EIC Women Leadership Programme expands skills and networks for women innovators while raising questions about access and impact
- ›The European Innovation Council runs the EIC Women Leadership Programme to train, mentor and network women researchers and founders.
- ›Each three month cohort delivers eight tailored training sessions, three networking sessions, at least one in-person event, six months of mentoring and four days of coaching.
- ›Eligibility is limited to women from EIC beneficiaries, EIT Communities and WomenTechEU which may exclude many potential candidates outside these networks.
- ›The programme complements funding schemes like Women TechEU but does not itself provide direct grants, and in-person costs are self-financed which could be a barrier.
- ›EIC cites progress on gender representation across its portfolio but long term outcome metrics for the programme are not published alongside participation data.
EIC Women Leadership Programme: what it offers and why it matters
The European Innovation Council has launched the EIC Women Leadership Programme as part of its Business Acceleration Services. The programme aims to strengthen leadership and entrepreneurial skills among women researchers and women in senior startup roles across Europe. It combines virtual and in-person training, personalised mentoring, business coaching and networking to help participants translate research into ventures and to widen the pipeline of women leaders in deep tech and innovation.
Core components of the programme
| Component | What participants receive | Typical timing and format |
| Cohort length | Three months of structured programme activities | Virtual sessions plus at least one in-person event |
| Training sessions | Eight sessions tailored after a needs analysis, led by experienced trainers with case studies and interactive exercises | Weekly 2 hour sessions during business days, mornings |
| Networking sessions | Three dedicated networking sessions to find partners and increase visibility | Virtual and in-person elements embedded during cohort |
| In-person event | At least one European in-person event combining training and networking. Participants are expected to finance travel and subsistence themselves | One event during the cohort, self-financed |
| Mentoring | Six months of mentoring by prominent actors in the European innovation ecosystem | One-to-one mentor matches, regular meetings |
| Coaching | Four days of individual business coaching provided by the EIC | Delivered during or shortly after the cohort |
| Alumni network | Access to an exclusive alumni group and ongoing invitations to events and pitching opportunities | Continuous after programme completion |
The programme is presented as highly interactive. Training topics listed by the organisers include negotiation, pitching, leadership styles, marketing and public speaking. Industry experts run sessions that combine instruction with hands-on exercises so participants can immediately apply new techniques.
Who can apply and who the programme targets
The EIC Women Leadership Programme restricts participation to women connected to specific EU innovation networks. That choice focuses resources but also narrows the candidate pool.
| Eligible groups | Description |
| EIC beneficiaries | Female researchers, founders and leaders who have projects or companies receiving EIC support such as Pathfinder, Transition or Accelerator grants |
| EIT Communities | Women involved in the European Institute of Innovation and Technology networks |
| WomenTechEU participants | Women founders and teams that have taken part in Women TechEU programmes |
The programme runs separate cohort tracks for women founders and C-suite leaders and for women researchers who want to commercialise research. This is intended to make the training relevant to different career stages.
Recent cohorts and timetable
The 5th cohort ran from April to June 2024 and accepted female researchers and aspiring leaders who had benefited from named Horizon 2020 schemes. The EIC announced a 6th cohort focused specifically on women founders and C-suite leaders. That intake was scheduled to open in the first week of July 2024 with a programme start in September 2024.
| Cohort | Dates | Focus and eligibility |
| 5th cohort | April to June 2024 | Female researchers and aspiring leaders who previously participated in EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition, Fast Track to Innovation under Horizon 2020, FET Open and FET Proactive |
| 6th cohort | Applications opening first week of July 2024. Programme from September 2024 | Women cofounders and leaders in C-suite positions |
Networking, alumni and additional content
Participants are invited to an alumni group on the EIC Community Platform to maintain connections and access invitations to alumni gatherings, speaking slots and pitching events. The programme also powers a podcast series called SheEIC which features conversations with entrepreneurs, investors and alumni. Episode topics include building support networks, effective communication, tech transfer, fundraising and decision making in tech leadership.
| Podcast episode | Theme |
| SheEIC #1 | Building a support network as a woman in innovation |
| SheEIC #2 | Strategies for clear and impactful communication |
| SheEIC #3 | From researcher to entrepreneur and tech transfer |
| SheEIC #4 | Raising funds and attracting investors |
| SheEIC #5 | Balancing innovation and risk in tech leadership |
How the programme fits into wider EIC gender efforts
The EIC treats support to women innovators as a strategic priority for 2021 to 2027. It runs complementary actions such as Women TechEU and the European Prize for Women Innovators. The stated aim is to reduce gender gaps in research leadership and company ownership while strengthening Europe’s capacity for deep tech innovation.
Critical perspective and practical limitations
The Women Leadership Programme is a focused capacity building initiative. It fills an important skills and networking gap for women in funded projects and start-ups. At the same time the programme has limitations that matter for inclusion and impact measurement.
First, the programme does not provide direct financial support to participants or to their ventures. That differs from schemes such as Women TechEU which offers a direct grant of fifty thousand to seventy five thousand euros depending on the call. Second, participants must self-finance travel for the in-person event. Out of pocket costs create a participation barrier especially for early stage researchers or founders without salary support. Third, eligibility tied to EIC, EIT and WomenTechEU networks means the programme is less likely to reach women who are outside those formal funding pathways.
Finally, the programme publicity lists outputs such as workshops, mentoring and alumni contacts but provides limited publicly accessible data on long term outcomes. Important outcome metrics would include subsequent fundraising by alumni, company survival and growth, leadership promotions, patenting, and the conversion rate from research projects to spinouts. Without transparent outcome tracking it is hard to gauge whether capacity building efforts translate into measurable systemic change.
Recommendations for greater reach and measurable impact
If the EIC wants to scale the programme and demonstrate impact it should consider three practical changes. First, provide travel stipends or cover in-person event costs for participants who cannot self-finance. Second, expand eligibility or run targeted outreach to less connected regions and to women who did not previously receive EU funding. Third, publish longitudinal outcome metrics for alumni to show whether leadership training leads to more investment, company scale up or successful research commercialisation.
How to apply and contact points
At the time of the June 24 2024 announcement the EIC said the 6th cohort would open for applications in the first week of July 2024 with the programme starting in September 2024. Interested candidates were advised to watch the EIC programme page and EIC Community Platform for the open call. For questions applicants are directed to contact the EIC Community contact page choosing the EIC Women Leadership Programme category.
Disclaimer
This article restructures and clarifies the information provided by the European Innovation Council about the Women Leadership Programme and adds contextual analysis. It is not an official statement by the European Commission or any EU body. Readers should consult the EIC Community pages and published work programmes for authoritative application details and deadlines.