Women TechEU 2 EIC is an EU-funded programme for women-led, early-stage deep-tech startups established in eligible European countries. The Women TechEU 2 EIC Consortium runs the 2026–2028 edition, with EISMEA as granting authority.
Applicants first complete a weekly eligibility check and, if approved, submit a full proposal for one of four cohorts. The programme plans to support 160 startups with grant funding and personalised business development services.
Benefits & funding
- Each selected startup receives a €75,000 non-dilutive grant.
- The six-month support programme includes one-to-one mentoring, training, expert guidance, networking, investor matchmaking and preparation for further EIC funding.
- The programme has €12 million for 160 startups; 40% of funding at each deadline is allocated to startups from widening areas.
Eligibility
- The applicant must be a private, autonomous SME developing deep technology at TRL 4–6, before a high-fidelity minimum viable product, with fewer than 250 employees and within the published SME financial limits.
- The company must have been legally registered for at least six months and no more than five years at its eligibility cutoff, and it must have raised less than €1 million in equity.
- At least one legally recognised woman founder or co-founder must hold a top management role such as CEO, CTO or CSO; women must hold at least 25% of company shares. The participating founder must join the programme if selected.
- Eligible establishments are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and EU outermost regions; or Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, the Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine or the United Kingdom.
- Founder nationality is not considered, and no education, age or work-experience requirement is published.
- The proposed activities must not have previously received funding from Women TechEU or the EIC Accelerator, and consortium partners, affiliates, employees and subcontractors cannot apply.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Gender requirement
Female
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Application process
- 1Read the current Eligibility Strand guidelines and submit the English eligibility form through the Sploro platform before a weekly Tuesday 17:00 Brussels-time cutoff.
- 2Monitor the Sploro account and email for an Eligibility Letter, issued no later than one week after the relevant cutoff.
- 3If eligible, use the private link in the letter to submit the English Full Proposal, team and founder CVs, investor pitch deck and three-minute video pitch by the assigned submission deadline.
- 4Wait for evaluation results, normally issued within eight weeks of the Full Proposal deadline; selected startups then complete ethical review, legal validation and a sub-grant agreement.
Program timeline
Eligibility Strand opened.
1 June 2026
Eligibility cutoffs.
Every Tuesday through 14 June 2027, 17:00 Brussels time
Full Proposal Strand opened.
15 July 2026
16 September 2026, 17:00 CEST
Full Proposal deadline 5; Cohort 5 runs 1 December 2026–15 June 2027.
14 January 2027, 17:00 CET
Full Proposal deadline 6; Cohort 6 runs 12 April–14 October 2027.
1 April 2027, 17:00 CEST
Full Proposal deadline 7; Cohort 7 runs 22 June–22 December 2027.
Final Eligibility Strand cutoff.
14 June 2027, 17:00 CEST
8 July 2027, 17:00 CEST
Full Proposal deadline 8; Cohort 8 runs 30 September 2027–13 April 2028.