The Cartier Women's Initiative Awards 2025

The Cartier Women's Initiative is looking for committed women entrepreneurs heading businesses with the potential to grow significantly in the years to come. It is a unique opportunity for them to take their companies to the next level.

The next call for applications will open on May 22, 2024 and will close on July 3, 2024.

Eligibility criteria:

The Cartier Women’s Initiative is looking for women-run and women-owned impact-driven businesses. Entrepreneurs across all sectors and from around the world are encouraged to apply.

To be considered for the Regional Awards, the applicant’s business must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• For-profit: the business should be designed to generate sufficient revenues to support its operations and return some level of profit to its owners. Non-profit enterprises are not accepted.
• Early-stage: the business should have a proven business model and be in the initial phase of its development and growth (between 1 and 6 years of licensed/registered operations as of the date of application). Moreover, we are focused on companies that are majority-owned by founders and employees at the time of application.
• Revenue generation: the business should currently be generating revenue from the sales of its products and/or services for at least 1 year as of the date of application. It is understood that a business that is generating revenue is not necessarily profitable in its first years of operations.
• Fundraising: the business should not have raised more than US$2 million in dilutive funding. The Regional Awards cap the funds raised in order to ensure that the businesses selected fall within a similar range of development. Please note that businesses that have not raised any external funding are also welcome to apply.
• Impact: the business should meet at least one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 for the year 2030. The SDGs are a call for action by all countries to promote prosperity while protecting the environment. They cover a series of social, economic, and environmental development issues.
• Leadership: A woman must fill the main leadership position, for example as CEO, General Manager, or Director of the company.
• Ownership: The founder needs to be a woman and she must be the largest shareholder of founder equity in the company or own a share at least equal to that of her co-founder(s).
• Legal entry age: The lead entrant must be 18 on the day of the application deadline.
• English proficiency: A good command of the English language is required (both verbal and written). We require the Common European Framework of Reference Level B2 or above. This level requires an understanding of the main ideas of complex text, technical discussion in business and your field of specialization, and an ability to interact with fluency and spontaneity with native speakers.
• Time commitment: The applicant must commit to participating in the fellowship program from January 2025 to December 2025. She will be expected to dedicate up to 4 hours/week virtually to the program from January 2025 to May 2025 and up to 2 hours/week virtually from June 2025 to December 2025. In addition to the virtual programming, the applicant will also be expected to attend one week of in-person training in May 2025.

WHY APPLY?

The fellows, representing the top three businesses from each of the ten regions, will receive:

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

Our fellowship program focuses on several key areas of human capital support for women impact entrepreneurs and offers a combination of 1:1 training and collective workshops.

• 1:1 training in financials, storytelling, or impact measurement
• 1:1 strategy mentoring with subject matter experts
• Community peer learning sessions
• Online and in-person leadership communications and media training workshops
• Online knowledge sessions and group coaching leading up to in-person INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Program (pending admission based on INSEAD’s eligibility criteria and selection process)
• 1:1 leadership capacity executive coaching  

SOCIAL CAPITAL SUPPORT

Throughout the program, we strive to highlight the social and environmental impact created by our fellows and bridge connections between women impact entrepreneurs and their supporters.

• International exposure & media visibility
• Access to an online & offline community of 500+ experts and peers
• Ongoing support for the development of the fellows’ businesses