Deadline: June 24, 2025
Applications are open for the Cartier Women’s Initiative Regional Awards 2026. The Cartier Women’s Initiative is an annual international entrepreneurship program that aims to drive change by empowering women impact entrepreneurs. The Regional awards recognize and fund talented impact entrepreneurs from around the world who are leveraging business as a force for good.
The Regional Awards of the Cartier Women’s Initiative are looking for women-owned and women-led impact-driven businesses. Entrepreneurs across all sectors and geographies are encouraged to apply. Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply, and every effort will be made to include them appropriately.
Regions
Founded in 2006, the program selects 27 fellows from 9 regions for its Regional Awards:
- LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
- NORTH AMERICA
- EUROPE
- FRANCOPHONE SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
- ANGLOPHONE AND LUSOPHONE AFRICA
- MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
- EAST ASIA
- SOUTH ASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
- OCEANIA
Benefits
1. Financial Capital Support:
- US$ 100,000 grant for each first-place awardee
- US$ 60,000 grant for each second-place awardee
- US$ 30,000 grant for each third-place awardee
2. Human Capital Support (FELLOWSHIP):
The fellowship program focuses on several key areas of human capital support for women impact entrepreneurs and o ers a combination of 1:1 training and collective workshops.
- Leadership communications and media training work -shops
- In-person INSEAD Women Impact Entrepreneurship Program
- 1:1 training in specific business areas
- 1:1 executive leadership coaching by The Women’ Impact Alliance
3. Social Capital Support:
Throughout the program, they strive to highlight the social and environmental impact created by our fellows and bridge connections between impact entrepreneurs and their supporters.
- International exposure and media visibility
- Support and mentorship by jury members during the fellowship
- Access to a lifelong community of 500+ active community members
- Ongoing support for the development of the fellows’ impact businesses
Eligibility
- The business should demonstrate that it has realized positive impact in its industry and that it has the potential to realize even more impact as it scales. It should contribute to at least one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- The business should be designed to generate su cient revenue to support its operations and return some level of pro t to its owners. Non-pro t enterprises are not eligible.
- The business should have a proven business model and be in the initial phase of its development and growth (between 1 and 6 years of licensed/registered operations as of the date of application).
- The business should be generating revenue from the sales of its products and/or services for at least 1 year as of the date of application, recurring according to your business cycle.
- The business should not have raised more than US$2 million in dilutive funding as of the date of application.
- The applicant must be a woman and she must ll one of the main leadership positions, for example as CEO, COO, CTO, General Manager, or Managing Director of the business.
- The business must be majority owned by its founders and team members at the time of application. The applicant must be part of the founding team. Moreover, one of the following conditions must be met: (1) a woman or multiple women are the largest shareholder(s) of founder equity (not total equity), or (2) the applicant owns a share greater or equal to that of her co-founder(s). Sole proprietorships are ineligible for the Regional Awards.
- A good command of the English language is required. We require the Common European Framework of Reference Level B2 or above. Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply, and every e ort will be made to include them appropriately.
- The applicant must commit to participating in the fellowship program from January 2026 to December 2026.
Selection Criteria
- Embedded positive impact
- Market analysis and fit
- Sustainable business and financial model
- Strategy and execution
- Team
- Leadership character of applicant
Application
All applications must be submitted in English.
Deadline: June 24, 2025, 2p.m. Central European Summer Time (CEST)
For more information, visit Cartier Women’s Initiative.
