organisations in eligible countries for outstanding achievements and impact from implementing Gender Equality Plans. It is not a research grant for projects; it is a competitive award recognising institutional change and leadership on gender equality and inclusiveness. Four winners will each receive €100,000 to acknowledge and amplify their achievements. Applicants must be a single legal entity established in an EU Member State, an Associated Country, or an EU candidate country, and must submit an application demonstrating that their current GEP (and the GEP used for the application) meet the Horizon Europe process-related minimum requirements. Each applicant must choose one of three categories aligned to the maturity and nature of their GEP work: Sustainable, Newcomer, or Inclusive (intersectional).

Applications should be evidence-focused and data-driven. Part B is limited to 15 pages and should clearly document the GEP lifecycle, measurable results, institutionalisation and sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and external outreach or inspirational impact depending on the chosen category. For Inclusive category applications, applicants must show how intersectionality is integrated into the GEP and how it addresses links between gender and at least two other social categories with concrete outcomes.

Applicants should prepare the mandatory GEP annex (PDF), ensure the GEP is publicly published and signed by top management, complete the self-declaration GEP questionnaire in the Participant Register by the call closure date, and ensure full legal entity validation in the Participant Register before submitting. Use the Submission System templates, plan for the 15-page Part B limit, prepare quantitative and qualitative evidence, and be ready to supply additional documentation and a brief communication video if requested. Read the Rules of Contest and supporting guidance carefully and use portal help resources and National Contact Points (NCPs) if needed.

Strategic considerations:choose the category aligning to your organisation’s GEP maturity and achievements; present robust monitoring data and clear baselines; demonstrate institutional embedding and sustainability; highlight outreach, influence and transferability of practices; for Inclusive category demonstrate measurable intersectional results and innovation; ensure compliance with all eligibility, ethics and legal requirements; plan communications and visibility actions in line with EU obligations.

How to apply:register and validate your organisation in the Participant Register (obtain PIC), ensure GEP self-declaration is completed, download Part B template from the Submission System, prepare Part A online and Part B PDF (max 15 pages), upload mandatory GEP annex, submit before 29 September 2026 17:00 CET, and retain confirmation e-mail. Allow time for legal entity validation and address any portal issues early. Consult the Portal Online Manual, Rules of Contest, Programme Guide and topic Q&A for full instructions and clarifications.

Footnotes

1. 1Rules of Contest for the EU Award for Gender Equality Champions 2026 (HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-Prize) and the Horizon Europe Work Programme documentation are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal and in the call documentation: ec.europa.eu

Prize Purpose and Strategic Context

The EU Award for Gender Equality Champions is a recognition prize scheme designed to boost and complement the Gender Equality Plan (GEP) eligibility criterion in Horizon Europe, while advancing inclusive GEPs and policies within the European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda ¹. The prize aims to recognize organizations with the most significant impact from their GEP implementation, serving as role models to strengthen gender equality and inclusiveness across the European Research Area ².

Target Category: Inclusive Gender Equality Champions

Definition:This category recognizes organizations that have developed the most innovative inclusive GEP, specifically one addressing intersectionality by linking gender with at least two other social categories such as racial or ethnic origin, social origin, sexual orientation and gender identity (LGBTIQ), or disability ³.

Key Requirement:Applicants must demonstrate concrete results obtained through the implementation of this inclusive GEP, proving that the intersectional approach has led to measurable institutional change ⁴.

Eligibility Criteria

1. 1Legal entity status: Must be a private entity, public body, non-profit, or for-profit organization, including research organizations and higher education establishments ⁵.
2. 2Geographic location: Must be established in an EU Member State, an Associated Country to Horizon Europe, or a candidate country for EU accession (a new expansion for the 2026 edition) ⁶.
3. 3GEP Requirement: Must hold a current GEP and the specific GEP used for the application must comply with minimum process-related requirements set in Horizon Europe General Annexes (publication, dedicated resources, data collection, and training) ⁷.
4. 4Exclusion: Past winners of any category from previous editions are not eligible to re-enter, and applicants who have already received an EU or Euratom prize for the same activities cannot receive a second prize ⁸.

Award Criteria for Inclusive Category

To pass evaluation, applicants must meet individual thresholds (Progress Achieved:7.5/10; Innovative Inclusiveness: 3.5/5) and an overall threshold of 12.0 points out of 15.0 ⁹. Intersectionality is used as an ex aequo criterion if scores are tied.

Prize Details and Timeline

Prize Amount:One winner will be selected in the Inclusive Gender Equality Champions category, receiving a trophy and a prize of €100,000 ¹⁰.

Total Budget:The total prize budget for the 2026 call is €400,000, covering four winners across all three categories (1 Sustainable, 2 Newcomer, 1 Inclusive) ¹¹.

Deadline:Applications must be submitted by 29 September 2026 at 17:00:00 CET (Brussels Time) via the Funding & Tenders Portal ¹².

Evaluation Period:Evaluation takes place from October 2026 to January 2027, with results announced between January and March 2027 ¹³.

Application Process and Requirements

Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System; paper submissions are not accepted ¹⁴. The submission includes Part A (administrative info), Part B (technical description, max 15 pages), and a mandatory annex: the full Gender Equality Plan in PDF format ¹⁵. Applicants must also provide a weblink to the publicly accessible GEP signed by top management.

Contestants may be asked later to provide documents for legal entity validation, ethics review, or a short video message on their achievements, which will be used for communication purposes only ¹⁶.

Footnotes

1. 1Official Call Document: Rules of Contest for EU Award for Gender Equality Champions 2026, Section 1 (Background).
2. 2European Commission Research and Innovation: EU Award for Gender Equality Champions, Section on Expected Outcomes.
3. 3Rules of Contest 2026, Section 2 (Categories), definition of Inclusive Gender Equality Champions.
4. 4Rules of Contest 2026, Section 9 (Award Criteria), Criterion 1 for Inclusive Category.
5. 5Rules of Contest 2026, Section 6 (Eligibility), Eligible participants.
6. 6ERA Portal Austria News: Commission launches application process for 2026 EU Award, noting expansion to candidate countries.
7. 7Rules of Contest 2026, Section 1 (Background), listing mandatory GEP process requirements.
8. 8Rules of Contest 2026, Section 6 (Eligibility), Exclusion clauses for past winners and double funding.
9. 9Rules of Contest 2026, Section 9 (Award Criteria), Table for Inclusive Category thresholds.
10. 10European Commission Research and Innovation: EU Award for Gender Equality Champions, Prize Amount section.
11. 11Rules of Contest 2026, Section 3 (Available Budget), total budget and winner distribution.
12. 12Rules of Contest 2026, Section 4 (Timetable and deadlines), Deadline for submission.
13. 13Rules of Contest 2026, Section 4 (Timetable and deadlines), Evaluation and award dates.
14. 14Rules of Contest 2026, Section 5 (Admissibility and documents), Submission method.
15. 15Rules of Contest 2026, Section 5 (Admissibility and documents), Application structure and page limits.
16. 16Rules of Contest 2026, Section 5 (Admissibility and documents), Additional document requests and video message.