The European Prize for Women Innovators

The European Prize for Women Innovators is a Horizon Europe recognition prize run by the European Innovation Council and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology that rewards women founders or co‑founders whose ventures deliver breakthrough innovation, measurable impact and inspirational leadership. The prize has three categories (Women Innovators, Rising Innovators under 35, and EIT Women Leadership) with ranked awards up to €100,000, €50,000 and €50,000 respectively, paid after mandatory checks and an award ceremony. Applications must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the Part A/Part B templates, include a 90‑second video, and meet residency, founding and documentation validation requirements. Eligible applications are evaluated by an independent jury against breakthrough innovation, impact and inspiration with minimum scoring thresholds and potential jury hearings for shortlisted finalists; the 2027 call opens 2 September 2026 and closes 1 December 2026 at 17:00 CET.

What it funds

Purpose and prize structure

A recognition prize under Horizon Europe celebrating women entrepreneurs who have turned ideas into disruptive innovations. The contest has three categories: Women Innovators, Rising Innovators (under 35) and EIT Women Leadership. Winners are selected by an independent jury and prize money is paid after the award ceremony.

Footnotes

1. 1Full Rules of Contest, eligibility details and submission instructions are on the Funding & Tenders Portal topic page and in the call document Rules of Contest.

Summary

The European Prize for Women Innovators is an annual Horizon Europe recognition prize organised by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) in coordination with the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT). It celebrates women entrepreneurs who have transformed ideas into disruptive innovations that benefit people and the planet, and who act as inspiring leaders and role models to stimulate more women and girls to pursue innovation, science and entrepreneurship. The 2027 edition is open for submission from 02 September 2026 and closes on 01 December 2026 17:00 CET (Brussels). Applications are submitted online through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The prize comprises three categories: Women Innovators, Rising Innovators (under 35), both funded by the EIC, and EIT Women Leadership funded by the EIT. The Rules of Contest and detailed administrative and evaluation rules apply to all categories 1.

Eligible Applicant Types

Eligible applicants are individual natural persons (women) who are founders or co‑founders of a company or organisation that is established and registered in an EU Member State (including overseas countries and territories) or a country associated to Horizon Europe. The call explicitly excludes joint/group applications; each applicant must apply as a single natural person. The prize targets persons acting as founders/co‑founders of: SMEs, start‑ups, private companies, research organisations or other organisations that meet the registration and establishment rules. Applicants to the EIT category must demonstrate a direct link to the EIT Community. Rising Innovators applicants must be aged under 35 at the start of the call year. Applicants who have already received an EU or Euratom prize cannot receive a second prize for the same activities.

Funding Type and Nature of Support

Consortium Requirement

Single applicant required. The applicant must be a natural person applying individually. Joint or group applications are explicitly not accepted and will be rejected as ineligible. Applicants from the same organisation must apply separately.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility) and Mentioned Countries

Eligibility is limited to natural persons who legally reside in an EU Member State (including overseas countries and territories — OCTs) or a country associated to Horizon Europe. The company/organisation founded or co‑founded by the applicant must be established and registered in an EU Member State (including OCTs) or a Horizon Europe associated country. The Rules of Contest reference Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes for detailed lists and mention that some non-associated third countries may provide national co‑funding arrangements in line with the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. In short: primary geographic scope = EU Member States + Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

Target Sector

The prize is sector‑agnostic within the innovation ecosystem but emphasizes innovations that are breakthrough, transformative and/or deep tech across STEM fields and other sectors where women entrepreneurs have produced disruptive market solutions. Keywords and thematic focus from the call: gender in innovation development, innovation and diversity (gender), innovation policy, SME and start‑up support, and DeepTech/STEM fields. The call invites applicants across all sectors provided they can demonstrate breakthrough innovation, societal or environmental impact, and inspirational leadership.

Project Stage and Expected Maturity

Applicants should be founders or co‑founders of companies/organisations that have transformed ideas into deployed or market‑oriented innovations. The prize targets innovations that are demonstrated, scaled or commercially active rather than purely conceptual research: typical maturity is development, demonstration, commercialization and market‑uptake. The award criterion explicitly targets breakthrough innovation in DeepTech/STEM and measurable socio‑economic or environmental impact.

Funding Amount and Budget Overview

Total budget and prize distribution are organised per category. The call reserves the right not to award prizes depending on the applications and evaluation results.

Application Type and Submission Method

Single-stage open call. Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System. Paper submissions are not accepted. Applicants must register as a natural person in the Participant Register and obtain a PIC (participant identification code) before the call deadline and be validated by the Central Validation Service (REA Validation).

Application Deadlines and Timeline

Application Content, Forms and Templates

Award Criteria, Scoring and Thresholds

Applications that meet admissibility and eligibility will be evaluated by an independent expert jury against three award criteria. Each criterion has individual minimum pass thresholds and a combined overall pass threshold. The jury bases assessment on Parts A and B and the video message.

Overall maximum score = 30. Overall minimum pass = 18 (sum of the three individual minimums). Applications must pass the three individual thresholds and the overall threshold. Prizes awarded to the top‑ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd applications in each category. Ties are resolved by weighted priority (criterion 2 weighted by 2 and criterion 3 by 1.5) in pre‑selection; remaining ties advance to next evaluation phase or hearings and, if unresolved for a rank, prize money may be equally divided among tied applicants.

Evaluation Process and Stages

Single-stage submission with formal admissibility and eligibility checks followed by jury evaluation. If more than 500 applications are received in a category, a pre‑selection panel will select the best 500 to pass to the jury; otherwise all eligible applications go to jury review. Up to six highest-ranked applicants per category may be invited to hearings with the jury. Mandatory checks after jury evaluation include ethics review, security scrutiny, legal entity validation, non‑exclusion verification, double funding checks and plagiarism checks. Applicants receive an evaluation result letter; winners are awarded after mandatory checks and the award ceremony. Complaints procedures are available per the evaluation result letter deadlines.

Success Rates

Success rates depend on the number of eligible submissions per category and vary annually. The prize awards three winners per category (three categories highlighted), so the nominal number of awarded prizes per year is typically nine across the three categories. If applications exceed 500 per category, pre‑selection limits jury review to 500 per category, reducing selection probability. No fixed overall success rate is provided in the call documents; applicants should assume high competition and prepare high‑quality submissions that clearly meet thresholds.

Co‑funding Requirement

No co‑funding by the applicant is required to receive the prize. However, winners must submit requested documents (e.g. bank account validation) for payment. The prize is a lump monetary award and does not operate under a cost‑sharing grant model; applicants must, however, ensure that the activities for which they claim recognition are not receiving double funding from the EU budget for the same activities.

Legal, Financial and Administrative Conditions

Communication, Dissemination and Visibility Requirements

Prize winners must promote the prize and its results to multiple audiences. All communication must acknowledge EU support, display the European emblem and include the funding statement and disclaimer. The emblem must be used without modification and not claimed for exclusive use. Communication must be factually accurate and must include the required EU disclaimers (EISMEA and EIT versions as applicable). The awarding authority retains the right to use non‑sensitive materials provided by the winners for dissemination and publicity. Photos and videos taken by the awarding authority during award preparations and ceremonies are the property of the awarding authority.

Intellectual Property Rights

The awarding authority does not acquire ownership of results. Winners retain ownership of their results and IPR. The awarding authority has the right to use non‑sensitive information and materials submitted by winners for information, communication and publicity purposes.

Checks, Audits, Withdrawal and Recovery

The awarding authority, the European Commission, OLAF, EPPO and the European Court of Auditors may conduct audits, checks and investigations. The awarding authority may withdraw the prize and recover payments if false information, fraud, ineligibility, exclusion grounds or serious breaches of obligations are discovered.

Practical Recommendations and Key Points for Applicants

Applicants should consult the Rules of Contest and the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual for the exact application templates, submission procedures and full legal requirements. Deadlines are strict; do not wait until the last minute to submit. Additional support resources include the Online Manual, National Contact Points, Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk and European IPR Helpdesk.

Comprehensive Answers to Categorisation Questions

Templates and Application Form Structure

Application templates are provided inside the Submission System. Do not use copies from the topic page for submission; only use the forms available within the Portal Submission System. The standard structure applicants must follow is:

Part B recommended content outline (applicants should ensure evidence‑based and concise answers aligned with evaluation criteria):

Applicants must ensure the Part B PDF is accessible, printable and respects the page and formatting limits. The video must complement the written submission and illustrate the applicant’s achievements and inspirational impact.

Long General Summary: What is this opportunity about and how to explain it

The European Prize for Women Innovators is a high‑visibility European recognition prize that rewards women entrepreneurs who have played a leading role in creating and scaling disruptive innovations with clear societal and environmental benefits. It aims to create role models and to increase public awareness of women’s contributions to innovation ecosystems, thereby encouraging more women and girls to engage in science, technology and entrepreneurship. The prize is open to women who apply as natural persons and who are founders or co‑founders of a company/organisation established in the EU or countries associated to Horizon Europe; applicants must provide proof of residence and of company founding/registration. The competition uses a single‑stage submission system on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, evaluates applications against three criteria (Breakthrough innovation, Impact, Inspiration) with strict minimum thresholds, and awards monetary prizes to the top three ranked applicants in each of the three categories: Women Innovators, Rising Innovators (under 35) and EIT Women Leadership. Winners must comply with visibility and dissemination obligations, allow the awarding authority to use non‑sensitive materials for promotion, and may be subject to audits and validations prior to payment. The prize offers a combination of monetary support and elevated public recognition; applicants should present clear evidence of innovation novelty, measurable impact and leadership that promotes gender equality in innovation. For precise application templates, submission procedures, eligibility tables and legal references consult the Rules of Contest and the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual before submitting. The portal topic page provides the submission entry point and links to the reference documentation 1.

Footnotes

1. 1Call Rules of Contest, application templates and all legal and procedural references are available in the call documentation on the Funding & Tenders Portal topic page for HORIZON-EIC: ec.europa.eu

This is a Horizon Europe recognition prize that rewards women innovators whose ventures create breakthrough solutions and measurable impact. The 2027 edition is run by the European Innovation Council and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, opens on 2 September 2026, and closes on 1 December 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time.123

Purpose and policy context

The prize is designed to raise public awareness of the contribution of women to the EU innovation ecosystem and to create strong role models for women and girls in science, technology and entrepreneurship. Applications are assessed by an independent expert jury against breakthrough innovation, impact and inspiration.23

Who can apply

In practical terms, the opportunity is best suited to women founders or co-founders of innovative companies or organisations in the EU or Horizon Europe associated countries, especially those leading deep-tech, STEM or high-impact ventures with strong evidence of leadership and role-model potential.123

Prizes and award amounts

The official prize page shows three award levels in each category. The Women Innovators category awards €100,000, €70,000 and €50,000; the Rising Innovators category awards €50,000, €30,000 and €20,000; and the EIT Women Leadership category awards €50,000, €30,000 and €20,000.123

Application requirements

Evaluation and selection

Timeline and post-award obligations

The submission deadline is 1 December 2026 at 17:00 CET, evaluation runs from December 2026 to April 2027, and results and award information are expected from April to June 2027.13 Prize money is paid after the award ceremony, once all requested documents have been submitted.1