EU Doubles Women TechEU Grants to €150,000 per Startup and Adds a Prize for Women in Quantum
The European Commission will double the grant that Women TechEU gives each women-led deep-tech startup, from €75,000 to €150,000, under the European Innovation Council's 2027 work programme, adopted on Thursday, 5 November. The same plan adds a new €100,000 prize for women building quantum technology companies. The bigger grants will not reach founders straight away: the call for the organisation that will run them opens on 1 April 2027, so the current €75,000 round is still the one you can apply to.
Cover photo: ThisisEngineering on Unsplash. An engineer at work among lab equipment; the person shown is not connected to the programme.
What happened
On 5 November the Commission announced the 2027 EIC work programme, worth €1.8 billion, its last funding package under Horizon Europe 2021–2027. Status: Adopted (Commission decision C(2026)7629). Among five headline changes, the press release lists:
"expanding support to women-led startups through a redesigned Women TechEU programme, doubling the grants to €150,000 per start-up";
"introducing a new European Prize for Women Innovators in Quantum, complementing the existing European Prize for Women Innovators";
€1 billion to complete the Scaleup Europe Fund, €200 million for defence investments and €25 million for the Advanced Innovation Challenges pilot.
"With the 2027 funding opportunities, the European Innovation Council is backing Europe's most ambitious innovators at every stage of their journey," said Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation.
Why the grant was doubled
The work programme (section X.8) gives the Commission's reasons. Evaluations in 2026 found that more than half of Women TechEU startups work in regulated deep-tech fields, such as life sciences, advanced manufacturing, quantum technologies and high-performance computing. With €75,000, they often had to choose between regulatory certification, IP protection and feasibility testing, and could not do all three at once.
Only 19.5% of Women TechEU startups go on to the EIC Accelerator, the EU's large grant-and-equity scheme; the Commission wants that number higher.
An independent evaluation in February 2026 recommended between €100,000 and €250,000 per startup; €150,000 sits inside that range.
The programme says its startups have filed 230 patents, and its fourth open call drew 1,107 applications.
The work programme also repeats the gap the scheme is meant to close: only 15% of innovative startups are founded or co-founded by women, 6% have all-women founding teams, and in Europe about 5% of venture capital goes to mixed teams and 2% to all-female teams. For the latest European numbers, see our report on Evertrue Capital and the share of VC going to women and femaleswitch.org's analysis of Dealroom's 2026 data on women-founded startups.
Bigger grants, fewer startups
The budget does not double with the grant. The 2027 call has an indicative budget of €15 million, and the winning consortium must spend at least 75% of it on grants. At €150,000 each, that pays for about 75 startups. That is our calculation; the work programme gives no number. The edition running now plans €12 million in grants for 160 startups at €75,000 each, according to its guidelines.
Edition
Grant per startup
Startups
Budget and results
2021 pilot (run by EISMEA)
Not stated
50
First Women TechEU call, launched 13 July 2021
2022 call (EISMEA)
Not stated
134
€10 million budget
2024–26 edition (consortium)
€75,000
160
First three cohorts raised over €53.8 million in private funding
2026–28 Women TechEU 2 EIC (open now)
€75,000
160 planned
€12 million in grants; 40% of funding for widening countries
The organisation that wins the 2027 call (a Coordination and Support Action, running for two years with a possible third) has to deliver more than money:
an alumni network linking new founders with women deep-tech founders at scale stage, including EIC Accelerator winners;
sponsorship, not just mentoring: introductions to experienced CEOs, investors, first customers and board networks;
IP training, ideally with the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the European Patent Office (EPO);
structured introductions to investors screened for commitment to women-led deep tech, plus links to corporates and public procurement;
project reviews that open the Fast Track to the EIC Accelerator.
Eligible startups must be registered in an EU member state or a Horizon Europe associated country for at least six months, be founded or co-founded by women, with a woman as CEO, CTO, CSO or equivalent, and work in deep tech. The scheme is for early-stage companies "that have not yet received substantial financial support". If patents are part of your plan, our guide to intellectual property protection for women founders covers the basics.
A new €100,000 prize for women in quantum
The work programme adds a third category, "Challenge: Quantum", to the European Prize for Women Innovators. It has one prize of €100,000, alongside the existing Women Innovators prizes (€100,000, €70,000 and €50,000) and the Rising Innovators prizes for women under 35 (€50,000, €30,000 and €20,000).
Who can enter: women founders or co-founders whose company's core activity is quantum computing, communication, sensing, metrology or simulation, with evidence of revenue, outside investment or a pilot or commercial agreement.
Rules: the quantum category cannot be combined with the other categories, and self-employment does not qualify; the company must be registered or incorporated.
When: it is part of the 2028 prize. The contest opens between the first and third quarter of 2027, and the awards follow in the first half of 2028.
The EIC Board said it "fully supports the redesign of Women TechEU and the establishment of a dedicated challenge prize in quantum for women", noting that 2027 marks 100 years since the Fifth Solvay Conference, "an opportune moment to highlight women's contributions to quantum science".
The work programme also keeps a rule from 2026 in EIC Transition: if fewer than 30% of the proposals invited to interview are women-led, more women-led proposals that meet the thresholds are invited. In the EIC Accelerator, women-led companies get priority when two proposals have the same score.
What you can apply for now
Programme
Amount
Who
Deadline
Women TechEU 2 EIC, eligibility check
€75,000 grant plus a six-month support programme
Women-led deep-tech startups, 6 months to 5 years old, under €1m equity raised, TRL 4–6, women hold at least 25% of shares
Weekly cut-offs on Tuesdays, 17:00 Brussels time, until 15 June 2027
Women TechEU 2 EIC, full proposal
€75,000
Startups that passed the eligibility check
14 January, 1 April and 8 July 2027
European Prize for Women Innovators 2027
€100k / €70k / €50k; Rising Innovators and EIT Women Leadership €50k / €30k / €20k
Women founders and co-founders in the EU and associated countries
1 December 2026, 17:00 CET
Prize 2028, new quantum category
€100,000 (one prize)
Women founders of quantum companies with traction
Opens in 2027 (Q1–Q3)
Women TechEU 2027 call
€15 million in total
Consortia that will run the €150,000 grants, not startups
1 April to 1 September 2027
Sources: Women TechEU active calls and its eligibility guidelines (version 9.0), the EIC prize page and the 2027 work programme. The UK, Norway, Switzerland and Israel are among the associated countries listed in the guidelines.
What this means for you
Don't wait for the €150,000. The operator call closes on 1 September 2027, so the bigger startup grants are unlikely before late 2027 at the earliest (our estimate). If you qualify now, aim for the 14 January 2027 full-proposal deadline, which means passing the weekly eligibility check first.
Check the 25% rule. The current round needs women to hold at least 25% of your shares and a woman founder in the CEO, CTO or CSO role. Fix your cap table before you apply.
Plan the de-risking work the grant pays for: certification, IP, feasibility tests. Our guide to deep-tech opportunities for female founders lists the sectors where this matters most.
Running a quantum company? Collect proof of revenue, investment or a pilot contract now; the new prize asks for it. And if you are already established, the 2027 Prize for Women Innovators closes on 1 December 2026.
Follow the policy track. The EU ministers' plan for women in research, innovation and start-ups is in our report on the October Council conclusions. The EIC presents the 2027 programme at an online info day on 19 November 2026.
FAQ
How much is the new Women TechEU grant?
€150,000 per startup, up from €75,000, under the EIC Work Programme 2027 adopted on 5 November 2026. The work programme calls the amount fixed at €150,000 per startup.
Can I apply for the €150,000 grant now?
No. The 2027 call, which opens on 1 April 2027 and closes on 1 September 2027, selects the consortium that will run the scheme. Startup calls for €150,000 grants come after that. The current Women TechEU 2 EIC round still offers €75,000.
Who can apply for Women TechEU now?
Women-led deep-tech startups registered in the EU or a Horizon Europe associated country for six months to five years, with under €1 million in equity raised, at TRL 4 to 6, where women hold at least 25% of the shares and a woman founder is CEO, CTO, CSO or equivalent.
When is the next Women TechEU deadline?
The next full-proposal deadline is 14 January 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time, then 1 April and 8 July 2027. You must first pass the eligibility check, which has weekly cut-offs on Tuesdays until 15 June 2027.
What is the new quantum prize?
A €100,000 "Challenge: Quantum" category in the 2028 European Prize for Women Innovators, for women founders of companies developing quantum computing, communication, sensing, metrology or simulation, with evidence of traction. The contest opens in 2027.
Will fewer startups get Women TechEU grants?
Probably. The 2027 call has an indicative €15 million budget with at least 75% for grants, which funds about 75 startups at €150,000 each (our calculation), against 160 planned in the current edition.
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.