Top 20 Startup Competitions for Female Entrepreneurs in 2025: A Comprehensive Overview
Female entrepreneurs are increasingly gaining recognition in the startup ecosystem, and numerous competitions and grants have emerged to support their endeavors in 2025. This article provides a detailed list of the Top 20 Startup Competitions for Female Entrepreneurs that you shouldn’t miss, complete with descriptions, funding opportunities, eligibility criteria, and links to their official websites.
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1. SCORE Women's Pitch Contest
Description: A pitch competition focused on helping women entrepreneurs develop crucial business skills and prepare for funding opportunities.
Prizes: $35,000 in cash prizes.
Benefits: Offers training, mentorship, pitch development feedback, media promotion, and recognition at the Washington Small Business Awards Gala.
Location: Greater Seattle.
2. Amber Grant Foundation
Description: Monthly grants provided to women-owned businesses to foster entrepreneurial success.
Funding: $10,000 monthly grants, along with an additional $25,000 annual grant to one of the 12 monthly winners.
Eligibility: Women aged 18 and older with for-profit businesses in the U.S.
Use of Funds: Flexible usage for various business expenses.
3. HerRise MicroGrant
Description: Aimed at supporting women-owned small businesses, particularly women of color through monthly grants.
Funding: Grants of $1,000 per month.
Eligibility: Must be 51% women-owned and registered in the U.S. with gross revenue not exceeding $1 million.
Use of Funds: Ideal for smaller projects like launching websites and purchasing equipment.
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4. BMO Celebrating Women Grant
Description: Grants available for women-owned businesses across the U.S. and Canada.
Funding: $10,000 grants awarded to 15 businesses.
Eligibility: Must be 51% owned and operated by women, for-profit, and currently operational.
Use of Funds: Can be used for launching new products, marketing investments, or team expansions.
5. EmpowHER Grants (Boundless Futures Foundation)
Description: Grants targeted at female small-business owners working on societal issues.
Funding: Covers expenses up to $25,000.
Eligibility: For women aged 22+, running a business established within three years, addressing poverty, sustainability, or strong community initiatives.
Application Deadline: Annually in February.
6. Women Founders Network Fast Pitch Competition
Description: A pitch competition for U.S. businesses created by women.
Prizes: Grants of $25,000 for winners.
Eligibility: Businesses that have raised no more than $750,000.
Application Dates: Open from April 1 to May 31, 2025.
7. Cartier Women's Initiative Awards
Description: Awards supporting early-stage women-owned businesses globally with a focus on various developmental goals.
Prizes: $100,000 for 1st place, $60,000 for 2nd, and $30,000 for 3rd across nine regions.
Additional Benefits: Executive coaching and training workshops.
Application Date: Opens April 18, 2025.
8. MBDA Women's Entrepreneurship Program (WEP)
Description: A technical assistance program designed to support women-owned minority businesses.
Funding: $2 million allocated for FY 2025, with annual renewals through 2029.
Benefits: Includes access to capital, training, and entry into competitive industries like STEM.
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9. MIT Female Founders Pitch Competition
Description: A pitching event specifically for female entrepreneurs associated with MIT.
Location: Deutsche Bank Center, New York City.
Date: Scheduled for March 20, 2025.
Focus: Aims to empower female entrepreneurs from MIT.
10. Bayer Foundation Women Entrepreneurs Award
Description: Awards provided for women-led enterprises with innovative health or food security solutions.
Geographic Focus: Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.
Funding: €25,000 in cash support, a 6-month accelerator program, and networking access.
Deadline: February 18, 2025.
11. Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) - DRC
Description: A program aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Eligibility: Businesses must operate for at least one year.
Funding: Offers $35,000 for program implementation and business plan competitions.
Deadline: February 17, 2025.
12. Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders
Description: An accelerator program designed for women-led AI startups.
Focus: Targets Seed to Series A stage technology startups in Europe and Israel.
Format: 10-week hybrid program with mentoring and technical support.
Deadline: January 24, 2025.
13. DMZ's Women Innovation Summit
Description: A pitch opportunity specifically for women tech founders in Canada.
Investment: Potential to secure up to $100,000 in cash investments.
Benefits: Includes pitch advisory sessions and networking opportunities.
Eligibility: Must be a woman founder or co-founder with a viable business model.
Application Deadline: January 19, 2025, with the Summit on March 6.
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14. KPMG Female Founders in Africa Competition
Description: A competition aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs in Africa across various sectors.
Focus: Supports high-growth ventures led by women.
Benefits: Includes mentorship and brand visibility opportunities.
15. AIM-HI Women's Venture Competition
Description: A competition specifically for women-led oncology companies.
Funding: Up to $1 million in investment offered by AIM-HI and co-investors.
Eligibility: Open to companies globally seeking early-stage investment.
16. The Unlock Her Future Prize
Description: An annual competition for female social impact entrepreneurs.
Focus: Startups that contribute positively to society, particularly in terms of sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Geographic Focus: South Asia including Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.
Prizes: Grants up to $100,000, with additional mentoring and educational opportunities.
17. AWS Impact Accelerator: Women Founders
Description: An accelerator program tailored for women founders.
Prizes: Cash prizes and AWS credits up to $225,000.
Benefits: Comprehensive training, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
18. Global Female Entrepreneurs Summit
Description: A virtual summit gathering female startup founders and entrepreneurs.
Focus: Provides practical solutions for business growth.
Format: Engaging presentations, masterclasses, and networking sessions.
Dates: February 20-21, 2025.
19. GROW F Investment Readiness Program
Description: A five-week program designed to prepare gender-diverse ventures for investment.
Focus: Involves innovative digital business models with at least one female founding member.
Benefits: Includes prepping for fundraising rounds and access to an investor network.
20. Women Entrepreneurs Pitch Competition (Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce)
Description: A competition highlighting women-led SMEs and startups in the Greater Birmingham area.
Focus: Showcases the best women-led businesses in the region.
Eligibility: Open to female founders and entrepreneurs in the area.
Application Deadline: September 30 of the prior year.
Each of these competitions offers unique benefits and opportunities tailored to female entrepreneurs. For those interested, it is advisable to regularly check the respective websites for any updates or changes in deadlines and eligibility criteria.
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FAQ
Q: What is the SCORE Women's Pitch Contest?
A: The SCORE Women's Pitch Contest is a competition that aids women entrepreneurs in building their business skills and preparing for funding opportunities, with a prize pool of $35,000. Learn more about SCORE Women's Pitch Contest.
Q: How often does the Amber Grant Foundation provide grants?
A: The Amber Grant Foundation provides monthly grants of $10,000 to women-owned businesses, along with an additional $25,000 annual grant to one of the monthly winners. Discover more about the Amber Grant Foundation.
Q: What is the funding focus of the HerRise MicroGrant?
A: The HerRise MicroGrant offers monthly grants of $1,000 specifically for women-owned small businesses, particularly focusing on women of color, and can be used for smaller projects. Find out more about HerRise MicroGrant.
Q: What is the eligibility criteria for the BMO Celebrating Women Grant?
A: Businesses must be for-profit, 51% owned and operated by women, and located in the U.S. or Canada to qualify for the $10,000 grants offered by the BMO Celebrating Women Grant. Learn more about the BMO Celebrating Women Grant.
Q: When are applications due for the EmpowHER Grants?
A: The EmpowHER Grants have a quarterly application process, with the next deadline being February 15, 2025, and they focus on societal issues addressed by female small-business owners. Read more about the EmpowHER Grants.
Q: What do winners of the Women Founders Network Fast Pitch Competition receive?
A: Winners of the Women Founders Network Fast Pitch Competition receive $25,000 grants, with application dates for 2025 running from April 1 to May 31. Find out more about the Women Founders Network Fast Pitch Competition.
Q: What are the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards known for?
A: The Cartier Women's Initiative Awards support early-stage women-owned businesses globally, offering substantial prizes of up to $100,000 along with coaching and training workshops. Learn more about Cartier Women's Initiative Awards.
Q: How can female entrepreneurs benefit from the MBDA Women's Entrepreneurship Program?
A: The MBDA Women's Entrepreneurship Program provides technical assistance, access to capital, training, and aims to help women-owned minority businesses scale and sustain their ventures. Discover the MBDA Women's Entrepreneurship Program.
Q: What's the focus of the MIT Female Founders Pitch Competition?
A: The MIT Female Founders Pitch Competition focuses on empowering female entrepreneurs associated with MIT and is set to take place on March 20, 2025, in New York City. Learn more about the MIT Female Founders Pitch Competition.
Q: What is the Global Female Entrepreneurs Summit?
A: The Global Female Entrepreneurs Summit is a virtual summit designed for female founders with sessions on practical solutions to grow businesses, taking place on February 20-21, 2025. Learn more about the Global Female Entrepreneurs Summit.
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.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.
