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Entrepreneurship Training Programs for Women (2026–2027): 18 Free and Funded Options in Europe and Online | Female Entrepreneurs

TL;DR: which entrepreneurship training programs for women are worth applying to?

If you need money with your training, look at Women TechEU (€75,000 plus coaching for deep-tech founders, next deadline 14 January 2027) and the EU Prize for Women Innovators (up to €100,000, closes 1 December 2026). If you need skills first, start free: Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women online and the Fe/male Switch Free Startup School are open all year. National programs such as EXIST-Women (Germany), Going for Growth (Ireland) and Les Premières (France) add a cohort and mentors close to home. Below are 18 programs we checked in October 2026, with costs, formats and the next intake, plus the ones that quietly closed.

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When I started my first company, I didn't know these programs existed. Most women I talk to still find them by accident: a friend forwards a link two days before the deadline. So this guide does the searching for you. Every program below was checked on its own website in October 2026: who it is for, what it costs, whether there is money attached, and when you can next apply.
It covers training, mentoring and accelerator-style programs. If you are mainly looking for cash, read our guide to grants for female entrepreneurs in Europe; if you want public support schemes country by country, see government support for women entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurship Training Programs for Women at a Glance (2026–2027)

ProgramWhereFormatCostMoney attachedNext intake
Women TechEUEU + associated countriesCoaching + grantFree€75,000 grant14 Jan, 1 Apr, 8 Jul 2027
EIC Women Leadership ProgrammeEU (EIC companies only)Mentoring, coaching, bootcampFreeNo2027 call not yet published
EIT SupernovasEuropeAccelerator, online bootcampFreeVaries by trackCheck the site
EBRD Women in BusinessBalkans, Türkiye, Caucasus, Central Asia, N. AfricaTraining, mentoring, loans via banksFree adviceCredit linesRolling
Female Founders BootcampEurope (Vienna-based)4 weeks online + 1 day in person€500 excl. VATNoCheck the site
Going for GrowthIrelandPeer roundtables, 6 monthsFreeNoApply by 27 Nov 2026
EXIST-WomenGermany12 months via a universityFreeStipend €1,000–3,000/month (3 months)Through your university
Les PremièresFranceIncubation, 12–36 monthsVaries by regionNoBy region
Desafía San Francisco (women-led)Spain2-week immersionFree (travel not paid)No2027 not announced
Visa She's NextIE, Nordics, PL, IT, CZ, RO, SK, BalticsGrant + coachingFree€10,000+ by countryBy country
Innovate UK Women in InnovationUKAward + 12 months supportFreeUp to £75,000Next round not announced
Fe/male Switch Free Startup SchoolOnlineSelf-paced, game-basedFreeNoRolling
Goldman Sachs 10,000 WomenOnline, global10 self-paced coursesFreeNoRolling
Cherie Blair Foundation MentoringOnline (low- and middle-income countries)1-year mentoringFreeNoCohort May 2027
UBS Project Female FounderGlobal8-week acceleratorFreeNoOpens March 2027
Tory Burch Foundation FellowsUSFellowshipFree$2,000 education grantCloses 17 Nov 2026
Cartier Women's InitiativeGlobalAward + supportFreeUp to $100,0002027 edition closed
EU Prize for Women InnovatorsEU + associated countriesPrizeFree€20,000–100,000Closes 1 Dec 2026
Sources: each program's official website, checked 15 October 2026. Dates change; always confirm on the program page before applying.

EU-Wide Entrepreneurship Training Initiatives for Women

The European Union funds several entrepreneurship training initiatives for women. They are free, but each has a narrow target group, so check eligibility before you write a word.

Women TechEU: €75,000 plus coaching for deep-tech founders

For: early-stage women-led deep-tech startups · Money: €75,000 non-dilutive · Next deadlines: 14 Jan, 1 Apr and 8 Jul 2027
Women TechEU combines a grant with a mentoring and coaching program, and the 2026–2028 edition will support 160 startups. You first pass an eligibility check (weekly cut-offs, the last one on 15 June 2027) and then submit a full proposal. Our sister site has a step-by-step guide to the 14 January 2027 Women TechEU deadline. See the official page for the current call.

EU Prize for Women Innovators: up to €100,000

For: women founders of companies registered before 1 January 2025 · Money: €100,000, €70,000 and €50,000; €50,000 to €20,000 for founders under 35 · Deadline: 1 December 2026, 17:00 CET
Not a training program in itself, but the prize, run by the European Innovation Council and the EIT, brings visibility and a network that many winners describe as an accelerator. You apply as a person, in one category only. Details on the official page.

EIC Women Leadership Programme

For: women in EIC-funded companies or holders of an EIC Seal of Excellence · Format: at least 5 mentoring sessions, up to 3 coaching days, a bootcamp in Brussels · Next intake: 2027 call not yet published
The 2026 cohort runs from May to November and ends with a Demo Day on 27 November 2026. The last call was open from late March to mid-April, so watch for the 2027 call in spring. There is no grant attached. More on the official page.

EIT Supernovas

For: women-led tech ventures (Rocket Up) and women moving into venture capital (Women2Invest) · Run by: EIT Food, EIT Manufacturing and EIT Urban Mobility
Supernovas bundles several EIT programs for women. Women2Invest is a six-week online bootcamp for women who want to become investors, which is a smart move if you want to understand how VCs think before you pitch them. Calls open once or twice a year; check the official page.

EBRD Women in Business

For: women-led SMEs in the Western Balkans, Türkiye, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and more · Format: training, mentoring and credit lines through partner banks
This is the closest thing to a women entrepreneurship fund with training built in: the EBRD lends through local banks and pairs the money with business advice. You apply through a partner bank or the local EBRD office; see the official page.

National Programs for Women Entrepreneurs in Europe

National programs are smaller, but they give you something the EU programs rarely do: a cohort of women in the same market, speaking your language.

Female Founders Bootcamp (Austria and Germany)

For: early-stage women-led startups that want to become investor-ready · Format: 4 weeks online plus 1 day in person · Cost: €500 excl. VAT
Vienna-based Female Founders runs one of Europe's best-known communities for women founders, and the bootcamp is its entry program. The team also hosts a summit in Berlin on 10 November 2026. See the official page.

Going for Growth (Ireland)

For: women owner-managers trading for at least 2 years · Format: free monthly peer roundtables led by experienced entrepreneurs · Deadline: 27 November 2026 for the January–June 2027 cycle
Going for Growth is for women who already have a business and want to grow it, not for idea-stage founders. It is free and one of the longest-running programs on this list. Apply on the official page.

EXIST-Women (Germany)

For: women at German universities and research institutes with an early business idea · Money: up to 3 months of stipend at €1,000–3,000 per month, plus €150 per child, and a €2,000 budget for costs · Format: 12-month qualification program
You apply through a participating university's start-up service, which also sets the deadline. The current funding guideline runs until 30 September 2027. Details on the official page.

Les Premières (France)

For: women founders and mixed teams with a woman co-founder · Format: regional incubation programs of 12 to 36 months · Cost: varies by region
Les Premières is a national network of incubators for women-led businesses, with tracks from START-1ère (idea stage) to DEEP TECH-1ère. Pick your region on the official page.

Desafía San Francisco, women-led edition (Spain)

For: Spanish women-led tech startups · Format: two weeks of immersion in San Francisco, run by ICEX and Red.es · Cost: free; you pay your own travel
The 2026 edition ran from 4 to 15 May, and the 2027 dates have not been announced. The official page for 2026 shows what to expect.

Visa She's Next (Ireland, Nordics, Central and Eastern Europe)

For: majority women-owned small businesses · Countries: Ireland, the Nordics, Poland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and the Baltics · Money: grants from €10,000, plus coaching
Each country runs its own round with its own dates; the Irish round closed in April 2026 and the Baltic one in March. Watch the official page for your country.

Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards (UK)

For: women founders of UK SMEs · Money: up to £75,000 plus 12 months of tailored support · Next round: not announced yet
The 2026 round chose 61 winners. If you are in the UK, prepare now; past rounds opened in late autumn and closed in early February. See the official page.

Free Online Entrepreneurship Training for Women

If you can't wait for a deadline, start with a free online program. Many women prefer self-paced learning around a job or children; if you're unsure which suits you, read self-paced vs cohort-based learning for entrepreneurs.

Fe/male Switch Free Startup School

For: first-time founders, especially women · Format: self-paced, online, with an AI startup game · Cost: free
Full disclosure: this is ours. The Free Startup School has more than 30 Skill Lab modules (about 120 hours of content), 10 recorded sessions and a startup game in which you build a real business step by step with an AI co-founder. It is built on learning by doing rather than lectures, and you can start today.

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women (online)

For: women running or starting a small business anywhere · Format: 10 self-paced courses in 5 languages · Cost: free
A solid business-basics curriculum covering finance, marketing, negotiation and growth planning. It is self-paced, so it works around a full-time job. Enrol on the official page.

Cherie Blair Foundation Mentoring Programme

For: women entrepreneurs in low- and middle-income countries · Format: 1 year of online one-to-one mentoring · Next cohort: May 2027; applications open early 2027
One of the few structured mentoring programs that pairs you with a mentor for a full year. If you're in Europe and looking for a mentor, our guide to finding female mentors covers other routes. See the official page.

Global Programs and Awards for Women Founders

UBS Project Female Founder

For: Series A-stage startups at least 51% women-owned · Format: free 8-week accelerator · Next intake: applications open March 2027
A program for founders preparing to raise a larger round, focused on investor-readiness. Too early for most bootstrappers, but worth bookmarking.

Tory Burch Foundation Fellows (US)

For: US businesses at least 51% women-owned with $75,000+ annual revenue · Money: $2,000 education grant plus coaching · Deadline: 17 November 2026
US-only, but included because it is one of the best-known programs of its kind. Fellows are selected in May 2027. Apply on the official page.

Cartier Women's Initiative

For: women-run businesses with $50,000 to $5 million revenue · Money: up to $100,000 per regional winner, plus coaching · Next intake: the 2027 edition is closed; the next call is expected in 2027
A global award with a strong support program. The 2027 edition closed on 16 June 2026, so prepare for the following round. See the official page.

Women Entrepreneurship Funds That Pay for Training and Growth

Search for a "women entrepreneurship fund" and you'll find We-Fi, the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative hosted by the World Bank. It reports US$7.7 billion mobilised across 81 countries, but it does not take applications from founders directly. Its money reaches you through partners such as the EBRD and IFC, which is why programs like EBRD Women in Business are the practical way in. Read more on the We-Fi website.
For direct funding, see our overview of venture capital for female founders, the European grants made specifically for female founders on mean.ceo, and EmpoWomen deep-tech grants for women-led startups on grant-grants.com.

Programs for Women That Closed or Changed

Older lists still recommend these. Don't waste an application on them:
  • Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders: we found no 2026 cohort, and the European program pages are gone.
  • AWS Impact Accelerator: replaced in 2025 by shorter AWS Impact Bootcamps.
  • She Loves Tech: no activity since 2024.
  • Women Who Tech Europe: last held in 2018–2019.
  • Enterprise Ireland's women-only Competitive Start Fund: no women-only call since 2021.

How to Choose the Right Training Program for Women Entrepreneurs

  1. Match your stage. Idea-stage founders fit EXIST-Women, START-1ère or a free online school. Going for Growth wants two years of trading; UBS wants Series A.
  2. Decide what you need most. If it's skills, start with a free course this week. If it's money, focus on Women TechEU, the EU prize and your national grant calls, and check our list of accelerators and incubators for women-led startups.
  3. Be honest about time. A 12-month cohort with fixed sessions is hard alongside a job and children. Self-paced options let you start now.
  4. Check country rules before deadlines. Half the programs above are tied to one country or a group of countries.

How to Write an Application That Gets You In

  • Answer the question they ask, in their words. Selection panels score against criteria; reuse their terms.
  • Show traction, even small. Ten customer interviews, a waiting list or first sales beat a perfect plan. Our guide to validating a business idea shows how to get proof for free.
  • Explain why now and why you. Programs want founders who will use the support immediately.
  • Prepare a one-minute pitch. Many programs end with an interview or demo day; practise with how to pitch investors as a woman founder.
  • Put the deadlines in your calendar now. Most rejections we see are applications that were never sent.
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Conclusion: Apply to Two Programs This Quarter

There is more entrepreneurship training for women in Europe than most founders realise, and much of it is free. Pick one free online program to start building skills this week, and one funded program with a deadline in the next six months: Women TechEU, the EU Prize for Women Innovators or your national scheme. Then meet other women doing the same at a startup event near you, or compare more options in Europe's accelerators worth applying to.

FAQ: Entrepreneurship Training Programs for Women

Are there free entrepreneurship training programs for women?

Yes. Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women online, the Fe/male Switch Free Startup School, Going for Growth in Ireland and the Cherie Blair Foundation mentoring program are all free. Most EU programs, such as Women TechEU and the EIC Women Leadership Programme, are also free to join.

What is the best program for women entrepreneurs in Europe?

It depends on your stage. Deep-tech startups should look at Women TechEU (€75,000 plus coaching). Women with an established business in Ireland can join Going for Growth. Idea-stage founders in Germany can apply for EXIST-Women through their university.

Which training programs for women come with funding?

Women TechEU (€75,000), the EU Prize for Women Innovators (up to €100,000), Innovate UK Women in Innovation (up to £75,000), Visa She's Next (grants from €10,000) and EXIST-Women (a monthly stipend) combine support with money.

What is a women entrepreneurship fund?

A fund that finances women-led businesses. The biggest is We-Fi, hosted by the World Bank, which reports US$7.7 billion mobilised across 81 countries. Founders reach its money through partners such as the EBRD, not by applying to We-Fi directly.

Can I join a women's entrepreneurship program while working full time?

Yes. Self-paced online programs like Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women and the Fe/male Switch Free Startup School fit around a job. Cohort programs with fixed sessions, such as EXIST-Women, need more time.

When is the next Women TechEU deadline?

The next full-proposal deadlines are 14 January, 1 April and 8 July 2027. You must pass an eligibility check first; the last eligibility cut-off is 15 June 2027.

Is Google for Startups Women Founders still running?

We found no 2026 cohort and its European pages are no longer online. Look at Women TechEU, EIT Supernovas or national programs instead.

Do I need a registered company to join a training program?

Not always. Free online courses and EXIST-Women accept founders with only an idea. Women TechEU, Going for Growth, Cartier and most grant-based programs require a registered, trading company.

Are there entrepreneurship programs for women in tech?

Yes. Women TechEU and EIT Supernovas target women-led tech and deep-tech startups, and Desafía San Francisco runs a women-led edition for Spanish tech startups. For more on the gender gap in tech, see our female founder statistics for Europe.

How do I get accepted into a women's accelerator?

Meet every eligibility rule, answer the selection criteria in their own words, show early traction such as customer interviews or first sales, and apply well before the deadline. Many programs also interview shortlisted founders, so prepare a one-minute pitch.
2026-10-15 16:24 Guides