Cartier Women’s Initiative Award

Published by Bojana

Deadline: 14 August 2019
Open to: female entrepreneurs worldwide
Benefits: coaching + prize money + education scholarship and ongoing support

Description

Since 2006, the Cartier Women’s Initiative has supported 219 female entrepreneurs worldwide. Each year, 21 finalists representing 7 regions (Latin America & the Caribbean, North America, Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East & North Africa, East Asia and South Asia & Oceania) are selected during the first round of the competition. These finalists are then invited to attend the Awards week (exact location still TBC) during which the second round of the competition takes place. After the final jury evaluation, 7 laureates, one for each region, are announced on stage during the Awards ceremony.

Eligibility

  • Your business should be designed to generate sufficient revenues to support its operations and return some level of profit to its owners. Non-profit project proposals are not accepted;
  • Your business should currently be generating revenue from the sales of its product 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;
  • The Cartier Women’s Initiative caps the funds raised to US$2 million in order to ensure that the businesses selected fall within a similar range of development;
  • Your business should have a proven business model and be in the initial phase of its development and growth. We are focused on companies that are majority owned by founders and employees at the time of application;
  • 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;
  • The main leadership position must be filled by a woman either in the capacity of Director, General Manager or CEO. She must also own significant stake within the company. The ownership of the business is evaluated based on the position of the candidate in relation to other stakeholders.

Benefits

The 21 finalists, representing the top 3 businesses from each of the 7 regions, will receive:

  • One-to-one personalized business coaching prior to the Awards week;
  • A series of business coaching workshops and networking sessions during the Awards week;
  • Media visibility for the finalists and their businesses in the months leading up to the Awards week and interview;
  • Opportunities with local & international press during the Awards week.

PRIZE MONEY:

  • The 7 laureates (1 from each region) will receive: USD 100 000 in prize money;
  • The 14 finalists (the two runners-up from each region) will receive USD 30 000 in prize money.

AWARDS PACKAGE

In addition to the prize money, all 21 finalists will be awarded:

A scholarship to attend the six-day INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Executive Education Programme (pending admission to the programme based on eligibility criteria and selection process)

Ongoing support for the further growth and development of their business

How to apply?

In order to complete your application, you must submit the following attachments:

  • Your resume;
  • Your business registration document;
  • Your pitch deck: They have no specific form for the pitch deck, just submit one that you have that describes your impact business. This can be an investor presentation or a product presentation. (no more than 15 pages max)
  • A link to a 1 min video of yourself (optional): The video should help the selection committee gain a sense of your character.
  • 3 additional attachments (optional): image of product, brochure, press, articles, research, etc.

For more information, please visit the official web page.