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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Grant Purpose and Target

Core Objective: The European Prize for Women Innovators celebrates women entrepreneurs behind game-changing innovations to inspire others, boost public awareness of women's contribution to innovation, and foster a culture supportive of women in research and innovation.
Target Recipient Type: Individual women (natural persons) who are founders or co-founders of companies or organizations.
Target Recipient Size: Not explicitly defined by employee count, but companies must be established for at least two years.
Designation: SECTOR-AGNOSTIC, but with a strong focus on breakthrough innovation within deep-tech and Science Technology Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) fields.
Geographic Scope: Applicants must be legally residing in an EU Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe. The company/organization must also be established in one of these regions.
Key Filtering Criteria: Woman (natural person), founder/co-founder, aged under 35 (for this specific category), company established for at least two years, company and applicant based in an eligible EU/associated country.
Grant Frequency: Awarded every year as part of 'The European Prize for Women Innovators' program.

Financial Structure

This funding opportunity is structured as a prize, not a grant covering project costs.
Total budget for the 'Rising Innovators' category: 100,000.0 EUR.
Maximum prize amount per winner: 50,000.0 EUR.
Number of expected prizes: 3 awards will be given in this category.
Payment Mechanism: Prize money will be paid to the winners after the award ceremony, provided all requested documents have been submitted.
Financial Oversight: The awarding authority, European Commission, OLAF (European Anti-Fraud Office), EPPO (European Public Prosecutor's Office), and ECA (European Court of Auditors) may conduct checks, audits, and investigations related to the prize.
Withdrawal and Recovery: The prize may be withdrawn and payments recovered if false information, fraud, ineligibility, or serious breach of obligations under the Rules of Contest are discovered.

Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility Requirements Applicant (Natural Person)

Must be a woman (cis woman, or a transgender woman legally defined as a woman).
Must apply as a natural person, not a legal entity.
Must be legally residing in an EU Member State, including overseas countries and territories (OCTs), or a country associated to Horizon Europe.
Must be the founder or co-founder of the company or organization.
Must be aged under 35 at the start of the call year (born on or after 1 January 1990).
Cannot have previously received an EU or Euratom prize for the same activities.
If eligible for multiple prize categories, can only apply to one.
Joint applications by a group of applicants are not accepted; applicants from the same organization must apply separately.
Must register in the Participant Register before the call deadline and be validated by the Central Validation Service as a 'natural person'.

Organization (Company/Organization)

The company or organization must be established in an EU Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe.
The company or organization must be registered or incorporated at least two years before the call year (i.e., before 1 January 2023).
Self-employment is not acceptable as the primary form of the organization.

Exclusion Criteria

Subject to an EU exclusion decision or in situations that bar them from receiving EU funding (e.g., bankruptcy, winding up, breach of social security/tax obligations, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, organized crime, money laundering, child labor, human trafficking, significant deficiencies in prior EU contracts, irregularities, intent to circumvent legal obligations).
Misrepresented information or failed to supply required information during the award procedure.
Previously involved in the preparation of the call if it entails an irremediable distortion of competition (conflict of interest).
Subject to EU restrictive measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU).
Subject to EU conditionality measures adopted on the basis of EU Regulation 2020/2092 (e.g., Hungarian public interest trusts established under Act IX of 2021), unless lifted by the award decision.

Application Process

Application Practical Information Timeline and Deadlines

Call Opening Date: 2025-06-17.
Application Deadline: 2025-09-25 17:00:00+01 (Brussels time, CET).
Evaluation Period: October 2025 - February 2026.
Notification of Results and Awards: February - May 2026.

Submission Process

Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System.
Paper submissions are NOT accepted.
Applicants must use the forms provided directly within the Submission System; documents available on the Topic page are for information only.
Applications must be complete and include all requested information, annexes, and supporting documents.

Required Documentation

Application Form Part A: Contains administrative information about the applicant (natural person), to be filled in directly online.
Application Form Part B: Contains the technical description of the application. A template must be downloaded, completed, assembled, and re-uploaded. This part is limited to a maximum of 15 pages.
Mandatory Annexes and Supporting Documents: Templates for these must be downloaded, completed, assembled, and re-uploaded.
Inspiring Video Message: A video no more than 90 seconds long, describing the applicant and their achievements. The video cannot exceed 100MB and must be uploaded as a .zip file in an annex.
Proof of Age: Required for the 'Rising Innovators' category.
Participant Register Registration: Applicants must register in the Participant Register before the call deadline and be validated by the Central Validation Service, selecting 'natural person'. Documentation showing legal status and origin will be requested.
Proof of eligibility (e.g., legal residency, founder/co-founder status, company registration) may be requested at a later stage.

Post-Award Requirements

Communication and Visibility: Prize winners must promote the prize and its results, providing targeted information to various audiences. Communication activities must acknowledge EU support, display the European flag (emblem), and include a specific funding statement and disclaimer.
Compliance: Winners must ensure all communication is factually accurate.

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria All applications will be evaluated and ranked against the following award criteria, with a maximum total of 30 points. Applications must meet both individual thresholds (6/10 per criterion) and an overall threshold (18/30). Breakthrough Innovation (Max 10 points; Threshold: 6 points)

The company or organization founded or co-founded by the applicant is developing a breakthrough innovation.
Focus, among others, on deep-tech and Science Technology Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) fields.
Applicant must clearly demonstrate what makes this innovation breakthrough in comparison to existing solutions.

Impact (Max 10 points; Threshold: 6 points)

The innovation addresses a real need or challenge with significant benefits for people and/or the planet.
Applicant demonstrates how the company's or organization's current performance and growth are driving a positive socio-economic and/or environmental impact.
Examples of impact include wellbeing, education, profit, or job creation.

Inspiration (Max 10 points; Threshold: 6 points)

The applicant is an inspiring leader who has played a pivotal role in the success of the company or organization.
The applicant serves as a role model empowering other women and girls to realize their full potential.
Applicant should highlight efforts to promote gender balance within the company/organization or advocate for innovative initiatives that positively contributed to gender equality (e.g., access to finance, networks, product design, education, gender-responsive innovation).

Tie-breaking Mechanism

In case of tied scores, Criterion 2 (Impact) will be weighted with a factor of 2, and Criterion 3 (Inspiration) will be weighted with a factor of 1.5 to determine priority order.
If scores remain tied after weighting, applications will be admitted to the next evaluation phase or the prize will be equally divided among tying applicants.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Compliance and Special Requirements Regulatory Compliance

Applicants must comply with the EU Financial Regulation (e.g., Articles 138, 143, 200(2)(c)).
Applicants must not be subject to EU restrictive measures or EU conditionality measures (such as those affecting certain Hungarian entities) which would lead to ineligibility.

Ethical Standards

Applicants must not have engaged in grave professional misconduct, including but not limited to ethical violations, misrepresentation, fraud, corruption, or actions distorting competition.

Data Protection and Privacy

The awarding authority has the right to use non-sensitive information and materials (e.g., pictures, audio-visual) provided by winners for information, communication, dissemination, and publicity purposes.
Photos and videos taken by the awarding authority, particularly during the award ceremony, are its sole property.

Intellectual Property

The awarding authority does NOT obtain ownership of the results produced in the context of the prize.

Risk Management

Applicants must not have intentionally and without proper justification resisted an investigation, check, or audit carried out by EU authorities (e.g., awarding authority, OLAF, EPPO, ECA).

Unique Aspects and Strategic Opportunities

This prize specifically aims to celebrate and create role models among women innovators, fostering inspiration and encouraging more women and girls into STEM and entrepreneurship.
The 'Rising Innovators' category targets younger female founders/co-founders, providing a unique opportunity for early-career recognition.
A mandatory 90-second video message is a critical component of the application, allowing applicants to personally convey their achievements and inspiration.
The evaluation criteria place significant emphasis on the applicant's inspirational qualities and efforts towards gender equality beyond just the innovation itself.

Grant Details