EU Award for Gender Equality Champions – apply and win €100,000 prize

The European Commission has launched the application process for the 2026 EU Award for Gender Equality Champions.

The prize features three distinct award categories, allowing to support the further development of institutional equality initiatives. 

Award categories are:

• Sustainable Gender Equality Champions: recognises organisations demonstrating a significant, long-term track record of structural achievement through their Gender Equality Plans (GEP). One winner will be awarded.
• Newcomer Gender Equality Champions: Celebrates institutions that have recently finalised their first GEP and can show the most substantial progress in implementation. Two winners will be awarded.
• Inclusive Gender Equality Champions: recognises pioneering institutions that address the intersection of gender with at least two other social categories, such as racial/ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, or social origin. One winner will be awarded.

Each winner will receive a trophy and a €100,000 prize.

The call is open to applicants from Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, as countries associated to the Horizon Europe Programme.

Eligible higher education institutions, universities, and organisations conducting research and innovation across EU Member States, associated Countries, and candidate countries have until 29 September 2026 to submit their online applications via the Funding and Tenders Portal.

The official winners will be announced and celebrated at a dedicated award ceremony in Brussels in 2027.

Established in 2022 by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, the EU Award for Gender Equality Champions aims to foster institutional change across the European Research Area (ERA) and beyond.

Find out more

Press release

Call announcement