A prestigious and high-value award – apply by 25 September
The European Union is shining a spotlight on women’s groundbreaking contributions to innovation with the launch of the 2026 European Prize for Women Innovators. This joint initiative by the European Innovation Council (EIC) and European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) offers more than just financial rewards – it provides a vital platform to elevate women’s visibility in Europe’s innovation ecosystem.
Categories
The competition seeks to identify and celebrate female entrepreneurs who are developing solutions to pressing global challenges. The prize structure reflects Europe’s commitment to fostering innovation at all career stages, offering substantial awards across multiple categories. There are three prize categories. The first is the EIC Women Innovators category, open to women founders and co-founders from the EU and Associated Countries. Three prizes of € 100.000, € 70.000 and € 50.000 are awarded to the three highest-ranked applications. The second is the EIC Rising Innovators category, targeting promising innovators under the age of 35. Three prizes of € 50.000, € 30.000 and € 20.000 are awarded to the three highest-ranked applications. The third is the EIT Women Leadership category and it is focused on women with a direct link to the EIT Community. Three prizes of € 50.000, € 30.000 and € 20.000 are awarded to the three highest-ranked applications.
What sets this initiative apart is its comprehensive support system. Beyond monetary prizes, winners gain access to exclusive networking opportunities with investors and industry leaders, mentorship programs, and increased media exposure – all critical factors for scaling innovative ventures. The selection criteria emphasize not just technological innovation but also business viability and leadership potential, ensuring recognition goes to those making tangible impacts.
The application window remains open until September 25, 2025. Interested innovators can submit their applications through the EU’s centralized Funding & Tenders Portal, where detailed eligibility criteria and submission guidelines are provided.
Previous winners
This initiative comes at a particularly important time. Women continue to face significant barriers when it comes to bringing new ideas to market and securing the capital needed to grow their businesses. These obstacles negatively affect the success rate of women-led enterprises and reinforce a lack of recognition for the systemic nature of gender inequality. For this reason, it is essential to support and promote the efforts and contributions of women in science and innovation.
The winners of the 11th edition of the European Prize for Women Innovators exemplify what becomes possible when those barriers are removed. The winner of the Prize for Women Innovators was Agnès Arbat, co-founder of Oxolife. She is developing groundbreaking fertility treatments aimed at improving embryo implantation and simplifying infertility therapies. In the Rising Innovators category, Camille Bouget from France has been recognized for co-founding Scienta Lab, an AI-driven platform addressing therapeutic needs in immuno-inflammatory diseases. Débora Andreia Campelo Campos from Portugal, winner in the EIT Women Leadership category, is the founder and CEO of AgroGrin Tech, which transforms industrial fruit waste into functional food ingredients using an eco-friendly process.
Agnès Arbat Camille Bouget Débora Andreia Campelo Campos
Their stories are powerful testaments to what can happen when women are given equal opportunities to innovate and lead. As Europe continues to move toward a more inclusive innovation economy, this prize stands both as a recognition of progress and as a catalyst for future breakthroughs.
For ambitious women leading cutting-edge ventures, this represents more than an award – it’s an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate growth, gain recognition, and join Europe’s most influential network of female innovators. With the application period now open, the stage is set to discover and celebrate the women who will shape tomorrow’s technological landscape.
References:
See European Prize for Women Innovators, European Innovation Council (EIC), available on the European Commission website.
