Cartier Women's Initiative Regional Awards

The Cartier Women's Initiative is an annual international entrepreneurship program that empowers women impact entrepreneurs. The Regional Awards recognize and fund talented women-led businesses from around the world that leverage business as a force for good.

🌍 About Cartier Women's Initiative Regional Awards

The program, founded in 2006, selects 27 fellows from 9 regions for its Regional Awards. It is open to women-owned and women-led impact-driven businesses across all sectors and geographies. Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply, and every effort will be made to include them appropriately.

📅 Opportunity Details

• Date Published: May 23, 2025
• Application Deadline: June 24, 2025
• Category: Entrepreneurs, Grants, Women

🌎 Regions

The program recognizes businesses from the following regions:

• Latin America and the Caribbean
• North America
• Europe
• Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa
• Anglophone and Lusophone Africa
• Middle East and North Africa
• East Asia
• South Asia and Central Asia
• Oceania

💰 Benefits of Cartier Women's Initiative Regional Awards

Financial Capital Support

• US$ 100,000 grant for each first-place awardee
• US$ 60,000 grant for each second-place awardee
• US$ 30,000 grant for each third-place awardee

Human Capital Support

The fellowship program includes:

• Leadership communications and media training workshops
• In-person INSEAD Women's Impact Entrepreneurship Program
• 1:1 training in specific business areas
• 1:1 executive leadership coaching by The Women’s Impact Alliance

Social Capital Support

• International exposure and media visibility
• Support and mentorship by jury members during the fellowship
• Access to a lifelong community of 500+ active members
• Ongoing support for the development of fellows’ impact businesses

✅ Eligibility Criteria

To be considered for the award, applicants and their businesses must meet the following criteria:

1. Positive Impact

   • The business must demonstrate positive impact in its industry and contribute to at least one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

2. For-Profit

   • The business must be designed to generate revenue and return some level of profit. Non-profit enterprises are not eligible.

3. Early-Stage

   • The business must have been incorporated between June 2019 and June 2024.

4. Revenue Generation

   • The business must have been generating revenue since June 2024.

5. Fundraising

   • The business must not have raised more than US$ 2 million in dilutive or potentially dilutive funding.

6. Leadership

   • The applicant must be a woman in a key leadership role (e.g., CEO, COO, CTO, General Manager, or Managing Director).

7. Ownership

   • The business must be majority-owned by its founders and team members. The applicant must be part of the founding team.

8. Legal Entry Age

   • The applicant must be at least 18 years old by June 24, 2025.

9. English Proficiency

   • A good command of English (CEFR Level B2 or above) is required.

10. Time Commitment

    • The applicant must commit to participating in the fellowship program from January 2026 to December 2026.

11. Application

    • Only one application per business is allowed. Businesses applying to multiple award categories will be disqualified.

📝 Application Process

To apply, complete the online application form and provide the following supporting documents:

Compulsory Documents

• Your resume
• Business registration document
• Business capitalization table
• Pitch deck (maximum 15 pages)

Optional Documents

• Business’ competitive landscape
• Up to 3 additional attachments (e.g., impact framework, impact report, product images, brochures, press articles, etc.)

Note: All documents must be submitted with the online application and cannot be sent separately.

📅 Key Dates

• Application Deadline: June 24, 2025

🌐 Application Portal

• View details of the Cartier Women's Initiative Regional Awards
• Apply via the Cartier Women's Initiative Application Portal

This opportunity is a remarkable chance for women entrepreneurs to gain financial, human, and social capital support to scale their impact-driven businesses. Don't miss the deadline—apply today!

• Financial Capital Support:
  • US$ 100,000 grant for each first-place awardee
  • US$ 60,000 grant for each second-place awardee
  • US$ 30,000 grant for each third-place awardee
• Human Capital Support:
  • Leadership communications and media training workshops
  • In-person INSEAD Women's Impact Entrepreneurship Program
  • 1:1 training in specific business areas
  • 1:1 executive leadership coaching by The Women’s Impact Alliance
• Social Capital Support:
  • International exposure and media visibility
  • Support and mentorship by jury members during the fellowship
  • Access to a lifelong community of 500+ active community members
  • Ongoing support for the development of the fellows’ impact businesses