REGIONAL AWARDS

In this section, you will find everything you need to know about the application and selection process of the Regional Awards program. 

For the 2023 edition, we will add three new regional categories: Francophone Africa, Oceania, and Central Asia & Eastern Europe. We will also pilot a new category to support Chinese-speaking entrepreneurs who need additional language support to join our global program.

The call for applications for the 2023 edition will open on Monday, May 16, 2022, and close on Thursday, July 14, 2022.

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

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 financials, storytelling, or impact measurement

• 1:1 strategy mentoring with subject matter experts

• Community peer learning sessions

• Online and in-person leadership communications and media training workshops

• Online knowledge sessions and group coaching leading up to in-person INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Program (pending admission based on INSEAD’s eligibility criteria and selection process)

• 1:1 leadership capacity executive coaching 

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 500+ experts and peers
• Ongoing support for the development of the fellows’ businesses

The Cartier Women’s Initiative is looking for women-run and women-owned impact-driven businesses. Entrepreneurs across all sectors and from around the world are encouraged to apply.

To be considered for the Regional Awards, the applicant’s business must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• For-profit: the business should be designed to generate sufficient revenues to support its operations and return some level of profit to its owners. Non-profit enterprises are not accepted.

• Early-stage: the business should have a proven business model and be in the initial phase of its development and growth (between 1 and 6 years of licensed/registered operations as of the date of application). Moreover, we are focused on companies that are majority-owned by founders and employees at the time of application.

• Revenue generation: the business should currently be generating revenue from the sales of its products and/or services for at least 1 year as of the date of application. It is understood that a business that is generating revenue is not necessarily profitable in its first years of operations.

• Fundraising: the business should not have raised more than US$2 million in dilutive funding. The Regional Awards cap the funds raised in order to ensure that the businesses selected fall within a similar range of development. Please note that businesses that have not raised any external funding are also welcome to apply.

• Impact: the business should meet 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:  A woman must fill the main leadership position, for example as CEO, General Manager, or Director of the company.

• Ownership: The founder needs to be a woman and she must be the largest shareholder of founder equity in the company or own a share at least equal to that of her co-founder(s).

• Legal entry age: The lead entrant must be 18 on the day of the application deadline (July 15, 2022).

• English proficiency: A good command of the English language is required (both verbal and written). We require the Common European Framework of Reference Level B2 or above. This level requires an understanding of the main ideas of complex text, technical discussion in business and your field of specialization, and an ability to interact with fluency and spontaneity with native speakers.

• Time commitment: The applicant must commit to participating in the fellowship program from January 2023 to December 2023. She will be expected to dedicate up to 4 hours/week virtually to the program from January 2023 to May 2023 and up to 2 hours/week virtually from June 2023 to December 2023. In addition to the virtual programming, the applicant will also be expected to attend one week of in-person training in May 2023.

To apply to the Regional Awards, you need to complete the online application form and provide the supporting documentation listed below.

Compulsory

• Your resume

• Your business registration document

• 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

• 3 additional attachments of your choice: image of product, brochure, press, article, research, etc.

These documents must be submitted on the online portal in the "Attachments" section and cannot be sent separately by email.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The Jury evaluates the applications based on the following criteria:

• Market analysis & fit

• Financial & business model sustainability

• Leadership team & character of the founder

• Strategy & execution

• Embedded positive social impact

• Commitment to Cartier Women's Initiative

• Quality of submission

SELECTION PROCESS

The selection process is divided into two rounds: the selection of the fellows and the ranking of the fellows to determine the first-place, second-place, and third-place awardees.

• Round 1: The jury selects the top three applicants of each region on the basis of their application form. The top three applicants become our fellows.

• Round 2: The fellows are invited to the final round, which includes submitting further business information and presenting their business in front of their regional jury panel. Based on the selection criteria, the jury selects the first-place, second-place, and third-place awardees. The announcement of the ranking for the Regional Awards will take place during the Awards Ceremony.