One of the most prestigious funding programmes in the world is open right now and closes in four weeks.

 The Cartier Women's Initiative 2027 Regional Awards opened on 16 April 2026. Applications close on 16 June 2026 at 2:00 PM CEST. That is four weeks from now.

If your business has a clear social or environmental mission, is generating revenue, and was incorporated between June 2019 and June 2024 this is worth reading carefully.

So... What is it?

The Cartier Women's Initiative (CWI) is an annual international programme supporting women-owned and women-led impact businesses. It has been running since 2006, has funded 330 fellows from 66 countries, and consistently produces some of the most visible and well-supported alumni in the impact funding ecosystem.

This is not a typical grant. It is a fellowship and the financial award is one component of a broader package.

The 2027 Regional Awards divide the world into nine regions. Each region produces three fellows:

• First place: USD $100,000
• Second place: USD $60,000
• Third place: USD $30,000

Beyond the cash, every fellow receives a fully funded place in the INSEAD Women's Impact Entrepreneurship Programme, a 12-month 1:1 coaching engagement, leadership and media training, and access to a global alumni network of over 500 impact entrepreneurs.

The time commitment is 1–3 hours per week across the fellowship year, plus one week of in-person events.

Who it is designed for

This is an early-to-growth stage programme. Not a startup competition, and not a scale-up prize. The eligibility criteria are specific:

Business criteria

• For-profit structure (B Corps and CICs are eligible; nonprofits are not)
• Incorporated between June 2019 and June 2024
• Generating revenue from product or service sales for at least one year
• No more than USD $2 million raised in dilutive funding (equity, SAFE, convertible notes)
• Majority-owned by founders and team at time of application

Founder criteria

• Woman in a key leadership role: CEO, COO, CTO, General Manager, or Managing Director.
• Part of the founding team.
• Holds the largest or equal-largest share of founder equity.
• English proficiency at B2 level or above (all programme activities are in English).

Impact criteria

• The business must demonstrate a measurable social or environmental impact.
• Must align with at least one UN Sustainable Development Goal.
• The SDG alignment needs to be embedded in the business model. Not a side commitment.

There is no sector restriction. Businesses in health, technology, climate, education, food systems, financial inclusion, and many other fields have been funded.

What assessors are looking for

CWI publishes its selection criteria and scoring rubric. That transparency is unusual, and worth using.

The six criteria are: Impact and Sustainability, Business Model, Entrepreneurial Spirit, Leadership, Commitment to CWI Vision, and Cartier Values.

The assessment criteria is available for download directly from the CWI website. If you are considering applying, reading it before you write a single word of your application is the most efficient use of your preparation time. It tells you exactly how reviewers will read what you submit.

One practical note: CWI explicitly states that if your company is based on leveraging existing technology in a novel way (rather than developing a new underlying technology or scientific process), you should apply to the Regional Awards, not the Science & Technology Pioneer Award. The two are separate tracks, and submitting to the wrong one costs you the cycle.

The application itself

The application is submitted online via CWI's Submittable portal. You will need:

• A completed online application form
• A one-minute video: your motivation, your desired impact, what you want to contribute to and gain from the CWI community
• Your pitch deck (existing investor or product deck, approximately 15 pages, no specific format required)
• Three supporting attachments of your choice: theory of change, impact report, product imagery, press, research, etc.

CWI recommends drafting answers in a separate document first, then transferring to the form. It also advises submitting well before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical issues — edit requests after submission take up to two business days to process.

The application window opened 16 April. If you are starting now, you have time to do this properly.

What makes this worth the effort

Three things.

The prize-to-effort ratio is high for the right business. Most $100,000 funding opportunities at this level require an organisational infrastructure, a research track record, or a procurement relationship that most founders at this stage do not have. CWI requires evidence of impact and a credible revenue model. That is a different, more accessible bar.

The non-cash value is substantial. The INSEAD programme, coaching, and media training are not token extras, they are the kind of investment that would cost significantly more if purchased separately. For founders who need to sharpen how they position their business internationally, the fellowship structure delivers that.

The alumni network is active. 82% of recent fellows attribute concrete outcomes — partnerships, additional funding, expanded reach — to CWI support and connections. That is a reported outcome, not a promise.

One flag, clearly stated

This programme is designed for impact businesses. That phrase is doing specific work: it means your business model is structured around creating measurable social or environmental change. Not that your business has positive side effects or good intentions.

If impact is not central to how your business creates and delivers value, this is not the right opportunity. Applying with a stretched case wastes your time and signals to assessors that you have not read the criteria carefully.

If impact is genuinely core to your model, and you can evidence it, this is one of the strongest programmes currently open to you anywhere in the world.

How to apply

Applications are submitted directly through the CWI portal: cartierwomensinitiative.com Deadline: 16 June 2026 at 2:00 PM CEST. First-round notifications will be sent in August 2026. All applicants will receive a decision by December 2026.

Coming up: How I use AI when applying for funding

I am hosting a live workshop where I will work through the Cartier Women's Initiative application using AI tools, in real time.

We will look at how to read the assessment criteria strategically, how to structure evidence of impact, how to use AI to stress-test your application before you submit, and where AI adds genuine value versus where human judgement cannot be substituted.

If you have been curious about how AI fits into a rigorous application process — without replacing the thinking — this session is a practical demonstration.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE

Funding4Growth curates funding opportunities for female founders building businesses that last. All opportunity details are accurate at time of publication. Always verify directly with the funder before investing time in an application.