The Cartier Women's Initiative Awards 2025

The Cartier Women's Initiative is looking for committed women entrepreneurs heading businesses with the potential to grow significantly in the years to come. It is a unique opportunity for them to take their companies to the next level.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be considered for the Cartier Women's Initiative, the business must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• For-profit: the business should be designed to generate sufficient revenues to support its operations and return some level of profit to its owners. Non-profit project proposals are not accepted.
• Early stage: the business should have a proven business model and be in the initial phase of its development and growth (between 1 and 5 years of licensed/registered operations).  We are focused on companies that are majority owned by founders and employees at the time of application. 
• Revenue generation: the business should currently be generating revenue from the sales of its products and/or services for at least 1 year as of the date of application. It being understood that a business that is generating revenue is not necessarily profitable in its first years of operations. 
• Fundraising: the business should not have raised more than US$2 million in dilutive funding. The Cartier Women's Initiative caps the funds raised in order to ensure that the businesses selected fall within a similar range of development.
• Impact: the business should meet at least one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 for the year 2030. The SDGs are a call for action by all countries to promote prosperity while protecting the environment. They cover a series of social, economic, and environmental development issues.
• Women leadership & ownership: The main leadership position must be filled by a woman either in the capacity of Director, General Manager or CEO. She must also own significant stake within the company. The ownership of the business is evaluated based on the position of the candidate in relation to other stakeholders.
• Legal entry age: The lead entrant must be 18 or the age of legal majority in country of citizenship (whichever is older) on the day of the application deadline.
• English proficiency: A good command of the English language is required (both verbal and written). We require the Common European Framework of Reference Level B2 and above. This level requires an understanding of the main ideas of complex text, technical discussion in business and your field of specialization and an ability to interact with fluency and spontaneity with native speakers. 
• Time commitment: The lead entrant must commit to dedicating 3 - 4 hours/week virtually from January to April to participate in the Cartier programme, can commit to submitting deliverables on time, and can attend 1 week of in-person workshops in early May (exact date TBC).

What do you mean by ‘early stage’?

‘Early stage’ means the business should have a proven business model and be in the initial phase of its development and growth (between 1-5 years of licensed/registered operations). The Cartier Women's Initiative caps the funds raised to US$2 million in order to ensure that the businesses selected fall within a similar stage of development.

What do you mean by ‘impact-driven business’?

An impact-driven business is a business that seeks to create strong, sustainable and measurable social and/or environmental impact. The business must align with at least one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 for the year 2030. The SDGs are a call for action by all countries to promote prosperity while protecting the environment. They cover a series of social, economic, and environmental development issues.

I have no team members at this point. Can I apply?

Yes, you may apply for the Cartier Women's Initiative programme as an individual. In the application form, fill in only the part on the lead entrant. Please note that your business needs to have been operational for at least one year and generating revenue to be eligible.

I am a woman but my business partner or team members are men. Can I apply?

You may apply as long as you hold the main leadership position within the company, either in the capacity of CEO, General Manager or Director. You must also own significant stake in the business and be able to provide proof. You will be asked to share an up-to-date capitalization table with your application form. A capitalization table (or cap table) is a table providing an analysis of a company's percentages of ownership, equity dilution, and value of equity in each round of investment by founders, investors, and other owners. Please note that if your role in the venture is limited; your project will automatically be rejected.

PRIZE MONEY

The 7 laureates (1 from each region) will receive: US$ 100 000 in prize money

The 14 finalists (the two runners-up from each region) will receive: US$ 30 000 in prize money 

AWARDS PACKAGE

In addition to the prize money, all 21 finalists will be awarded:

• A scholarship to attend the six-day INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Executive Education Programme (pending admission to the programme based on eligibility criteria and selection process)
• Ongoing support and/or mentoring for a year following the Awards Week to support the further growth and development of the business