Please note that the deadline for this Open Call for participants was extended until 21 April!
The European Innovation Council (EIC) is pleased to announce the launch of the 2nd cohort of participants for the Women Leadership Programme (WLP). Building upon the success of the pilot’s 1st cohort, the services from this initiative are being provided from May 2022 to October 2022.
The EIC WLP aims to support, inspire, and empower EIC female researchers and entrepreneurs. With that in mind, this 2nd cohort of the programme is meant to provide a new set of training and networking events, as well as business coaching and mentoring opportunities for career development. In addition, this time around we are extending the number of participants.
We are now looking for female EIC research beneficiaries and EIT community to apply to this new initiative and participate in the WLP as part of the 2nd cohort from May to October 2022.
Key components of the programme
- Training Sessions: a dedicated journey of sessions
- Networking Events: to expand your contacts into the business world
- Coaching Scheme: focus on your business challenge
- Mentoring Scheme: to unlock your career development
If this is a challenge for you, apply until 21 April 2022!
The WLP 2nd cohort is composed of:
- Approved EIC Researchers that apply via this open call
- Women TechEU winners
- European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) entrepreneurs & researchers. If this is your case apply here.
Eligibility criteria
The second cohort of the EIC Women Leadership Programme is exclusively dedicated to women from EIC-funded projects (Accelerator, Transition, Pathfinder, and their predecessor instruments under the EIC Pilot).
Profile: If you are a female researcher holding/aspiring to take a leadership position as an innovator/entrepreneur, involved in a research project, this call is meant for you! We want you to join our next group and unlock your potential to lead the transition of your research into a successful business, empowering your entrepreneurial competencies. Please note that this call is for researchers only.
TRL: There are no requirements related to the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the maturity level of your technology and its readiness for the market uptake, as the Women Leadership Programme won’t set limits to enhance your skills. However, you will be only eligible to benefit from coaching if your product has a TRL 4 or above.
The main goal of this open call is to look for female EIC beneficiaries that are currently researchers and want to move forward in their career transition – thus, expanding its approach to the business environment. Our WLP activities are tailor-made to support you in this journey.
Evaluation criteria
All applications received until the established deadline are being evaluated by:
- Fulfilment of the eligibility criteria mentioned above
- Future impact of the WLP services on your career
- Your motivation to join the programme
Additional Information
About the EIC Women Leadership Programme
Women-led companies are on the rise. The participation of women in deep tech is not only a matter of fairness but an important case of using Europe’s full potential of excellence in science and businesses. The EIC proactively seized this great opportunity for growth: the latest EIC Accelerator calls stated that at least 25% of applications invited for the second stage of evaluation should come from women (co)founded or led companies. As a result, the number of selected women (co) founded and led companies went from 7% to 34% (compared to the previous EIC-call). This contributed to an overall increase in the female-led companies from 8% to 15% (blended finance calls only).
With the Women Leadership Programme (WLP), the EIC aims to level the playing field in scalable businesses and mindsets by unlocking potential and breaking down barriers to success!
Need help?
For additional information, please refer to our helpdesk (please choose 'EIC Women Leadership Programme' as the subject) or visit our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
DISCLAIMER: This information is provided in the interest of knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission, or any other organisation.