Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards 2026 for Innovative Women Entrepreneurs Worldwide

Deadline: June 24, 2025

The Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards 2026 is now open for applications! This prestigious global entrepreneurship program supports and empowers women-run, impact-driven businesses from around the world. Organized by Cartier, the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards has been instrumental in advancing gender equity by recognizing and funding women entrepreneurs whose businesses create social or environmental impact.

Since its inception in 2006, the Cartier Women’s Initiative has supported over 300 women impact entrepreneurs in more than 60 countries. The 2026 edition offers an even broader global reach and impactful support to women entrepreneurs building a better future for their communities.

Thematic Award

The thematic award is open to women impact entrepreneurs from any country and sector. For each edition, three fellows will be selected.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PIONEER AWARD

Launched in 2021 and open to women impact entrepreneurs from any country and sector, this award highlights disruptive solutions built around unique, protected, or hard-to-reproduce technological or scientific advances.

Benefits

Selected fellows will receive:

Up to $100,000 USD in grant funding
Personalized business mentoring and strategic support
Media visibility and global networking opportunities
One-on-one training and coaching from business experts
Lifetime access to the Cartier Women’s Initiative community and alumni network
Access to impact entrepreneurship-focused workshops and events

Winners are celebrated at the annual Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards Ceremony, held in a major global city.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

Be women entrepreneurs running early-stage, for-profit businesses
Own or lead a company that addresses a social or environmental challenge
Have a sustainable business model with the potential for scalable impact
Be in operation for 1–5 years at the time of application
Have raised no more than $2 million USD in dilutive funding
Be proficient in English (application and interview processes are conducted in English)

The initiative is open globally, with regional categories and thematic awards (e.g., Science & Technology Pioneer, Diversity & Inclusion Award).

Selection Process

Shortlisting

All applications are screened for eligibility
Eligible businesses are scored on the selection criteria
Top 10 businesses per category are confirmed with Cartier Women’s Initiative team

DUE DILIGENCE

Shortlisted businesses provide additional information to refine scoring
Top 5 businesses proceed to in-depth virtual due diligence

Jury Ranking

Top 5 applicants make presentations followed by Q&A with the jury panel
Jury members select and rank the top three applicants in each category who become fellows

Award Ceremony

First-, second- and third-place awardees are announced during the awards ceremony

Deadline: Submit your application by 24th June 2025.

To Apply: Click here
Official Website: Click here