EIC launches 5th Women Leadership Programme cohort for female researchers and aspiring leaders
- ›The European Innovation Council opened applications for the 5th EIC Women Leadership Programme with a deadline of 20 March 2024.
- ›The cohort runs April to June 2024 and includes training, networking, business coaching and mentoring for selected female researchers and aspiring leaders.
- ›Eligibility is restricted to women affiliated with projects funded under specified EIC and Horizon 2023 schemes.
- ›The programme is presented as part of EIC Business Acceleration Services and builds on earlier cohorts reaching more than 180 participants since a 2021 pilot.
- ›The announcement includes alumni testimonials and summary impact data but does not provide cohort size or selection criteria details.
EIC Women Leadership Programme: fifth cohort and open call
The European Innovation Council announced the launch of the fifth cohort of its Women Leadership Programme. The open call was published on 22 February 2024 with an application deadline of 20 March 2024 end of day. The cohort is scheduled to run between April and June 2024 and targets female researchers and aspiring female leaders connected to specific EIC and Horizon 2023 funding schemes.
What the programme promises
The EIC Women Leadership Programme, delivered under the umbrella of the EIC Business Acceleration Services, offers a mix of training sessions, networking events, personalised coaching, and mentoring. It is presented as a capacity building and visibility initiative intended to help women researchers and entrepreneurs progress toward leadership roles and scale up business-ready projects.
Timeline and practical dates
| Event name | Date | Venue |
| Open call published | 22 February 2024 | Online |
| Application deadline | 20 March 2024 | End of day |
| Confirmation of participation | 12 April 2024 | Online notification |
| Introductory workshop and mentor speed dating | 23 April 2024 | Online |
| Training sessions and networking activities | April to June 2024 | Online or in person TBC |
Who is eligible
This fifth cohort is reserved exclusively for women researchers and aspiring female leaders affiliated with institutions that have benefited from specific EIC or Horizon 2023 schemes. Applicants should verify eligibility before applying and ensure they can commit to the timeline and sessions.
| Eligible funding schemes | Notes |
| EIC Pathfinder | Funded projects addressing early stage disruptive research |
| EIC Transition | Projects preparing research results for market entry |
| FTI under Horizon 2023 | Fast Track to Innovation related awards under Horizon 2023 |
| FET Open and FET Proactive under Horizon 2023 | Frontier Exploratory Research strands under Horizon 2023 |
How to apply and support contacts
Interested candidates were invited to submit applications by 20 March 2024 EOD. The call asked applicants to check the full timeline and ensure availability for scheduled activities. For additional information applicants were directed to the EIC Community Helpdesk and the programme FAQ page.
Alumni feedback and promotional material
The announcement includes short alumni testimonials and links to recordings from previous editions. Two named alumni quoted are Joana Simões Correia Executive Director and CSO at Exogenus Therapeutics and Alessandra Balduini Professor and principal investigator at SilkFusion. Their remarks highlight gains in self confidence and business orientation after participating.
Scale impact claims and context
The EIC frames the Women Leadership Programme as part of a broader push to improve gender balance in deep tech and research commercialisation. The programme began as a pilot in 2021. The EIC states that three cohorts have reached more than 180 women researchers and entrepreneurs to date. The programme is one among multiple EIC initiatives targeted at women including Women TechEU and the European Prize for Women Innovators.
These headline figures are useful as indicators but they do not alone demonstrate causation between programmes like the WLP and long term outcomes such as company survival scaling or investment success. The EIC announcement does not specify cohort size for the fifth cohort selection criteria beyond the funding scheme linkage or disclose monitoring metrics for follow up impact assessment. Applicants and observers should look for clearer reporting on selection methodology cohort composition and post programme outcomes in future communications.
Practical advice for prospective applicants
If you are eligible and planning to apply prepare a concise statement of your leadership and career goals and how the programme would address a specific barrier. Confirm that your organisation and project are linked to one of the listed schemes. Plan for the time commitment across April to June and be ready to participate in online workshops and mentoring sessions. Use the Helpdesk for clarifications and consult past alumni stories and recorded events to understand the programme format.
Final notes and disclaimer
The information in the EIC announcement is intended for knowledge sharing and programme promotion. It should not be interpreted as an official view of the European Commission or other bodies. For official rules and eligibility always refer to the EIC Community platform the published call documentation and the programme FAQ.