The Bayer Foundation Women Entrepreneurs Award is a six-month accelerator for women founders leading impactful ventures in health and food security. The program will select 15 ventures from Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East, providing tailored support to strengthen business fundamentals and improve investor readiness.
Program Benefits
• Accelerator Program: Awardees receive six months of customized support focused on strengthening business fundamentals, refining financial and impact metrics, and preparing for investor engagement.
• Sponsored Trip: Participants will travel to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from 26–30 October 2026 for the Awardee Days and Award Ceremony, with opportunities to pitch, connect with the cohort, and celebrate their achievements.
• €25,000 Cash Prize: Each selected awardee receives a non-dilutive grant of €25,000 to support business growth, expand impact, and unlock future investment opportunities.
• Visibility and Recognition: The program offers founders a global platform to showcase their work through storytelling, media exposure, and video content, helping increase visibility and credibility.
• Alumni Community: Awardees join Bayer Foundation’s women-led alumni network for continued peer support, shared visibility, and collaboration opportunities.
• Impact Hub Network Access: Participants benefit from access to Impact Hub’s global network for local ecosystem support, founder connections, and scaling opportunities across markets.
Eligibility Criteria
• Leadership: Applicants must be women founders, co-founders, or senior leaders with significant decision-making authority in a venture that is beyond the ideation stage.
• Sector and Geography: The venture must address challenges in health and/or food security and create measurable impact for underserved communities in Asia, Latin America, Africa, or the Middle East.
• Business Stage: Ventures should demonstrate traction, with annual revenue of up to USD 1,000,000. Pre-break-even ventures may also be considered if they show strong evidence of growing demand and revenue potential.
• Legal Structure: Eligible organizations include social enterprises, hybrid models, or non-profits with a clear plan to establish a for-profit entity within 12–24 months. The organization must be incorporated on or before 1 January 2025. Registered charities and sole traders are not eligible.
Focus Areas
• Health: Solutions may include cardiovascular health, women’s health, oncology, healthcare payment options and insurance, community health workers, and digital health infrastructure.
• Food Security: Solutions may include reducing food waste, reducing malnutrition, fair markets and pricing, increasing smallholder farmer productivity, and water justice and sanitation.
Program Timeline
• Applications: Open from 2 March 2026 to 13 April 2026.
• Finalist Pitches: In June 2026, 30 finalists will be invited to pitch online to a jury of experts.
• Accelerator Program: The six-month program for the 15 selected awardees will run from June to November 2026.
• Sponsored Trip: Awardees will travel to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from 26–30 October 2026 for the Awardee Days and Award Ceremony.
• Visibility and PR: From July to December 2026, awardees will receive ongoing storytelling and communications support.
Accelerator Program Details
• Customized Support: Each awardee completes an onboarding interview and baseline survey to tailor program support. Participants are then matched with a business advisor for regular one-on-one sessions.
• Group Learning: Monthly group sessions with experts and peers cover key investment readiness topics, including business and growth planning, financial fundamentals, funding pathways, pitching, and storytelling.
• Time Commitment: Participants should expect to commit a minimum of four hours per month.
This initiative is delivered in partnership by Bayer Foundation and the Impact Hub Network, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing women-led innovation for a just and sustainable future. By combining Bayer Foundation’s focus on health and food security with Impact Hub’s global entrepreneurial ecosystem, the program provides founders with funding, expert guidance, and community support to help scale their impact.