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EIC Women Leadership Programme

 

About

The EIC Women Leadership Programme enhances leadership end entrepreneurial skills of participating women researchers and entrepreneurs. The programme expands participants’ network by engaging various innovation ecosystem partners and institutional players from the European Innovation Council (EIC), and beyond and connects participants with peers to share best practices and solutions to common challenges. 

The programme is open to female researchers, aspiring female leaders and entrepreneurs from the EIC and EIT Communities.  Each cohort consists of both virtual and in-person training sessions, led by high-profile experienced trainers who challenge participants’ leadership approaches with inspiring case studies and use participatory approaches to encourage active engagement. Participants benefit from individual coaching and personal mentoring. Through dedicated networking events, they also engage with peers and inspiring role models. 

The programme consists of four pillars; joint in person and online trainings empowering participants to master their leadership role and lead the market entry and scale up of their startups or scaleups, individual mentoring exploring career orientations and addressing personal challenges, business coaching maximizing the business potential of developed innovations and visibility boost providing exposure to participants and their work as role model female leaders in deep tech. 

 

The EIC Women Leadership Programme targets female members of EIC supported projects, and specifically:

  • Businesswomen, (co)founders and managers in C-suite positions, who want to strengthen their skills and expand their network;
  • Women researchers involved in research projects aspiring to lead the transition of their research into businesses.

 

Implementing partners 

Logos of Female Founders and Impact Hub

Eligibility

The EIC Women Leadership Programme cohorts are alternately open to EIC researchers and EIC entrepreneurs. 

The entrepreneurial cohort is open to women (co)founders and managers in C-suite positions small and medium-sizes enterprises (SMEs) which have benefited from the following schemes:

  • SME Phase I and Phase II 
  • EIC Pathfinder
  • EIC Transition 
  • EIC Accelerator 
  • Women TechEU
  • Seal of Excellence under Horizon Europe  

The research cohort is open to female members of research institutions which have benefited from the following schemes:

  • EIC Pathfinder 
  • EIC Transition 
  • FTI under Horizon 2020 
  • FET Open and FET Proactive under Horizon 2020 

 

What does the programme offer?

Participants will benefit from a tailored programme following a needs assessment, including specific training sessions with interactive exercises and discussions, networking events, personalised mentorship, and business-coaching schemes:

Trainings

Participants have access to training sessions on topics such as negotiation, pitching, leadership styles, marketing, and public speaking, that address the participants needs. The trainings take place during business days, with a duration of 2 hours each. Sessions are led by experts from the industry and are designed to be interactive, offering hands-on exercises and case studies to help participants put their leadership skills into practice.

Networking 

Dedicated networking events take place throughout the programme to increase the participants’ network and heighten their visibility with key stakeholders in the European innovation ecosystem. During the training sessions, keynote speakers provide testimonials and facilitate networking moments. WLP fosters and promotes the exchange of experiences between its cohort participants and provides speed-dating activities with mentors.

Personal Mentoring and Business Coaching

The mentors, ranging from experienced CEOs and investors to serial entrepreneurs, are matched with participants based on career challenges faced by the participant. Participants meet with their mentors on a regular basis to receive support on their career goals and challenges.

In addition, participants can work with an expert EIC business coach. These experts support participants with business related goals and challenges, such as identifying new business opportunities. 

 

Alumni Group

Participants of the programme are invited to join an exclusive alumni group on the EIC Community Platform, facilitating ongoing communication with fellow participants. This platform serves as a hub for networking, sharing events, and staying updated on relevant news within the community.

 

Timeline and Open calls

Please check the Open Calls & Upcoming Events page.

 

Testimonials 

Joana Simões Correia, Executive Director and CSO at Exogenus Therapeutics:

The EIC Women Leadership Programme was all about self-confidence and empowerment.

Alessandra Balduini, Professor and principal Investigation at SilkFusion:

The EIC Women Leadership Programme had a great impact on my career. As a scientist, I learnt about business and how to direct my science, my research, in that sense. 

 

Learn more

 

FAQs

Find all the answers on the EIC Women Leadership Programme 6th cohort in the FAQs.

 

Upcoming

The programme is confirmed to continue in 2025. More information on the cohorts and their timing will come soon.

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please contact us through the EIC Community’s contact page  by choosing the 'EIC Women Leadership Programme' category.