Grants for Women Founders in the UK and Europe (2026)
Open and closed grants, prizes, loans and guarantees for women founders in the UK and Europe, with amounts, deadlines and eligibility. Last checked 27 October 2026.
As of 27 October 2026, the two largest open opportunities for women founders in the UK and Europe are Women TechEU (EUR 75,000 in non-dilutive funding for early-stage deep tech, next full-proposal deadline 14 January 2027) and the European Prize for Women Innovators (up to EUR 100,000, deadline 1 December 2026, 17:00 CET). The tables below cover 18 programmes across the UK, Germany, France and Italy, plus EU-wide schemes.
Not everything here is a grant. We list prizes, loans, guarantees and support programmes too, and label each one in the Type column so you know whether you can keep the money, must repay it, or get mentoring only.
Closed programmes stay in a separate table with the expected next round, because most of them repeat on a similar schedule each year. We review this page monthly.
Last checked: 27 October 2026. Updated monthly. See how we check.
Open now
| Program | Country | Type | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women TechEU 2 EIC | EU and Horizon Europe associated countries, UK included | Grant | EUR 75,000 | Open. Stage 1 eligibility check weekly until 13 July 2027, submit at least 3 weeks before a deadline. Full-proposal deadlines: 14 January, 13 May and 12 August 2027 (16 September 2026 has passed). Startup registered for 6 months to 5 years, women in top management hold at least 25% of shares |
| European Prize for Women Innovators 2027 | EU and Horizon Europe associated countries | Prize | Women Innovators EUR 100,000, 70,000, 50,000. Rising Innovators (under 35) and EIT Women Leadership EUR 50,000, 30,000, 20,000 | Open until 1 December 2026, 17:00 CET |
| ON - Oltre Nuove imprese a tasso zero | Italy | Interest-free loan | Up to 90% of the investment | Open, first come first served. Loan only, up to 10 years: the grant part ran out on 30 June 2026. Refinanced with EUR 59m by a decree of 16 June 2026 (published 12 October). Micro and small firms under 5 years old, majority owned by women or by people aged 18 to 35 |
| EqualStart Berlin - GründerinnenBONUS | Germany (Berlin) | Grant | One-off, up to EUR 10,000 | Applications since 18 April 2026, rules cover 2026-2027. Top-up only: requires an approved GründungsBONUS Plus grant (approved from 1 September 2025) and a company mostly founded and owned by women |
| Garantie Égalité Femmes | France | Loan guarantee | Covers up to 80% of a bank loan, max EUR 50,000 guaranteed | Ongoing via France Active. Replaced the former FGIF. Loans of 2 to 7 years, minimum EUR 5,000, one-off fee 2.5% of the guaranteed amount. Aimed mainly at jobseekers or women in precarious situations. Not a grant |
| Start Up Loans | UK | Government-backed loan | GBP 500 to 25,000, fixed 7.5% from April 2026 | Ongoing. Pre-start or trading up to 60 months. Not women-only, not a grant |
| Hatch Enterprise | UK | Support programme, small grants on selected accelerators | Graduates can apply to the Hatch Grant Fund, up to GBP 5,000 for Incubator graduates | Rolling cohorts for underrepresented founders including women. Check hatchenterprise.org for the next intake |
| 101 Femmes Entrepreneures (Bpifrance) | France | Competition, non-cash | Visibility, bootcamp, network | Third edition launched 30 March 2026 |
| EIC Women Leadership Programme | EU | Training and mentoring | No cash | For women researchers and entrepreneurs already backed by EIC or EIT |
Closed programmes
Most of these repeat on a similar schedule each year, so the next round is often predictable.
| Program | Country | Type | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards | UK | Grant plus 12 months of support | Up to GBP 75,000 | 2025/26 round closed 4 February 2026. 100 women recognised in 2026 (61 award winners, 39 highly commended). The last round opened 26 November 2025. Next round not announced yet. Late-stage start-ups in advanced manufacturing, digital or life sciences. The 2024/25 success rate was 3.4% |
| Cartier Women's Initiative, Europe region | Global, UK and Europe included | Prize | USD 100,000, 60,000 and 30,000 for 1st to 3rd place per region (currency from secondary sources, confirm) | 2027 cycle closed 16 June 2026. The call opened 16 April, so the next one is likely April 2027 (to confirm) |
| WE-RISE Open Call 2 | EU and Horizon Europe associated countries | Grant | Call 1 structure: EUR 5,000 start grant for 20 startups, then EUR 50,000 for 10 of them. Call 2 budget EUR 600,000 | Closed 12 February 2026. GreenTech, AgriTech, ClimateTech. Project runs to 31 December 2026 |
| Open Horizons | Europe (Brussels-based) | 6-month programme: coaching, mentoring, community | Funding amount not stated on the page | Closed 29 January 2026 |
| EXIST Women | Germany | Programme run through universities: training plus grant | EUR 2,000 in materials and an optional three-month grant | 2026 round: universities and research institutions applied by 30 September 2025. Women apply through a participating university start-up network |
| Female Founders Grant Competition | UK (Northern Ireland) | Grant | Up to GBP 35,000, about 10 grants | Closed 27 January 2026 |
| FoundHER Fund | UK (Scotland) | Funding and expert support for startup founders | Amount not found | Closed 20 February 2026 |
| Fondo Impresa Femminile | Italy | Grant plus interest-free loan | Historical terms: grant up to EUR 50,000 for new firms with plans up to EUR 100,000 | Closed since 2022 (20 May and 8 June 2022), no reopening announced, so not expected back. ON above is the main alternative |
| NatWest Accelerator, Female Founders | UK | Equity-free support | No cash | Ran through 2025 and 2026. Next cohort to confirm |
How to choose
Idea or pre-launch. Look at repayable and small-grant options first: Start Up Loans in the UK (GBP 500 to 25,000, for businesses that are pre-start or trading up to 60 months), EqualStart Berlin (a top-up of up to EUR 10,000 for women-founded companies in Berlin that already hold a GründungsBONUS Plus grant) and ON in Italy (interest-free loans for majority women-owned firms).
Early-stage deep tech. Women TechEU and the European Prize for Women Innovators are the strongest fits. The EIC Women Leadership Programme adds mentoring and training if you are already backed by EIC or EIT.
Growth stage. The Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards (up to GBP 75,000 plus 12 months of support, for late-stage start-ups in advanced manufacturing, digital or life sciences) are the main UK route. The 2025/26 round has closed, so join the Innovate UK mailing list now: the previous round opened on 26 November.
FAQ
Are there grants only for women founders in the UK?
Yes. The Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards offer up to GBP 75,000 to women founders of UK-registered SMEs, and the Female Founders Grant Competition in Northern Ireland offered up to GBP 35,000. Both rounds closed in early 2026.
Do I give up equity?
Grants and prizes such as Women TechEU do not take equity. Loans and guarantees, such as UK Start Up Loans and France's Garantie Égalité Femmes, are repayable, so check the Type column.
Can UK founders apply to EU programmes?
Women TechEU is open to companies established in EU member states and Horizon Europe associated countries, which includes the UK. Check the current call text for your own eligibility.
What is the difference between a grant, a prize, a loan and a guarantee?
A grant is money you do not repay. A prize is awarded by a jury after you apply. A loan must be repaid, often at a low or zero rate. A guarantee makes it easier to get a bank loan but is not money in itself.
Can I apply to more than one programme?
Often yes, but read the rules. Women TechEU excludes companies already funded for the same activities by another EU programme, such as earlier Women TechEU rounds or the EIC Accelerator.
Methodology
We take amounts, deadlines and eligibility from the programme owner's own page whenever one exists, and use news or aggregator sites only to find programmes. We review the page monthly and whenever a round opens or closes, and the last-checked date at the top is updated each time. Grants, prizes, loans, guarantees and support programmes are never mixed in one category.
Cite this page
Founded by Women. Grants for Women Founders in the UK and Europe. Last checked 27 October 2026. foundedbywomen.org/grants/grants-for-women-founders-uk-europe
Looking for recognition rather than funding? See the FBW Awards.
