The EIC Women Leadership Programme offers a structured leadership and growth journey for EIC and EIT-backed women researchers and entrepreneurs, combining four core elements:
• Tailored training sessions
Focused on key leadership skills such as team management, talent development, decision-making, inclusive leadership, fundraising, goal-setting, and effective execution, and increasing confidence as leaders.
• Networking opportunities
Curated events connecting you with peers, alumni, mentors, investors, and key actors across the European innovation ecosystem.
• Personal mentoring
1:1 guidance from experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and senior leaders, supporting your leadership and career development.
• Business coaching
Individual sessions with EIC Business Coaches to address your specific business challenges and strengthen your strategy and market positioning.
The programme is designed for women researchers and entrepreneurs who are already active within the EIC or EIT ecosystem and are looking to take the next step in their leadership and innovation journey.
It is particularly relevant if you:
• Are leading or contributing to an innovation project or venture
• Are facing challenges related to growth, leadership, or market development
• Are looking to strengthen your strategic thinking, visibility, and impact
• Want to connect with a high-level European network of peers and experts
The programme offers a tailored learning journey for women researchers and entrepreneurs, based on individual needs and development goals.
Key areas include:
• Personal leadership and positioning
• Strategic thinking and decision making
• Negotiation and stakeholder management
• Pitching and communication
In addition, participants receive support in addressing real challenges related to both business growth and the transition from research to market — including refining strategies, identifying new opportunities, and strengthening market positioning.
Your development is further strengthened through mentoring and business coaching, ensuring practical application and long-term impact.
Under the mentoring scheme, participants are matched with experienced mentors from across the European innovation ecosystem, including entrepreneurs, investors, and senior executives.
The mentoring scheme supports both researchers and entrepreneurs in:
• Defining their leadership and career direction
• Gaining insights from experienced leaders
• Expanding their professional network and perspectives
The mentoring experience provides both strategic guidance and a trusted space for reflection and growth.
Under the coaching scheme, each participant works with an experienced EIC Business Coach who provides support tailored to specific needs and maturity of their innovation.
The coaching focuses on addressing real challenges related to the transition from research to market and venture growth.
Through the coaching process, you will:
• Identify new opportunities and strengthen your innovation potential
• Refine your business model, strategy, and market positioning
• Receive guidance on go-to-market approaches, partnerships, and scaling
• Develop solutions to organisational, financial, or growth-related challenges
The coaching experience is designed to challenge your assumptions, broaden your perspective, and support you in making more informed, strategic decisions.
Mentoring and coaching offer complementary forms of support, addressing different aspects of your development as a researcher or entrepreneur.
Mentoring focuses on your leadership and career development.
Mentors — experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and senior leaders — support you in strengthening your leadership capabilities, navigating career challenges, and reflecting your direction. They also share their experience, offer guidance on team and stakeholder dynamics, and help you expand your professional network.
Coaching focuses on your business and innovation challenges.
Business Coaches provide structured, hands-on support to help you refine your strategy, strengthen your business model, and address topics such as market entry, partnerships, and growth.
Together, mentoring and coaching provide a balanced combination of leadership development, strategic guidance, and practical support to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.
The participation in the porgramme is free of charge but the participants do not receive any direct funding, financial support, or compensation.
The EIC Women Leadership Programme is designed as a high-impact leadership and business development experience, offering tailored training, mentoring, coaching, and access to the European innovation ecosystem.
Please note that participants are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation costs for in-person activities (2 June WLP Kick-off bootcamp in Brussels: back-to-back with the EIC Summit, bringing together participants, and representatives of the European innovation ecosystem).
Yes, peer interaction and community building are key elements of the programme.
Participants become part of a trusted network of women researchers and entrepreneurs within the EIC Community, enabling ongoing exchange, collaboration, and mutual support.
During the programme, you will:
• Engage in dedicated networking sessions with your cohort and the wider EIC ecosystem
• Connect with peers, mentors, and role models across Europe
• Join an exclusive alumni community, where you can continue exchanging insights, opportunities, and experiences beyond the programme
These interactions are designed to foster meaningful connections and long-term professional relationships across the European innovation ecosystem.
Implementation of the 2026 Women Leadership Programme Research and Entrepreneurial cohorts
Implementation of the programme and timeline details.
The 2026 EIC Women Leadership Programme Research and Entrepreneurial cohort swill take place from May to November 2026.
11 May 2026
Introductory workshop and welcome session (online) - Participants are introduced to the programme structure, mentoring activities and leadership development journey
2 June 2026
Kick-off bootcamp (back-to-back with the EIC Summit (3-4 June, Brussels), bringing together participants, and representatives of the European innovation ecosystem)
July – October 2026
Participants take part in the Individual Mentoring and Coaching sessions (online)
September – November 2026
Training and networking sessions (online, with one in-person networking TBC)
27 November 2026
Final Programme Event, Demo Day and Pitching Session (online)
The EIC Women Leadership Programme 2026 is delivered through a structured combination of online activities, designed to support participants throughout their leadership and growth journey.
The programme starts with an introductory workshop (11 May 2026, online), where participants are introduced to the programme structure, mentoring and coaching schemes, and have the opportunity to connect with their peers.
This is followed by the kick-off bootcamp (2 June 2026, Brussels), bringing together participants and key actors from the European innovation ecosystem. The bootcamp focuses on team building, leadership development, and the first training sessions.
From July to October 2026, participants engage in individual mentoring and business coaching online sessions, tailored to their specific needs and challenges.
Between September and November 2026, participants take part in interactive training sessions and networking online events, focused on strengthening leadership capabilities, business skills, and ecosystem connections.
The programme concludes with a final event on 27 November 2026, including a Demo Day and pitching session online, where participants can showcase their work, receive expert feedback, and connect with investors and ecosystem representatives.
The programme is designed to be compatible with your professional commitments.
Participants are expected to:
• Attend training sessions (approximately 2 hours per session)
• Participate in minimum 5 mentoring (scheduled flexibly max 1,5hour) and selective coaching sessions.
• Join key programme events, including the kick-off bootcamp (1 day) and online networking sessions (1 hour each)
Overall, the time commitment is structured to provide high impact while remaining manageable alongside your professional responsibilities.
The mentoring scheme is designed to provide personalised, high-quality support tailored to each participant’s leadership and development needs.
During the introductory phase, participants are introduced to the mentoring framework and overall process.
Following the kick-off bootcamp, participants are matched with mentors based on their individual goals, challenges, and areas of interest. The WLP team carefully manages this process to ensure a strong and relevant match.
Once the matching is completed, participants are introduced to their mentors and begin their 1:1 mentoring journey.
Participants then engage in regular sessions with their mentors over several months, focusing on leadership development, career progression, and navigating key challenges.
The WLP team remains involved throughout the process, ensuring that the mentoring relationship is effective and aligned with participants’ expectations.
The coaching scheme provides personalised, hands-on support to help participants address specific business and innovation challenges.
Participants are matched with experienced EIC Business Coaches with relevant industry and market expertise. The WLP team supports the matching process to ensure alignment with each participant’s needs and objectives.
Each participant benefits from up to three days of individual coaching, delivered through a series of sessions tailored to their agenda and priorities.
Coaching sessions are flexible in format and focus on areas such as strategy development, market positioning, go-to-market approaches, partnerships, and scaling.
This tailored support enables participants to make more informed decisions and accelerate the development of their ventures or innovation pathways.
Participants are expected to actively engage in the programme and commit to its key activities.
This includes:
• Attending at least 85% of the training sessions
• Participating in the in-person kick-off bootcamp in Brussels (2 June 2026)
• Engaging in mentoring, coaching, and networking activities throughout the programme
Regular attendance is essential to ensure continuity of learning and full benefit from the programme.
Participants who do not meet the minimum attendance requirements or repeatedly miss sessions without prior notice may be withdrawn from the programme.
Successful completion of the programme, including meeting the attendance criteria, is required to receive the EIC Women Leadership Programme Completion Certificate.
Application process
The EIC Women Leadership Programme 2026 is open exclusively to women who are beneficiaries of EIC funding or hold the seal of excellence and who have not participated in previous editions of the EIC Women Leadership Programme.
Applications are open from 27 March to 19 April 2026 (23:59 CET).
The programme is intended for women who have not previously participated in the EIC Women Leadership Programme.
Cohort for Women Entrepreneurs and Founders
Designed for experienced women leaders, including founders, co-founders, C-level executives and senior managers, who are scaling innovative ventures and want to strengthen their leadership and visibility.
Cohort for Women Researchers and Innovators
Designed for women researchers and innovators aiming to translate research into business opportunities, while developing leadership and entrepreneurial capabilities.
Eligible candidates can apply through the open call on the EIC Community Platform. All applications will be reviewed through a structured selection process.
The application process is designed to be straightforward and should take approximately 10–15 minutes to complete.
In addition to basic personal and professional information, you will be asked to provide:
• Your professional aspirations and goals
Including your future career direction and key objectives for the coming months
• Your current challenges
A reflection on the main barriers you are facing in your leadership, business, or research journey
• Your motivation to participate
Why you would like to join the programme and what you aim to achieve
• Your expectations from the programme
How you believe the programme can support your development and ambitions
You will also need to provide details related to your EIC or EIT involvement, such as:
• EIC programme or project information (e.g. project ID, acronym, PIC number)
• or EIT programme details (e.g. KIC, year of participation, project summary)
Finally, you are required to upload: Your CV in English (maximum 2 pages, PDF format)
Please note that applications not meeting these criteria will not be considered.
The programme is open to women researchers and entrepreneurs supported by EIC and EIT under a range of funding instruments and initiatives.
Eligible EIC support includes:
• EIC Pathfinder
• EIC Transition
• EIC Accelerator
• EIC STEP Scale-up
• EIC Prizes
• EIC Pre-Accelerator call awardees
• Seal of Excellence under Horizon Europe
• Beneficiaries assessed under EIC calls within Horizon Europe
• EIC Scaling Club
• Women TechEU
Eligible EIT support includes:
• All EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) and related programmes
Applicants must have been directly involved in an EIC- or EIT-supported project or initiative.
The person who coordinated your organisation´s EIC or EIT project has this information. Please consult with them. Note that non-EIC awarded EIC Scaling Club companies do not have an EIC project ID.
No, during the application you must explain your role in the EIC/EIT funded project, which is one of the requirements for your participation in the programme. Please keep in mind that you will need to keep being part of the EIC/EIT supported organisation for the whole duration of the WLP cohort.
The number of women participants associated with the same EIC/EIT project is not limited. However, each applicant will be evaluated on her own merit and not based on the EIC/EIT project she has participated in.
The applicant can work both on an ongoing or a finished EIC/EIT project.
Please use the contact form option on the side of the application tab to indicate potential technical issues with your application.
The EIC Women Leadership Programme is dedicated to female members of EIC/EIT funded organisations. You cannot apply for the programme if you are no longer employed by an EIC/EIT beneficiary.
Applications are assessed through a structured evaluation process.
The selection is based on:
• Your motivation to participate in the programme
• The expected impact of the programme on your leadership, career, and innovation journey
• Your overall profile, including experience, potential, and current stage of development
Applications are reviewed by a panel of experienced experts from across the European innovation ecosystem. The evaluators include entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, and leaders with hands-on experience in innovation, business development, and supporting women in leadership and entrepreneurship.
Applicants will be informed of the outcome of the selection process by 29 April 2026.
In case of further questions, please contact us through the EIC Community contact page by choosing the 'EIC Women Leadership Programme' category.
Glossary
Alumni group | A group of 250+ former WLP participants |
Coaching | Experienced professional provides advice, guidance, and support to enhance your business skills, performance, and growth |
| EIC | European Innovation Council |
EIC Community |
An (online) community of all entities receiving EIC funding |
| EIT | European Institute of Innovation & Technology |
EIT Community |
A community of EIT supported enterprises |
EIT KICs | European Institute of Innovation & Technology Knowledge and Innovation Communities - Europe-wide networks centered around addressing a specific societal challenge |
Mentorship | Guidance and support offered by an experienced individual to help you grow professionally and personally |
| WLP | Women Leadership Programme |