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Grants for Female Entrepreneurs in Europe (2027): 7 EU and National Grants for Women Founders With Amounts, Eligibility and Deadlines

Grants for Female Entrepreneurs in Europe: EU and National Programmes Checked for 2027

Europe has fewer women-only grants than most lists suggest, but the ones that exist are large: up to €100,000 from the EU's own prize, €75,000 from Women TechEU and up to £75,000 in the UK. We checked every programme below on its official page in October 2026: the amount, who can apply, the fee, and the latest or next deadline. Where a round has closed and the next one is not announced, we say so instead of guessing a date. The 2025 version of this article listed 20 items; many were not grants, were outside Europe, had ended or could not be found at all, so they are listed at the end with the reason. For grants open to women-owned businesses in other regions, see our guide to grants for female entrepreneurs.
Quick answer: if your company was registered before 2025 and is based in the EU or a Horizon Europe associated country, apply for the European Prize for Women Innovators before 1 December 2026 (up to €100,000). If you lead an early-stage deep tech startup, apply to Women TechEU (€75,000, next full proposal deadline 14 January 2027). In Germany, ask your university about exist Women; in the UK, watch for the next Women in Innovation round; and for an impact business, prepare for the next Cartier Women's Initiative call, which has a Europe award.
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Grants for Women Founders in Europe Compared

ProgrammeAmountWho can applyFeeLatest or next deadline
European Prize for Women Innovators (EIC and EIT)€100,000 / €70,000 / €50,000; Rising Innovators €50,000 / €30,000 / €20,000Women founders or co-founders in the EU or an associated country, company registered before 1 January 2025FreeOpen; closes 1 December 2026, 17:00 CET
Women TechEU€75,000 plus business supportWomen-led early-stage deep tech startups from EuropeFreeNext full proposal deadline 14 January 2027
Cartier Women's Initiative (Europe award)$100,000 / $60,000 / $30,000 in the 2026 editionWomen-run impact businesses; one of nine regional awards is for EuropeFreeCall closed 16 June 2026; next call not announced
Innovate UK Women in InnovationUp to £75,000 plus supportWomen founders of UK-registered SMEsFreeLast round closed 4 February 2026; next not announced
exist Women (Germany)€2,000 for costs plus an optional stipend of €1,000 to €3,000 a month for up to 3 monthsWomen with a first business idea, through a participating university or research instituteFreeSelection by each university
Visa She's Next (Ireland)€50,000 + 4 x €10,000Women-owned small businesses in IrelandFreeWinners announced 8 September 2026; next round not announced
EIC Accelerator (not women-only)Grant below €2.5 million, plus optional equityStartups and SMEs in the EU or associated countries; female CEOs particularly welcomeFreeShort proposals any time; full proposal cut-off 4 November 2026
Sources: each programme's official website, call page or press release, checked October 2026. Rules change between rounds, so check the official page again before you apply.

EU-Wide Grants for Women Entrepreneurs

1. European Prize for Women Innovators: up to €100,000 (open until 1 December 2026)

The European Prize for Women Innovators, run by the European Innovation Council (EIC) and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), is the biggest women-only award paid by the EU. The call for the 2027 prize is open from 2 September to 1 December 2026 at 17:00 CET. There are three categories: EIC Women Innovators (€100,000, €70,000 and €50,000), EIC Rising Innovators for women under 35 at the start of the call year (€50,000, €30,000 and €20,000) and the EIT Women Leadership Award for members of the EIT Community (€50,000, €30,000 and €20,000). You apply as a person, not as a company: you must be a founder or co-founder, and both you and the company must be established in an EU Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe. The company must have been registered before 1 January 2025, and you can enter only one category. The EIC plans the evaluation for January 2027, jury hearings in February and March, and the finalists' announcement in March 2027. The 2026 winners of the 12th edition were announced on 4 June 2026 at the EIC Summit in Brussels.

2. Women TechEU: €75,000 for women-led deep tech startups

Women TechEU is an EU-funded programme for women-led early-stage deep tech startups from Europe. Its homepage says it will invest €12 million in equity-free grants between 2026 and 2028 to support a new cohort of 160 women-led deep tech companies. Each selected startup receives €75,000 in non-dilutive funding plus a business support programme with mentoring, coaching and training. Applying has two stages: an eligibility check, with weekly cut-offs every Tuesday at 17:00 Brussels time until 15 June 2027, and then a full proposal for those found eligible. The remaining full proposal deadlines are 14 January 2027, 1 April 2027 and 8 July 2027 (the 16 September 2026 deadline has passed), and results come within eight weeks. We explain the programme in more detail in our Women TechEU guide, and our sister site follows the next cut-off in its Women TechEU deadline news.

3. Cartier Women's Initiative, Europe award: up to $100,000 for impact businesses

The Cartier Women's Initiative is a global programme, but it gives a separate award to each region, and Europe is one of them. According to the Richemont press release, the 2027 edition has nine regional awards (Europe, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, two African regions, East Asia, South Asia and Central Asia, and Oceania) plus a Science and Technology Pioneer Award. The top three businesses in each award become fellows, 30 in total. In the 2026 edition, first place received $100,000, second place $60,000 and third place $30,000, plus a year-long fellowship. The business must be run and owned by women and have a clear social or environmental impact. The call for the 2027 edition ran from 16 April to 16 June 2026 and is closed; the next call has not been announced (checked October 2026).
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4. EIC Accelerator: not women-only, but the largest EU grant for startups

The EIC Accelerator is open to all startups and SMEs, so it is not a women's grant. We keep it on this list because the 2025 version did, and because the EIC says it particularly welcomes applications from startups and SMEs with female CEOs. It offers a grant below €2.5 million for innovation work at technology readiness levels 6 to 8, to be completed within 24 months, and optional equity from €1 million to €10 million. Short proposals can be sent at any time and are batched on the first Tuesday of each month; the next full proposal cut-off listed on the page is 4 November 2026. Read the EIC Accelerator programme guide on grant-grants.com before you start, because the process takes months.

National Grants for Women Founders in Europe

5. Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards: up to £75,000 (UK)

The Women in Innovation programme from Innovate UK supports women founders and co-founders of UK-registered SMEs with an innovative product or service. In the 2025/26 round, winners could request a grant of up to £75,000 for a 12-month project, together with business support, training and mentoring. That round opened on 26 November 2025 and closed on 4 February 2026. In August 2026, UKRI announced its largest cohort so far: 61 winners receive £75,000 each and 39 highly commended applicants receive the support package. The next round has not been announced (checked October 2026).
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6. exist Women: €2,000 plus a stipend for women with a first idea (Germany)

exist Women is a programme of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), co-funded by the European Social Fund Plus. It is for women at universities and research institutions who are interested in founding a company and have a first business idea, even a very early one. During the programme of up to ten months, each founder receives €2,000 for business costs plus training, mentoring and community events. Some participants also receive a stipend for up to three months, set by status: €1,000 a month for students, €2,000 with completed vocational training, €2,500 for graduates and €3,000 with a doctorate, plus €150 a month per child. You do not apply to exist directly: each participating university or research institute selects five to ten women per round. Universities applied for the exist Women 2027 round between 1 and 30 September 2026, so ask the start-up office of a university near you whether it is taking part. You must not have founded a corporation (such as a GmbH) before you join. Our sister site explains the wider EXIST grants for startups in Germany.

7. Visa She's Next: up to €50,000 (Ireland)

Visa runs She's Next for women-owned small businesses in several countries, with different amounts and partners in each one. In Ireland in 2026, one grand prize winner received €50,000 and four more winners €10,000 each, with mentoring; the winners were announced on 8 September 2026. The next Irish round has not been announced (checked October 2026). If you are elsewhere in Europe, check Visa's page for your own country.
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Grant Dates for Women Founders in Europe

Only Women TechEU and the EIC Accelerator take applications almost all year. The prizes open once a year, so the dates below decide your plan:

Not Grants: Support Programmes and Loans for Women Founders

These programmes are useful, but they do not give you a grant, so do not plan your budget around them:
  • EIC Women Leadership Programme: training, mentoring and coaching for women leaders and researchers in the EIC and EIT communities. There is no money attached.
  • ON - Oltre Nuove imprese a tasso zero (Italy): Invitalia's scheme for companies mostly owned by women of any age or by people aged 18 to 35 mixed a zero-interest loan with a non-repayable grant. The grant money has run out: for applications from 1 July 2026, only the zero-interest loan is available.
  • Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders (Europe): an equity-free accelerator with mentoring and technical support, not cash. The January 2025 deadline in the old article has passed, and we found no 2026 call.

Programmes Discontinued, Closed or Not Found

The 2025 version of this article listed 20 programmes. We removed these, and here is why:
  • EmpoWomen: it gave up to €45,000 to women-led deep tech startups from Europe's Widening countries, but the EIC-funded project ran from November 2023 to October 2025 and has ended. Our sister site's EmpoWomen guide covers what it funded. Women TechEU is the closest current alternative.
  • Fondo Impresa Femminile (Italy): Invitalia lists the women's enterprise fund as closed; its application window ran from 19 May to 7 June 2022.
  • The Woman Entrepreneur Programme: the Interreg Europe page describes a 2022 regional edition in Romania's North-West region (grants up to €40,000), recorded as a good practice. It is not an open call.
  • Women Who Tech Startup Grants: the most recent grants listed on its website closed in 2021, and they were not specific to Europe.
  • WOMEN-UP and EU support in Eastern Partnership countries: the old links pointed to an EU-Turkey project page and a news article, not to grants you can apply for.
  • European Regional Development Fund: it is not a women's grant; ERDF money reaches companies through national and regional programmes, each with its own calls.
  • Startup Europe Women's Network, Women in Business Programme, "Innovation Grants for Women Entrepreneurs", The F Women's Empowerment Fund and Women in Tech Exchange: their old links now redirect elsewhere, return an error or do not respond, and we found no official page for them. Treat lists that still include them with care.
  • TechWomen, WBENC, SheMeansBusiness, Global Fund for Women and AIM-HI: none of them is a grant for European women founders. TechWomen was a US exchange programme (its site now redirects to the US State Department), WBENC certifies US women-owned businesses, SheMeansBusiness is Meta's training programme, Global Fund for Women supports gender equality movements rather than businesses, and AIM-HI is a US investment competition for oncology startups.

Which Grant Should You Apply For?

  • Your company is in the EU or an associated country and was registered before 2025: the European Prize for Women Innovators, before 1 December 2026. Under 35? Choose the Rising Innovators category.
  • You build deep tech at an early stage: Women TechEU first; the EIC Accelerator once you are ready for a larger project. Also read about gender equality in EU grants.
  • You run an impact business: prepare for the next Cartier Women's Initiative call in its Europe award.
  • You are a UK founder with an innovative product: Innovate UK Women in Innovation, once the next round opens.
  • You are at a German university with a first idea: exist Women, through your university's start-up office.
  • You run a small business in Ireland: Visa She's Next when the next round is announced.
  • You are outside Europe: see our guides to grants for women entrepreneurs in Asia and to grants for female entrepreneurs worldwide.

How Women Founders in Europe Combine Grants With Other Funding

Women-only grants are competitive and mostly yearly, so treat them as one part of your funding plan. Our Playbook guide to female founder grants covers how to write the application itself, and grant-grants.com keeps a longer list of business grants for women. For general EU calls that are open to everyone, use our EU grant calendar for 2027 and learn how to find open EU funding calls. Never pay someone who promises EU money for a fee: read how to spot an EU funding scam aimed at female entrepreneurs.
Grants rarely cover everything. Deep tech founders can also look at deep tech VCs in Europe and early-stage VC firms, and pick a base among the deep tech cities in Europe or the best countries for startups in Europe. For structure and mentors, compare startup incubators in Europe and accelerators and incubators for women. The numbers behind the gap are in our female founder funding statistics and our research on EU funding for female entrepreneurs.
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FAQ About Grants for Female Entrepreneurs in Europe

Which grants for female entrepreneurs in Europe are open now?

In late October 2026: the European Prize for Women Innovators (until 1 December 2026), Women TechEU (eligibility checks every Tuesday, next full proposal deadline 14 January 2027) and the EIC Accelerator, which is open to all founders.

What is the biggest grant for women entrepreneurs in Europe?

Among women-only programmes, the European Prize for Women Innovators pays the most: €100,000 for first place in the EIC Women Innovators category. The Cartier Women's Initiative paid $100,000 to first-place winners in its 2026 edition. The EIC Accelerator gives more, below €2.5 million, but it is not women-only.

Who can apply for the European Prize for Women Innovators?

Women founders or co-founders whose company is established in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe associated country and was registered before 1 January 2025. You apply as a person and can enter only one category; the Rising Innovators category is for women under 35.

How much does Women TechEU give?

€75,000 in equity-free funding per startup plus a business support programme. The programme plans to support 160 women-led deep tech companies with €12 million between 2026 and 2028.

Is EmpoWomen still open?

No. The EmpoWomen project ran from November 2023 to October 2025 and has ended. Women TechEU is the closest current alternative for women-led deep tech startups.

Are there grants for women founders in Germany?

Yes. exist Women gives €2,000 for business costs and, for some participants, a stipend of €1,000 to €3,000 a month for up to three months. You apply through a participating university or research institute, not to exist directly.

Are there grants for women entrepreneurs in the UK?

Yes. Innovate UK Women in Innovation awarded up to £75,000 to 61 winners in its 2025/26 round. The next round has not been announced (checked October 2026).

Do I have to pay to apply for these grants?

No. All the programmes on this list are free to apply. Anyone who asks for a fee to secure EU funding for you is a warning sign.

Is the EIC Accelerator a grant for women?

No, it is open to all startups and SMEs, but the EIC says it particularly welcomes applications from companies with female CEOs. It offers a grant below €2.5 million and optional equity.

Where can I get a backlink by writing about my startup?

You can publish a guest post in one of the Fe/male Switch startup blogs, which rank in Google and in AI tools. Get a quality backlink.

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
2026-10-28 04:50 Top 20