Overview

Women TechEU 2 EIC has opened the Eligibility Strand of its new call, the first step in a two-stage process for women-led early-stage deep-tech startups seeking support through the programme. The initiative will support 160 women entrepreneurs from the European Union and Horizon Europe associated countries, with each selected startup receiving a €75,000 non-dilutive grant and access to a personalised business development programme.

In total, Women TechEU will award €12 million in non-dilutive funding through an open call with 4 funding deadlines. For each funding deadline, 40% of the funding will be allocated to startups from widening regions, a category that includes Cyprus.

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Benefits

Startups selected after the full application process will receive:

• €75,000 in non-dilutive funding
• A six-month personalised business development programme
• Access to business development services
• One-to-one mentoring with an expert
• Support to prepare for future funding opportunities, including the EIC Accelerator and Pre-Accelerator programmes

The six-month support programme will be co-designed by the selected entrepreneurs and the programme team, with individual development KPIs set for each startup.

Who Can Apply

The call targets women-led early-stage deep-tech startups established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe associated country. Cyprus is listed both as an eligible EU country and as one of the widening EU Member States.

To qualify as women-led, at least one woman founder or co-founder must currently hold a top management position, such as CEO, CTO, CSO, or equivalent, and women must own at least 25% of the company’s shares at the time of submission. The woman founder or co-founder must actively participate in the programme if selected.

Criteria

Eligible startups must:

• Be legally registered for at least six months and not more than five years at the relevant eligibility cut-off date
• Qualify as an SME
• Have raised less than €1 million in equity
• Be developing a technology innovation between TRL 4 and TRL 6
• Be working in deep tech, meaning innovation grounded in substantial scientific or engineering advances, not simply the use or adaptation of standard technologies

The guidelines list deep-tech fields including advanced connectivity, navigation, and digital technologies; advanced materials, manufacturing, and recycling technologies; advanced sensing technologies; AI technologies; biotechnologies; energy technologies; quantum technologies; robotics and autonomous systems; and space and propulsion technologies.

For AI-based startups, the programme makes clear that applicants must have passed the earliest development stages. Companies still at concept development, dataset collection, or algorithm development stage are considered too early; eligible AI startups should be at more advanced stages, such as AI model development, training, testing, or refinement.

Applicants must also ensure that the same proposal, or any part of it, has not previously benefited from earlier Women TechEU initiatives or the EIC Accelerator, to avoid double funding. Women TechEU 2 EIC consortium partners, their affiliated entities, employees, and subcontractors are not eligible to apply.

How To Apply

Applications are submitted through the Sploro online platform, accessible via the Women TechEU website. The current stage is the Eligibility Strand: applicants must first verify their eligibility and, if validated, will be invited to submit a Full Proposal.

Key dates:

• Eligibility Strand opens: 1 June 2026
• First cut-off: 30 June 2026, 17:00 CEST
• Weekly cut-offs: every Tuesday at 17:00 CE(S)T / Brussels time
• Final cut-off: 13 July 2027, 17:00 CEST

Applications must be submitted in English. Only submissions made directly through the official online platform will be considered. Eligibility results will be sent through the Sploro Platform no later than one week after the relevant cut-off.

Applicants are advised to review the guidelines and open call documents carefully and, where possible, attend one of the programme’s online InfoDays. The guidelines also recommend submitting at least two days before the relevant cut-off to avoid last-minute technical issues.

About The Programme

Women TechEU 2 EIC is an EU-funded initiative designed to support women founders leading early-stage deep-tech startups across Europe. The programme combines non-dilutive funding, mentoring, business development support and access to wider innovation networks, with a particular focus on improving access for startups from less-connected and widening innovation ecosystems.