2027 European Prize for Women Innovators: who can apply, what is awarded and how the selection works

Brussels, September 2nd 2026

Summary

›The 2027 European Prize for Women Innovators is open for applications from 2 September 2026 to 1 December 2026, 17:00 CET.
›Three prize categories are offered: Women Innovators, Rising Innovators (under 35) and EIT Women Leadership with cash awards up to €100,000.
›Applicants must be women founders or co‑founders resident in an EU Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe and apply as a natural person.
›Applications are submitted via the EU Funding & Tender Opportunities portal using EU Login and a PIC, and must include a short video and Part A/B forms.
›Selection uses an expert jury and may include a preselection if categories receive more than 500 applications; ethics, security and legal checks apply.
›Prize winners must respect publicity rules, data protection rules and may lose the prize if exclusion grounds or malpractice are discovered.

2027 European Prize for Women Innovators - overview

The European Innovation Council (EIC) and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) are jointly running the 2027 edition of the European Prize for Women Innovators. The prize recognises women entrepreneurs who have founded or co‑founded companies that have delivered breakthrough innovations with measurable societal, economic or environmental impact. The scheme is managed by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Applications open on 2 September 2026 and close on 1 December 2026 at 17:00 CET.

Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva is quoted by the organisers underlining the policy rationale: across Europe, women innovators are transforming bold ideas into solutions that improve lives and strengthen our societies. The prize is presented as a tool to celebrate women who lead innovation and to help close the gender gap in innovation.

What the prize offers

The 2027 prize is structured in three separate categories. Cash awards are the visible component. The organisers also say winners gain visibility and opportunities across the EIC and EIT networks. Below is a compact overview followed by fuller details on eligibility and application requirements.

Category	Who is targeted	Prizes	Key eligibility notes
EIC Women Innovators	Women founders and co‑founders across the EU and countries associated to Horizon Europe	1st: €100,000 2nd: €70,000 3rd: €50,000	Applicant must be a natural person and founder/co‑founder of the company or organisation
EIC Rising Innovators	Promising young women innovators under the age of 35	1st: €50,000 2nd: €30,000 3rd: €20,000	Age limit: must be under 35 at the start of the call year; other standard eligibility applies
EIT Women Leadership	Exceptional women leaders with a direct link to the EIT Community	1st: €50,000 2nd: €30,000 3rd: €20,000	Applicants must demonstrate a connection to EIT activities or KICs

Why apply and what it realistically achieves

Winning or being publicly recognised can raise an innovator’s profile, open doors to networks and investors and create role model effects. That said, prizes alone rarely substitute for the capital and commercial support needed to scale deep tech ventures. Expect reputational benefits and exposure inside the EIC and EIT ecosystems, but treat the cash prize as supplementary and not as the primary scaling instrument. Applicants should factor in the potential for follow‑on opportunities via EIC Business Acceleration Services and the EIC Fund ecosystem rather than rely solely on the award.

Who can apply and core eligibility rules

The Rules of Contest set specific eligibility conditions. Applicants must meet them all to be admitted and evaluated.

Natural person and founder requirement:Applicants must apply as a natural person and not as a legal entity. The applicant must be a woman and must be the founder or co‑founder of the company or organisation they cite in the application. Self‑employment alone without a founding role is not acceptable.

Geography and company registration:Applicants must be legally residing in an EU Member State, an overseas country or territory of an EU Member State, or a country associated to Horizon Europe. The company or organisation linked to the applicant must be established and registered or incorporated in an EU Member State or associated country. The Rules of Contest include a requirement that the company or organisation be registered or incorporated at least two years before the call year in certain formulations of the call. Applicants should check the specific call text and attach documentation on company registration when requested.

Age and EIT link:Rising Innovators must be under 35 at the start of the call year. Applicants to the EIT Women Leadership category must demonstrate a direct link to the EIT Community, for example by providing certificates, signed support letters, or evidence of participation in an EIT labelled program.

One category only:An individual may be eligible for more than one category but must submit only one application and choose a single category. If the system sees multiple submissions from the same applicant, only the latest will be considered and the others will be rejected as ineligible.

What you must submit and technical requirements

All material must be submitted electronically through the Funding & Tender Opportunities portal. The submission system enforces formats, fields and size limits. Read the online manual for exact upload steps and use EU Login and a Participant Identification Code (PIC).

Steps and documents:Applications are composed of Part A (administrative details entered online) and Part B (technical description uploaded as a PDF built from the portal template). Supporting annexes must be uploaded in the portal where indicated. The portal templates are mandatory and applications that do not follow the format risk being declared inadmissible.

Video requirement:Applicants must upload an inspiring video message of no more than 90 seconds describing themselves and their achievements. The video file cannot exceed 100 MB and must be uploaded as a .zip file attached in the portal.

Page limits and scope of evaluation:Part B is limited to a maximum of 15 pages. Evaluators will disregard any excess pages. The jury bases its assessment on Part A, Part B and the video.

Identifiers and portal access:You must create an EU Login account and register as a natural person in the Participant Register to receive a PIC (Participant Identification Code). The PIC and EU Login credentials are mandatory for submission. Check the Portal Online Manual if you have problems registering.

Timeline and key dates

Milestone	Date or period
Call opens	2 September 2026
Online info session	17 September 2026
Deadline to apply	1 December 2026, 17:00 CET
Evaluation period	December 2026 - April 2027
Award ceremony	Second quarter 2027 (Q2 2027)

Selection process and evaluation criteria

The jury evaluates eligible applications against three award criteria. If a single category receives more than 500 applications, a preselection will narrow the field to the top 500 for full jury review. Up to six top-ranked applicants in each category may be invited for a hearing with the jury. The award amounts go to the three highest ranked applications in each category provided they pass thresholds and mandatory checks.

Award criteria:Applications are evaluated on: 1) Breakthrough innovation: how distinctive and disruptive the innovation is, especially in deep tech and STEM areas; 2) Impact: societal, environmental or economic benefits including jobs and value creation; 3) Inspiration: the applicant’s leadership and role model effect in promoting gender balance and enabling other women to innovate. Each criterion has an individual minimum threshold. The total maximum score is 30.

Preselection, hearings and ties:If more than 500 applications arrive in a category there will be a preselection stage. The jury may invite finalists to a hearing. For tied scores the Rules specify weighted tie break rules and arrangements for splitting prizes when ties persist.

Mandatory checks before award:Before a prize is awarded the organisers carry out mandatory checks including ethics review, security scrutiny, legal entity validation and checks for exclusion grounds, double funding and plagiarism. A negative outcome can prevent award even if the jury shortlisted the applicant.

Practical legal and administrative conditions

There are several legal and administrative obligations that winners must accept. These affect publicity, data usage, auditing and potential recovery of funds in case of malpractice or misrepresentation.

Publicity and emblem use:Winners must promote the prize and its results and follow EU visibility rules. Communications must acknowledge EU support, display the EU emblem, and include a disclaimer that views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Commission or the managing agency. The emblem cannot be modified or used exclusively and must be at least as visible as other logos.

Intellectual property and rights of use:IP ownership remains with the creators. The awarding authority reserves the right to use non‑sensitive information and materials submitted for publicity, dissemination and archival purposes. Photos and videos taken by the awarding authority are its property.

Exclusion grounds and withdrawal:Participants can be excluded or have awards withdrawn if they are subject to EU exclusion decisions or found to have engaged in fraud, corruption, money laundering, serious professional misconduct, false declarations, or other breaches listed in the EU Financial Regulation. The organisers can also recover payments that were obtained by misrepresentation.

Checks, audits and investigations:The European Commission, the EISMEA, the European Anti‑Fraud Office (OLAF), the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and the European Court of Auditors may carry out checks, audits and investigations in relation to the prize. Applicants must cooperate with such procedures.

Data protection and record keeping

Submission and grant management use EU IT platforms. Personal data are processed under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725. The Call Rules and the EISMEA Data Protection Notice set out retention periods and staff roles. Applicants should expect data to be shared with third parties involved in the programme where the applicant has given consent or where the law allows it.

Retention periods and possible sharing:Personal data of experts and participants are retained according to EISMEA rules and may be kept for years for audit and research purposes unless you object where allowed. The portal uses cookies and event logging for platform security. Submissions can be shared with National Contact Points and other public actors where the applicant has consented to such sharing to help secure additional support.

How to apply in practice and where to get help

Applications are submitted through the EU Funding & Tender Opportunities Portal. Allow time to create an EU Login account, register as a natural person, obtain your PIC, prepare Part B and compress the video as required. Do not wait until the last minute as deadlines are final and technical congestion is the applicant’s risk.

Online information session:An online info session is scheduled for 17 September 2026, 11:00 to 12:00 CEST. The session will explain the application process, award criteria and include testimonials from previous winners. Registration is required and closes shortly before the session.

Where to ask questions:For the EIC Women Innovators and Rising Innovators categories contact EISMEA at EISMEA-WIP@ec.europa.eu. For the EIT Women Leadership category contact eit-awards@eit.europa.eu. For portal technical problems use the IT Helpdesk described on the Funding & Tender Opportunities portal.

A final word for applicants and ecosystem context

The Prize sits inside the broader EIC ecosystem that includes Business Acceleration Services, the EIC Fund equity activities and STEP Scale Up instruments. For women founders the prize can provide valuable visibility and networking benefits inside that ecosystem. At the same time the EIC continues to emphasise that prizes are one instrument among many to reduce the gender imbalance in entrepreneurship and innovation.

A pragmatic approach is recommended. Prepare a focused, evidence based submission showing clear innovation, measurable impact and a credible leadership story. Treat the prize as a reputational asset and accession point to additional supports rather than a substitute for sustained funding or customers.