Science & Technology Pioneer Award
Cartier Women's Initiative
Funding Amount
$30,000 - $100,000
Matching Funds
Funding Cycle
Application deadline is June 30, 2023
*Annual grant and will re-open in 2024*
Description
FINANCIAL CAPITAL SUPPORT
- US$ 100,000 grant for each first-place awardee
- US$ 60,000 grant for each second-place awardee
- US$ 30,000 grant for each third-place awardee
HUMAN CAPITAL SUPPORT (FELLOWSHIP)
Our fellowship program focuses on several key areas of human capital support for women impact entrepreneurs and offers a combination of 1:1 training and collective workshops.
- 1:1 training in specific business areas
- 1:1 advice sessions with subject matter experts in CWI Community
- Community peer learning and networking sessions
- Online and in-person leadership communications and media training workshops
- In-person INSEAD Women Impact Entrepreneurship Program
- 1:1 leadership capacity executive coaching by The Women’s Impact Alliance (formerly The Coaching Fellowship)
SOCIAL CAPITAL SUPPORT
Throughout the program, we strive to highlight the social and environmental impact created by our fellows and bridge connections between women impact entrepreneurs and their supporters
- International exposure & media visibility
- Access to an online & offline community of 700+ experts and peers
- Ongoing support for the development of the fellows’ businesses
Who Can Apply
Technological & Scientific Innovation: The business should be based on the development of a new technology, a complex engineering process, or a scientific discovery, and not only on a disruptive business model. Development of the technology and product, from idea (TRL 1)* to commercialization (TRL 9)* should take at least 2 years
For-profit: The business should be designed to generate sufficient revenue to support its operations and return some level of profit to its owners. Non-profit enterprises are not eligible. That said, the business does not have to be profitable at the time of application
Early-stage: The business should be in the initial phase of its development or growth. It must have at least a proof of concept, a prototype, or be in the process of producing one (minimum TRL 4) and must not have been commercializing its final product/service for more than 6 years
Positive Impact: The business should demonstrate the potential to have a significant positive impact in its industry. It should contribute to 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
Leadership: The applicant must be a woman and she must fill one of the main leadership positions, for example as CEO, COO, CTO, General Manager, or Managing Director of the business
Ownership: The business must be majority owned by its founders and team members at the time of application. Moreover, one of the following conditions must be met: (1) a woman or multiple women are the largest shareholder(s) of founder equity (not total equity), or (2) the applicant owns a share greater or equal to that of each of her co-founder(s), or (3) if not part of the founding team, the applicant owns a share greater or equal to that of the business (co-)founder(s). Sole proprietorships are ineligible for the Science & Technology Pioneer Award
Additional Eligibility Requirements
To apply, you need to complete the online application form and provide the supporting documentation listed below
Compulsory
- Your resume
- Your business registration document
- Your business financial statements for the most recent financial year (unaudited acceptable)
- Your pitch deck: we are not looking for a specific format, just submit an existing pitch deck that accurately describes the impact of your business. This can be an investor presentation or a product presentation (no more than 15 pages max.)
- A one-minute video of yourself in which you answer the following questions:
- What is your motivation behind solving the problem that you have identified?
- What is the impact you wish to create through your solution?
- What do you wish to gain/contribute to the Cartier Women’s Initiative community?
Optional
- Your business’ impact framework (Theory of Change)
- Your business’ competitive landscape
- 3 additional attachments of your choice: image of product, brochure, press, article, research, etc.
(These documents must be submitted with the online application and cannot be sent separately)
Resources:
https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/resources
FAQ:
https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/faq
How to apply:
https://www.cwi-portal.com/submit/258130/2024-science-technology-pioneer-award
Location(s)
Worldwide
Additional Information
N/A
