Are you a woman entrepreneur with innovative solutions in health or food security? The Bayer Foundation Women Entrepreneurs Award 2025 is your chance to scale your impact. Open to women-led enterprises across Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East, this award celebrates leadership, innovation, and sustainable change.

This prestigious award is designed to support 15 women entrepreneurs with the resources, mentorship, and visibility needed to improve their work. Winners will benefit from a six-month accelerator program, financial support, and access to a global network of changemakers.

The Bayer Foundation Women Empowerment Award was renamed the Bayer Foundation Women Entrepreneurs Award to better reflect the leadership and innovation of the women it supports. This change aligns with the foundation’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and emphasizes the impact of women entrepreneurs, particularly those from underrepresented regions.

Key Details and Dates

• Application Deadline: February 18, 2025 (GMT +1, Vienna, Austria)
• Top 30 Pitches: April 2025
• Winners Announcement: June 2025
• Six-month accelerator program: June – December 2025
• Funding Type: Cash Grant
• Organizer: Bayer Foundation
• Partner: Impact Hub Network
• Eligible Countries: Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East
• Eligible Gender: Female
• Target Group: Women entrepreneurs in leadership roles
• Fields: Health and food security
• Number of Opportunities: 15 winners
• Duration: 6-month accelerator program (June–December 2025)
• Program Language: English
• Host Country: TBC

Benefits and Grants

The winners will benefit from the following items:

• 6-Month Accelerator Program: Mentorship, expert networks, and entrepreneurial support to grow your business.
• Sponsored Trip to Award Ceremony: A fully funded trip to connect with peers and global leaders covering the following costs:
  • International travel expenses
  • Travel Insurance
  • Accommodation costs
  • Visa expenses
  • Daily allowance of 30 EUR/day for expenses
  • There are no costs for the participant beyond personal preferences
• €25,000 Cash Support: Funding to scale your business and expand its impact.
• Global Visibility: Share your story on an international platform and inspire others.
• Bayer Foundation Alumni Community: Access a network of past winners for ongoing collaboration and support.
• Membership in Impact Hub Network: Join a global community of 320,000 innovators.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants and their businesses must meet the following requirements:

• Applicants must be women in a leadership position (co-founder or C-level). Males may hold other leadership position
• Have a strong business model that is not solely dependent on grants or donations.
• Focus on impactful solutions in health and/or food security.
• Solutions should aim to be accessible to low- or middle-income communities.
• Operate in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Asia Pacific (excluding Australia and New Zealand), Latin America, or the Middle East.
• Business registration in the Global South is preferred.
• The business must generate annual revenue of up to USD 500,000.
• Demonstrate strong personal drive and commitment to creating social impact, especially overcoming obstacles.

Supported Themes of the Challenge

Following are the 2025 challenge themes:

• Health:

• • Healthcare Payment Options: Affordable and accessible solutions.
  • Community Health Workers (CHWs): Empowering and supporting CHWs for better care.
  • Health Technologies: Digital solutions for improved healthcare access and efficiency.
  • Fewer Diseases: Tackling health issues worsened by climate change, like infectious and non-communicable diseases.
  • Everyday Health: Providing everyday health solutions for underserved communities.

• Food Security:

• • Value Chains and Markets: Strengthening food systems for equitable access and fair trade, supporting smallholder farmers.
  • Food Waste Prevention: Minimizing waste across production and consumption.
  • Healthy and Sustainable Food Access: Making nutritious food affordable and available.
  • Water Justice and Sanitation: Ensuring clean water and sanitation for healthy food and communities.
  • Good Agricultural Knowledge: Educating on sustainable and generational agricultural practices.

Selection Process

How does the selection work?

• Application Review: Internal review of submissions to shortlist the top 30 finalists (by April 2025).
• Pitches: Selected finalists pitch their ideas to a jury of representatives from the Bayer Foundation, Impact Hub Network, and Philanthropy Network.
• Final Selection: 15 winners (5 per region) are selected based on innovation, impact, and scalability.
• Award Ceremony: Winners are invited to a global event to receive their awards and connect with changemakers.

How to Apply?

• Visit the official Bayer Foundation Women Entrepreneurs Award 2025 application portal using the link below.
• Fill out the application form, providing details about your enterprise, impact, and vision.
• Apply before the deadline of February 18, 2025.
• Await notification for the pitching stage and further steps.

Apply Now

Further details and information regarding the Women Entrepreneurs Award are available on the official website of the Bayer Foundation.

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