The Cartier Women's Initiative 2027 Is Now Open

 The Cartier Women's Initiative 2027 Is Now Open — Here's Everything You Need to Know

If you are a woman building a business that is changing the world, this might be the most important opportunity you read about this year.

The Cartier Women's Initiative (CWI) has officially opened applications for its 2027 edition. The call for applications opened on April 16, 2026 at 2PM (CEST) and will close on June 16, 2026 at 2PM (CEST).

That means the window is open right now — and it will not stay open for long.

What Is the Cartier Women's Initiative?

The Cartier Women's Initiative is an annual international entrepreneurship programme that aims to drive change by empowering women impact entrepreneurs. Founded in 2006, the programme is open to women-run and women-owned businesses from any country and sector that aim to have a strong and sustainable social and/or environmental impact. 

Since 2006, Cartier Women's Initiative has supported 330 fellows from 66 countries, and 82% of recent fellows attribute concrete outcomes to the programme's support, networks, communications and events. 

This is not a small grant scheme. It is a full ecosystem of funding, training, mentorship, and global visibility — specifically designed for women entrepreneurs who are building businesses that matter.

What Do You Win?

The rewards go far beyond money, but let's start there.

Selected fellows receive up to $100,000 USD in grant funding.

 -First-place winners receive $100,000 USD, - - Second-place winners $60,000 USD, and third-place winners $30,000 USD. 

Beyond the money, the programme offers intensive human capital support through a tailored fellowship experience that includes one-on-one business training, leadership coaching, media and communications workshops, and an immersive INSEAD Women's Impact Entrepreneurship Programme. Fellows also gain valuable social capital through international exposure, media visibility, and lifelong membership in a global network of over 500 women impact entrepreneurs. 

The 2027 fellows will be celebrated during the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards Ceremony. 

The 2026 edition awards took place in Bangkok, Thailand — giving you a sense of the prestige and scale of this programme.

Who Should Apply?

This programme is built for a specific type of woman entrepreneur. Here is how to know if that is you:

You are a woman holding a top leadership role — CEO, COO, Managing Director — in your own business.

 Your business is for-profit and impact-driven, meaning it contributes to at least one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

 Your business must be early-stage, with between 1 and 6 years of registered operations as of the application date, and it should have been generating recurring revenue from the sale of products or services.

 The business must not have raised more than $2 million USD in dilutive funding. (Opportunity Tracker)

The programme is open to women entrepreneurs from any country, and applicants from all countries are encouraged to apply. 

Whether you are in Lagos, Nairobi, Karachi, Jakarta, or São Paulo — if your business qualifies, you can apply.

There are two main award categories. The Regional Awards recognise top impact businesses across nine regions worldwide. The Science and Technology Pioneer Award highlights businesses built around unique, protected, or hard-to-reproduce scientific or technological advances. Entrepreneurs across all sectors and geographies are encouraged to apply, and applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply as well. 

Why Should You Apply?

Here is the honest truth: most business programmes hand you a certificate and send you home. Cartier Women's Initiative is different.

You walk away with real funding — up to $100,000 with no equity taken. You train at INSEAD, one of the world's top business schools. You get media visibility that money cannot buy. You join a global community of women entrepreneurs who are genuinely changing industries. And you carry the Cartier name on your business story for life.

The theme for the 2026 anniversary edition is "Lighting the path" — a tribute to women who are sparking change with courage, creativity and conviction. That spirit continues into the 2027 edition.

If your business has a mission, if it solves a real problem, and if you have been quietly wondering when someone would notice what you are building — this is your moment.

How to Apply

Only online applications submitted through the application platform are accepted. Applications cannot be sent by mail, and business plans are not accepted. 

Head to cartierwomensinitiative.com to begin your application. You can save your draft and return before the deadline.

English proficiency at the B2 level or above is required, as this is the common language for the CWI team, its partners, jury members and the overall community. 

Deadline: June 16, 2026 at 2PM CEST. Do not miss it.

The world needs more women building businesses that matter. This programme exists to make sure those women do not build alone.

Apply using the link below 👇🏼 

www.cartierwomensinitiative.com