Rising Innovators category

The Rising Innovators category of the European Prize for Women Innovators (Horizon Europe) is a recognition prize for women founders or cofounders under 35, resident in EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries, whose company has been registered at least one year. Three monetary prizes are awarded, €50 000, €30 000 and €20 000, from a total budget of €100 000, paid after the award ceremony subject to documentation and mandatory checks. Single stage electronic applications comprising Part A, Part B (PDF, max 15 pages) and a 90 second video must be submitted via the Funding and Tenders Portal by 1 December 2026 17:00 Brussels time and are evaluated by an independent jury against breakthrough innovation, impact and inspiration with individual and overall score thresholds.

What it funds

Purpose and scope

A recognition prize celebrating women founders who have turned disruptive innovations into market-ready solutions and act as role models to inspire other women and girls. The prize supports public visibility, business uptake and a culture enabling women innovators across the EU and Horizon Europe associated countries. Full topic details and Rules of Contest: Topic page.

Who can apply:Natural persons only (no joint applications). Applicants must be women, founders or co‑founders of a company/organisation established and registered at least one year before the call year, legally residing in an EU Member State (including OCTs) or a Horizon Europe associated country. Rising Innovators applicants must be under 35 at the start of the call year. Registration in the Participant Register (natural person PIC) and validation are mandatory ¹.

1. 1Format: single-stage electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal
2. 2Application components: Part A (administrative), Part B (technical, max 15 pages) and a 90-second video; supporting proofs (age, company registration, EIT link where relevant)
3. 3Evaluation by independent jury against Breakthrough innovation, Impact and Inspiration (individual thresholds 6/10, overall 18/30)

Budget for the Rising Innovators category:€100,000 total (indicative) to fund three prizes. Prize payments are made after the award ceremony subject to requested documentation.

Key dates and process

Opening:02 September 2026. Submission deadline: 01 December 2026, 17:00 CET (Brussels). Evaluation: Dec 2026–Apr 2027. Results and awards: April–June 2027. Up to six top-ranked applicants per category may be invited to a jury hearing (may be remote).

How winners are chosen:Applications are checked for admissibility/eligibility then ranked by a jury using the three award criteria; top three in each category receive the prizes. Ties can result in equal division of prize amounts or multiple awards per rank.

1. 1Applicants may apply to only one prize category; multiple submissions from the same organisation must be separate natural-person applications
2. 2Applicants who already received an EU/Euratom prize for the same activities are ineligible to receive a second prize for those activities
3. 3Winners must comply with communication, visibility and IPR clauses in the Rules of Contest

Apply and submit through the Funding & Tenders Portal submission session for HORIZON-EIC.

Footnotes

1. 1See the Rules of Contest and submission instructions on the topic page and the Funding & Tenders Portal for participant registration, validation (REA) and required supporting documents.

Opportunity at a glance

Key facts

Call title:The European Prize for Women Innovators. Topic / Call identifier: HORIZON-EIC. Type of action: HORIZON Recognition Prize (HORIZON-RPr). Type of MGA: HORIZON Prize (HORIZON-PR). Opening date: 02 September 2026. Submission deadline: 01 December 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Submission model: single-stage. Submission channel: Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System. Managed by: European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) in coordination with the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT).

Available prize budget and awards:Rising Innovators category budget: €100,000 in total for 2026. Three prizes in the Rising Innovators category: €50,000 (1st), €30,000 (2nd), €20,000 (3rd) ¹.

1. 1Submission method: electronic only via Funding & Tenders Portal; paper submissions are not accepted.
2. 2Application parts: Part A (administrative, online), Part B (technical description — upload as PDF using mandatory template from Submission System), required annexes and supporting documents (uploaded via Submission System).
3. 3Mandatory annex: an inspiring video message (max 90 seconds, max 100 MB) uploaded as a .zip file in the Submission System annex area.
4. 4Additional mandatory annex for Rising Innovators: proof of age (applicants must be under 35 at the start of the call year — born on or after 1 January 1991).
5. 5Applicants must register in the Participant Register as a natural person and obtain/validate a PIC via REA Central Validation Service prior to submission.
6. 6Part B page limit: maximum 15 pages for Part B (evaluators will disregard additional pages).

Who can apply and eligibility

Eligible applicant types and conditions

Eligible applicant types:natural person women only (applicants apply as natural persons, not legal entities). The opportunity is designed for women innovators who are founders or co‑founders of a company or organisation. Joint applications and group/joint submissions are not accepted — only individual natural persons may apply and each person must apply separately. Applicants from the same organisation must apply individually. Applicants who previously received an EU or Euratom prize cannot receive a second prize for the same activities.

Country / residency requirements:Applicants must be legally residing in an EU Member State (including Overseas Countries and Territories — OCTs) or in a country associated to Horizon Europe. The company or organisation founded or co-founded by the applicant must be established and registered/incorporated in an EU Member State (including OCTs) or a Horizon Europe Associated Country and must have been registered or incorporated at least one year before the call year (i.e., before 1 January 2025 for the 2026 call).

1. 1Applicants must be women (cis or transgender women legally defined as women).
2. 2Applicants must apply as a natural person and select natural person legal status in the Participant Register.
3. 3Applicants must be the founder or co‑founder of the company or organisation named in the application.
4. 4Company or organisation must be registered in an eligible country and be at least one year old before the call year.
5. 5Rising Innovators category specific: applicant age must be under 35 at the start of the call year.

Scope, objectives and target sectors

Objective:celebrate women entrepreneurs who have transformed ideas into disruptive innovations, create role models and boost awareness of female contribution to the EU innovation ecosystem, and inspire more women and girls to become innovators. Scope covers women founders/co‑founders across the EU and Horizon-associated countries whose companies deliver disruptive innovations that benefit people and the planet and who are inspirational leaders. The prize supports innovation culture, gender balance and gender-responsive innovation in research and innovation organisations and companies.

Target sectors and technology focus:The prize targets innovators across sectors but emphasises breakthrough innovation, including DeepTech and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). The Rising Innovators category is for promising young women founders under 35 who have created impactful innovations. Relevant thematic areas include DeepTech, ICT, biotech/medtech, advanced materials, cleantech, energy, manufacturing, agri/food, and other sectors where disruptive innovation drives socio‑economic or environmental impact.

Evaluation, award criteria and process

Evaluation is carried out by an independent expert jury. If a single category receives more than 500 applications, a pre-selection panel will select the best 500 applications for jury review. Otherwise, all eligible applications go directly to jury review. The jury assessment is based on Part A, Part B and the submitted video. Up to six best-ranked applications in each category may be invited to a hearing with the jury (in Brussels or remotely). Mandatory checks (ethics review, security scrutiny, legal validation, non-exclusion, double funding checks, plagiarism) are performed before award decisions.

1. 1Ranking and prizes: winners ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the Rising Innovators category receive €50,000 / €30,000 / €20,000 respectively. In case of ties the prize for the rank may be equally divided among tied applicants.
2. 2Tie-breaking: pre-selection/jury ties apply weighted rule (criterion 2 weighted x2, criterion 3 weighted x1.5) to determine priority order; tied highest scores in jury review may be admitted to hearings; unresolved ties can lead to equal division of prize.
3. 3Evaluation timeline (indicative): evaluation December 2026 – April 2027; information on results and awards April–June 2027.

Application structure and templates

Applicants must use the application forms and templates provided in the Submission System. Do not submit alternative formats outside the provided templates. The Submission System contains Part A (online administrative fields), Part B template (technical description to download, complete, assemble and re-upload as PDF) and annex templates. Applicants must upload the video annex and supporting documents in the correct annex categories. Part B maximum length is 15 pages (additional pages disregarded).

Application form outline and required elements:Part A: Administrative data (completed online): personal details, PIC of natural person, legal/residency declaration, founder/co‑founder affirmation, declarations on exclusions and prior EU prizes. Part B: Technical description (template PDF): description of the breakthrough innovation (how it is novel vs state-of-the-art), evidencing impact (market traction, socio‑economic and environmental benefits, performance and growth), demonstration of inspirational leadership and activities to promote gender equality, concise business-related facts about the company/organisation (establishment date, registration details), and a risk/ethics/security statement. Annexes: 90-second video (zip), proof of age (Rising Innovators), any requested proof of company registration and natural person residency, any additional documentation requested for validation. Applicants should ensure uploaded documents are readable, accessible and printable.

Administrative, legal and financial conditions

This is a recognition prize, not a traditional project grant. Legal and financial rules applicable to Horizon Europe prizes and the Rules of Contest apply. Prize monies are paid after the award ceremony upon submission of requested documents. The awarding authority retains rights to use non-sensitive information and media provided by winners for communication and dissemination. The awarding authority does not obtain ownership of the results; it may use non-sensitive materials for publication. The awarding authority, European Commission, OLAF, EPPO and ECA may perform audits and investigations. The awarding authority may withdraw prizes and recover payments in case of fraud, ineligibility, or serious breach of obligations.

Visibility and communication obligations:Winners must promote the prize and acknowledge EU support in communications, display the European emblem and funding statement, and include the required EU disclaimer in communications. The emblem cannot be modified and must be displayed at least as prominently as other logos when used together.

Eligibility exclusions, ethics and security

Applicants subject to EU exclusion decisions or in exclusion situations (bankruptcy, serious professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, money laundering, human trafficking, failing tax or social security obligations, grave irregularities, etc.) are barred from receiving EU funding and will be excluded. Proposals with ethical issues must pass ethics review; security-sensitive applications involving classified information may not be eligible. Applicants must provide proof of eligibility and may be requested to provide legal entity validation documents and other supporting paperwork for REA validation.

Administrative process, timeline and stages

Submission is a two-step participant register + application process via EULogin/Participant Register and the Funding & Tenders Portal Submission System. Applicants must register as natural persons and obtain a validated PIC before submission. After submission applicants receive a confirmation email. The evaluation and award procedure may include a pre-selection (if >500 applications per category), jury review, optional hearings (up to 6 finalists invited per category), mandatory checks and then award decision. Applicants will be informed by evaluation result letter. Complaints procedures are available as described in the evaluation result letter and Rules of Contest.

1. 1Step 1: Create EULogin account and register as natural person in Participant Register (get PIC and validation).
2. 2Step 2: Complete Part A online and Part B template PDF; prepare annexes including 90-second video and required proofs.
3. 3Step 3: Submit via Funding & Tenders Portal before the deadline. Confirmation email is sent on successful submission.
4. 4Step 4: Pre-selection (if >500 applications in the category) and/or direct jury review.
5. 5Step 5: Jury review; up to six top-ranked applicants may be invited to a hearing (remote or in Brussels).
6. 6Step 6: Mandatory checks and award decision; payment after award ceremony and submission of requested documents.

Indicative timeline:Call opening: 02 September 2026; Deadline: 01 December 2026 17:00 CET; Evaluation: Dec 2026 – Apr 2027; Results / awards: Apr – Jun 2027 ¹.

Other practical details

Applications are accepted in any official EU language, although English is strongly recommended. Applicants must ensure Part B complies with the template layout and page limits provided in the Submission System. Applicants may re-submit and update applications until the deadline. Notifications not opened within 10 days are considered accessed; complaint deadlines are counted from opening/access. The Rules of Contest, Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide and related reference documents should be consulted. For non-IT questions contact EISMEA-WIP@ec.europa.eu; for EIT category questions contact eit-awards@eit.europa.eu; for IT issues use the Funding & Tenders Portal IT Helpdesk.

Co-funding and financial contribution requirement:No applicant co-funding is required to receive this prize. The prize is a lump monetary award. However, applicants must ensure no double funding for the same activities from the EU budget. The prize is not a grant to implement a project — it is recognition funding dependent on eligibility and award procedures.

Categorisation and structured answers

The following structured information is extracted from the call and Rules of Contest.

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: natural person women who are founders or co‑founders of a company or organisation established in an EU Member State (including OCTs) or a country associated to Horizon Europe. (Not open to legal entities or joint/group submissions).
2. 2Funding Type: recognition prize (monetary prize paid to winners).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: single applicant (individual natural person); joint/group applications are not allowed.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): EU Member States (including Overseas Countries and Territories) and countries associated to Horizon Europe; some non-associated third countries have specific arrangements (see Horizon Europe Annex B and Programme Guide).
5. 5Target Sector: innovation and entrepreneurship across sectors with emphasis on DeepTech / STEM, and other sectors where disruptive innovation occurs (ICT, biotech/medtech, cleantech, advanced materials, manufacturing, agri/food, etc.).
6. 6Mentioned Countries: EU Member States (including Overseas Countries and Territories) and Horizon Europe Associated Countries are explicitly mentioned as eligible; no specific non-EU countries are listed.
7. 7Project Stage: applicants are founders/co‑founders of an existing company or organisation established at least one year; Rising Innovators category targets early-stage to scaling young founders under 35 who already have an operational company (so stage: early commercialisation / scale-up readiness).
8. 8Funding Amount: Rising Innovators category prizes: €50,000, €30,000 and €20,000 (three awards). Total indicative budget for Rising Innovators: €100,000 (2026).
9. 9Application Type: open call; single-stage; electronic submission via Funding & Tenders Portal (open for submission between opening and deadline).
10. 10Nature of Support: monetary prize payments to winners; plus non-monetary benefits (visibility, media, role-model effect).
11. 11Application Stages: up to 4 stages: registration/submission, pre-selection (conditional if >500 applications), jury review, hearings (for finalists) and mandatory checks prior to award decision (effectively 3–4 stages).
12. 12Success Rates: not explicitly provided. Only three winners per category are awarded each year. Success rate depends on number of eligible submissions; historically small (low single-digit percentage if hundreds of applications).
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: no co-funding required. Prize recipients are not required to contribute funds to receive the prize; prize payments are conditional on submission of requested administrative documents after award and compliance with rules.
14. 14Templates: applicants must use the Submission System forms: Part A (online) and Part B template (download from Submission System, fill, re-upload as PDF). Mandatory annexes uploaded in specific annex categories: 90-second video (zip, <=100 MB), proof of age for Rising Innovators (PDF), proof of company registration and residence if requested. Part B max 15 pages. Use the exact templates in the Submission System (not the informational copies on the topic page).

Risks, checks and disqualifying issues

Applicants will be subject to mandatory checks including ethics review, security scrutiny, legal entity validation, non-exclusion verification, checks for double funding, and plagiarism checks. The awarding authority may withdraw prizes and recover payments if false information, fraud or corruption is detected, if winners are found ineligible or should have been excluded, or if winners seriously breach their obligations under the Rules of Contest.

Important compliance notes:Do not submit multiple applications across categories — applicants eligible for several categories can only apply to one; if multiple are submitted only the latest will be considered and earlier ones rejected. Joint applications or applications submitted as legal entities will be rejected as ineligible. Ensure registration in the Participant Register as a natural person and REA validation before the call deadline.

How to apply — practical checklist

1. 1Create EULogin account and register as a natural person in the Participant Register; obtain and validate your PIC before the call deadline.
2. 2Read the Rules of Contest and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide and Online Manual.
3. 3Download the Part B template from the Submission System, complete it and convert to PDF within the page limits (Part B max 15 pages).
4. 4Prepare a 90-second inspiring video (<=100 MB) and bundle it as a .zip for upload to the Annex area.
5. 5Collect supporting documents: proof of age (Rising Innovators), proof of company registration (company >1 year old), residency proof, any documents required for REA validation.
6. 6Complete Part A (online) and upload Part B PDF and annexes in the correct submission categories.
7. 7Submit through the Funding & Tenders Portal Submission System before 01 December 2026 17:00 CET and retain the confirmation email.
8. 8If more than 500 applications are received in the category, expect a pre-selection to select top 500 for jury review; otherwise direct jury review follows.
9. 9If shortlisted you may be invited to a hearing (up to six finalists per category).

Contact and support

Funding & Tenders Portal IT support:use Portal IT Helpdesk for technical submission issues. Non-IT inquiries for EIC Women Innovators and Rising Innovators categories: EISMEA-WIP@ec.europa.eu. Non-IT inquiries for the EIT Women Leadership category: eit-awards@eit.europa.eu. Consult the Online Manual, the Horizon Europe Programme Guide and the Rules of Contest for detailed procedural, eligibility and legal guidance.

Summary:The Rising Innovators category of the European Prize for Women Innovators is an EU-recognised monetary prize intended to celebrate and promote women founders under 35 who have turned breakthrough ideas into disruptive innovations. The opportunity is a single-stage open call with electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Only individual natural person women founders/co‑founders resident in EU Member States or Horizon-associated countries (and whose company is registered in those jurisdictions and has existed for at least one year) may apply. Award decisions are made by an independent jury against three award criteria (breakthrough innovation, impact, inspiration) with strict individual and overall thresholds. Three prize awards are distributed in the Rising Innovators category (€50,000 / €30,000 / €20,000). Applications require Part A (online), Part B (structured PDF template with page limits), annexes including a 90-second video and proof of age. The process can include pre-selection, jury review and hearings; mandatory administrative and ethics/security checks are performed before awards. Prize winners must comply with EU visibility and communication requirements and are subject to audits and potential withdrawal in cases of fraud or ineligibility. Consult the Rules of Contest and Submission System templates for exact application wording and mandatory declarations ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Full Rules of Contest, call text and templates are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal topic page for HORIZON-EIC: ec.europa.eu

This Horizon Europe recognition prize is open to young women innovators who have founded or cofounded a company or organisation in the EU or in a country associated to Horizon Europe. The category is designed to raise the visibility of women innovators, reward disruptive innovation, and create role models for the next generation of scientists, innovators, and technology leaders.[1][4]

What the opportunity is about

The Rising Innovators category is part of the European Prize for Women Innovators, which is jointly organised by the European Innovation Council and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. The prize recognises women behind game changing innovations that benefit people and the planet, and the winners are selected by an independent expert jury.[1][4]

Who can apply

• The applicant must be a woman and must apply as a natural person, not as a legal entity.[1][4]
• The applicant must be legally residing in an EU Member State, including overseas countries and territories, or in a country associated to Horizon Europe.[1][4]
• The applicant must be the founder or cofounder of the company or organisation.[1][4]
• The company or organisation must be established in an EU Member State, including overseas countries and territories, or in a Horizon Europe associated country, and must have been registered or incorporated at least one year before the call year.[1]
• Applicants to the Rising Innovators category must be under 35 years of age at the start of the call year.[1][4]
• Applicants who have already received an EU or Euratom prize cannot receive a second prize for the same activities.[1]
• Applicants eligible for more than one prize category can apply to only one category, and if multiple applications are submitted only the latest one will be considered.[1]
• Joint applications are not accepted, and applicants from the same organisation must submit separately.[1]
• Applicants must register in the Participant Register before the deadline and may be asked to provide proof of eligibility, including legal status documents for natural persons.[1]

Prize amounts and budget

The award is a recognition prize rather than a project grant, so funding is paid as prize money after the award ceremony once all requested documents have been submitted.[1]

How applications are assessed

Eligible applications are evaluated by a jury against three award criteria:breakthrough innovation, impact, and inspiration. Each criterion is scored out of 10 points, with a minimum of 6 points required for each criterion and an overall threshold of 18 out of 30 points.[1]

1. 1Breakthrough innovation means the company or organisation is developing a breakthrough solution, including in deep tech or STEM fields, and the applicant must show what makes it superior to existing solutions.[1]
2. 2Impact means the innovation addresses a real need or challenge and delivers clear benefits for people or the planet, including socio economic or environmental impact.[1]
3. 3Inspiration means the applicant is an inspiring leader and role model who has played a pivotal role in the organisation and has helped empower other women and girls.[1]

The jury assesses Parts A and B of the application form and the video submitted by the applicant. If there are more than 500 applications in the category, a preselection phase is used to identify the best 500 applications for jury review.[1]

If applications are tied, the ranking gives additional weight to criterion 2, impact, and criterion 3, inspiration. Up to six top ranked applications in each category may be invited to a hearing in Brussels, which may also take place remotely.[1]

Timeline and submission

The call uses a single stage submission process and applications must be submitted online through the Funding and Tenders Portal. Paper applications are not accepted.[1]

Conditions applicants should note

The prize documentation refers applicants to the Horizon Europe general annexes and the Rules of Contest for detailed admissibility, country eligibility, financial and operational capacity, exclusion, and legal and financial set up provisions.[1]

Winners must acknowledge EU support in all relevant communication and dissemination activities, use the European flag and funding statement, and include the required disclaimer. The awarding authority does not take ownership of the results, but it may use non sensitive materials from winners for communication and publicity purposes.[1]

The awarding authority, the European Commission, OLAF, the European Public Prosecutor's Office, and the European Court of Auditors may carry out checks, audits, and investigations¹. The prize may be withdrawn and payments recovered if false information, fraud, corruption, ineligibility, or serious breach of obligations is found.[1]

What applicants should take away

This is a highly selective EU prize for young women founders and cofounders with breakthrough, high impact innovations and a strong personal leadership story. Applicants should focus their submission on evidence of novelty, measurable impact, and their role as an inspiration for other women and girls.[1][4]

Footnotes

1. 1Official prize rules and portal topic information state that these bodies may carry out checks, audits, and investigations in relation to the prize.[1]