Open call for mentors: Join the EIC Women Leadership Programme and help us build the women leaders of tomorrow!

To support the role of women in innovation and tech, the European Innovation Council (EIC), in partnership with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), offers a skills enhancement and networking programme for women researchers and entrepreneurs, the EIC Women Leadership Programme (WLP). To this end, the EIC is looking for motivated and experienced entrepreneurs, investors, innovators and senior managers to join the programme as mentors. 

What’s in it for you as a mentor?  

• Contribute to bringing a positive change to the mentee’s professional career;  

• Be exposed to fresh perspectives, ideas and approaches;  

• Expand your professional network;  

• Play an active role in the EIC Community, Europe’s largest community of entrepreneurs and researchers;  

• Be at the forefront of increasing the role of women in innovation and tech;  

• Develop your personal leadership and mentoring styles.  

Note: Mentoring is provided pro-bono. 

Who can become a mentor?  

If you are a change-maker and want to have a long-term impact on women’s participation in business within the tech and innovation ecosystem, join us as a mentor! 

We are looking for entrepreneurs, investors, innovators and senior managers of all genders  who:  

• Have a proven track record of extensive entrepreneurial, managerial and/or investment experience (not sole consultants);  

• Have a wide and diverse professional network;  

• Have experience in dealing with multiple issues in a fast-paced growth environment; 

• Take a 360º approach to leadership and personal development;   

• Are sensitive to work-life balance topics;  

• Are willing to become a long-term trusted advisor;  

• Show empathy, integrity, credibility, diligence, independence and patience;  

• Are active advocates towards diversity and equality in the entrepreneurial world. 

How can you become a mentor?  

Apply to become a mentor in the WLP 8th cohort  

by filling out this application form by 17th February 2025  23:59 CET  

In the application form, we ask questions about your professional background and motivation to become a mentor in the EIC WLP. In addition, you have to upload your CV in English, in pdf format and with a maximum length of 2 pages.  

What is the level of commitment?  

We ask mentors to dedicate 2 hours per month for a 6-month period, to establish and maintain a close relationship with their mentees. While the training sessions of the EIC Women in Leadership Programme are ongoing (8-weeks), we ask mentors to meet with their mentees on a bi-weekly basis. Once the training sessions have finished, meetings can take place once a month. Besides the direct commitment with their mentee, mentors will also be invited to participate in networking events to explore possible synergies with other mentors and/or mentees. 

Who are the mentees?   

The  EIC WLP is specifically designed for women entrepreneurs, (co)founders and managers in C-suite positions as well as researchers who want to strengthen their leadership skills and expand their network. All participants are EIC or EIT beneficiaries.  

How does the matching process work?  

Validated mentors will be invited to join an online platform, where they can share their expertise and background, and express the added value they bring to the mentoring experience. Mentees will be able to search, scout and find the most suitable mentors for their needs and preferences. The EIC WLP team will support the matching process, by providing a set of potential matches to the mentees and organising networking opportunities to ensure the best choice is made.  

When will the matching process take place?  

The matching of mentors and mentees will take place at the start of each EIC WLP cohort. The upcoming cohort’s matching is planned between 2 April and 9 May 2025.  

When and where will mentoring activities of the upcoming 8th cohort take place?  

All mentoring activities will take place online. Mentor – Mentee bi-weekly meetings will take place between May to June 2025. Together with your mentee, you will be able to schedule these meetings at a time that fit both your schedules. After the closing ceremony, mentors and mentees can decide to continue their bi-weekly meetings or change the frequency to monthly meetings (until  November 2025).  

Important: Before applying as a mentor, please have a look at the timeline below: 

Additional information about the EIC Women Leadership Programme 

Support to women innovators is among the cornerstones of the EIC efforts to the economic competitiveness of Europe. The wide recognition and traction with high potential startups, especially from underrepresented groups such as women innovators and those from less developed ecosystems, has thus been included among the six strategic goals that the EIC Board has identified for the period 2021-2027. 

EIC initiatives are providing a positive outcome to change the status quo and the gender gap in research and business. Almost 20% of the companies awarded so far under the EIC Accelerator scheme are led by women, with the March 2024 cut-off seeing record-high number of women-led companies among applicants. 36% applications came from women-led business, with 40% of awarded businesses being women-led.  In addition, 24% of all projects supported under the EIC Pathfinder are coordinated by women. 

The EIC Women Leadership Programme and the Women TechEU scheme are the main actions that the EIC is taking to support the role of women in deep tech. In addition, EIC recognises annually, under the European Prize for Women Innovators, the women from across Europe, whose disruptive innovations are driving positive change for people and planet.   

About the EIC Business Acceleration Services 

This opportunity is brought to you by the EIC Business Acceleration Services. To explore other opportunities to connect with the largest corporates in Europe, keep an eye on our events page or subscribe to the EIC Business Acceleration Services Newsletter.  

Need help? 

For additional information, please refer to our helpdesk (please choose 'EIC Women Leadership Programme' as the subject).