Deadline: 2 September 2025
The European Commission is requesting proposals for Women Tech.EU Initiative which is designed to support early-stage women-led deep-tech startups, addressing gender gap in the tech industry and fostering more diverse startup ecosystem across Europe.
The initiative aims to enhance the competitiveness of women-led companies addressing critical societal challenges. By empowering women entrepreneurs, Women TechEU supports early stage deep-tech companies, paving the way for the participation of women-led start-ups in future EIC calls.
The Women TechEU initiative supports European early-stage deep tech start-ups,registered and established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country for at least six months at the time of the submission, founded or co-founded by women, holding a top management position (chief executive officer (CEO), chief technology officer (CTO), chief scientific officer (CSO), or equivalent). All deep tech domains are eligible, with the emphasis being on overall gender balance and the position held by women in the start-up. This call supports early-stage women-led companies which have not received substantial financial support.
Funding Information
- Indicative budget: EUR 15 million
- The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 75 000.
- The consortium should consider a project duration of two (2) years, with a possibility to extend the grant for another year, subject to achieving the key milestones of the project.
Eligibility Criteria
- Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from no associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call/topic.
- A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
- Entities eligible for funding:
- To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions:
- Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States:
- Aruba (NL), Bonaire (NL), Curação (NL), French Polynesia (FR), French Southern and Antarctic Territories (FR), Greenland (DK), New Caledonia (FR), Saba (NL), Saint Barthélemy (FR), Sint Eustatius (NL), Sint Maarten (NL), St. Pierre and Miquelon (FR), Wallis and Futuna Islands (FR).
- Countries associated to Horizon Europe;
- Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom.
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions:
- To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
For more information, visit EC.