Cartier Women's Initiative Opens Application for 2026 Regional Awards

• Cartier Women’s Initiative has started accepting applications for its 2026 Regional Awards
• It has invited women entrepreneurs globally to the most distinguished international entrepreneurship program

The Cartier Women’s Initiative is now accepting applications for its 2026 Regional Awards, inviting women entrepreneurs from around the world to apply to the most distinguished international entrepreneurship program. The program aims to drive social and environmental change through the power of women-owned and -led businesses that strive to use business as a force for good.

The initiative is available to women-owned and women-led businesses in all industries and locations and has an inclusive approach, encouraging applications from entrepreneurs with disabilities.

The initiative annually selects 27 fellows from nine regions: Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, Europe, Francophone Africa, Anglophone and Lusophone Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, East Asia, South Asia and Central Asia and Oceania. Fellows receive bountiful support, not the least of which is financial support, which includes an award of US$100,000 to each first-place recipient, US$60,000 to each second-place recipient, and US$30,000 to each third-place recipient.

In addition to financial capital, it supports human capital through a yearlong fellowship program. Fellows receive a personalized, in-depth business skills training; executive level mentorship through The Women's Impact Alliance; and participate in modules in Leadership and Communication at INSEAD as part of the INSEAD Women Impact Entrepreneurship Program. The program is also focused on social capital, with international media exposure, mentorship by jury members, access to a worldwide community of more than 500 fellows, extended support for business development and more.

To qualify, a business needs to show a positive impact that aligns with at least one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The company should be for-profit, have a solid business model, and be in the early to mid-growth phase, usually between one and six years since registration. It must also have been earning revenue for at least one year from selling products or services. Non-profit organizations don’t qualify for this.