European and national programmes are offering new opportunities for women entrepreneurs across areas such as innovation, sustainability, digitalisation, and business development.
The European Union and various national institutions are strengthening their commitment to female entrepreneurship through a wide range of funding calls and programmes open in 2026. These initiatives, covering areas from technological innovation to rural development, aim to support women-led projects and facilitate their access to key resources for growth and market consolidation.
Through the Womenfortech initiative, the Finnova Foundation presents a summary focused on female entrepreneurship to help boost your vision with EU funding.
LIFE Programme, for environment and climate action
Among the most prominent programmes is the LIFE Programme 2021–2027, the EU’s main financial instrument for the environment and climate action. With a total budget of €5.4 billion, this call—officially expected to open on April 21, 2026—will fund projects focused on biodiversity, circular economy, energy transition, and climate change adaptation, with funding rates reaching up to 95% for clean energy projects.
COSME / Single Market Programme, aimed at SME competitiveness
At the same time, the COSME programme, now integrated into the Single Market Programme (SMP), continues to support SME competitiveness through grants covering between 70% and 90% of costs. Calls are published throughout the year, facilitating internationalisation, digitalisation, and the green transition of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Innovation Fund, for clean technology projects
The Innovation Fund stands as one of the world’s largest funding programmes for clean technologies, with around €40 billion available until 2030. This instrument supports projects in hydrogen, renewable energy, and industrial decarbonisation, covering up to 60% of costs for initiatives ranging from €2.5 million to over €100 million.
Horizon Europe
In the field of research and innovation, Horizon Europe has a budget of €95.5 billion for the 2021–2027 period, funding everything from early-stage research to pilot and industrial projects. Key instruments include the EIC Accelerator, which combines grants of up to €2.5 million with equity investments of up to €15 million.
ENISA Digital Women Entrepreneurs
At the national level, specific initiatives for women entrepreneurs remain available. The ENISA Digital Women Entrepreneurs programme offers participatory loans ranging from €25,000 to €1.5 million for women-led tech startups, while the PAEM Programme by the Chambers of Commerce provides microcredits of up to €25,000 along with personalised mentoring.
Neotec (CDTI)
Likewise, the 2026 calendar includes key calls such as Neotec (CDTI), offering grants of up to 70% for tech startups, and the Phortify – Women in Tech programme, with deadlines on April 14 and May 14, 2026, at 12:00 CET.
Overall, these calls reflect a strong institutional commitment to fostering female leadership in strategic sectors, facilitating access to funding across all stages of the project lifecycle—from initial research to market expansion.
These opportunities represent a key driver towards a more inclusive, innovative, and sustainable economy, where female talent plays a leading role.