WE-RISE Open Call 2
WE-RISE's main goal is to empower underrepresented female entrepreneurs in GreenTech, AgriTech, and ClimateTech, through a strategic blend of funding and tailored support. The project aims to amplify the market presence of high potential women-led startups, particularly from emerging European countries.
​The present Open Call aims to attract and select 20 women-led tech startups in GreenTech, AgriTech, and ClimateTech sectors, particularly from emerging innovator European countries, with ambition to enhance their impact and market presence.
This Open Call aims to select:
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100% of the selected startups must be women-led.
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At least 60% of the selected startups must be established in emerging/moderate innovator countries.
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The total budget to be allocated for the Open Call is 600.000 €.
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Application Period: December 4th, 2025 – February 12th, 2026 until 5 PM CET.
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Selection of the startups will give them the opportunity to participate in the WE-RISE Support Program which is made of 2 phases.
WE-RISE Phases
Phase 1 – Nurture: Cultivating Strategy & Empowerment
20 selected startups will embark on a 3-month intensive support program designed to strengthen their business strategy and accelerate growth. Each startup will receive a €5,000 grant to cover travel expenses for participating in exhibitions, fairs, and investor meetings, ensuring exposure to key industry stakeholders.
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At the core of this phase is the development of a Strategic Action Plan (SAP). To support this, participants will benefit from those key program elements:
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Specialised training workshops
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A curated Learning Nuggets library
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Dedicated business coaching.
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Collaborative peer learning ​
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Phase 2 – Bloom: from Strategy to Acceleration
10 of the most promising startups from the 20 selected in Phase 1, will be selected to advance into the acceleration stage, where they will receive tailored support to implement their Strategic Action Plans (SAPs). Each of these startups will be awarded a €50,000 grant to fuel their growth, covering essential activities such as product development, market expansion, and investor engagement.
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Over the 4-month acceleration period, startups will move from planning to execution, with a strong focus on investor matchmaking, stakeholder engagement, and strategic business development.
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To support this, participants will benefit from:
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Targeted Business Coaching
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Advanced Workshops with Industry Experts
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Investor Matchmaking Service
Eligibility criteria
Applicants must comply with the following requirements:
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Women-led Startup: A company, compliant with the SME definition provided by the EU, where one of the co-founders, or the position of either the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO) or Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) is held by a woman at the time of application for the support program implemented by the WE-RISE Consortium.
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Sector: GreenTech, AgriTech, and/or ClimateTech.
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Deep-tech: The startup must show evidence of development of advanced and disruptive technologies, according to European definitions for deep-tech for each of the subsectors of GreenTech, AgriTech, and ClimateTech.
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Founding year: The company should have been legally registered before January 1st, 2025.
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Origin of start-up or founder: The company must be legally established in EU Member States or Associated Countries to Horizon Europe.
Preference will be given to moderate and emerging innovator countries according to the EU Innovation Scoreboard:
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Moderate/emerging innovator countries – EU Member States: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.
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Associated countries: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine
6. Transversal Criteria:
In addition, the startup must meet at least one of the following criteria:
a) Maturity: Product-market-fit (TRL between 6 and 8; the product/service has been already validated by initial clients in demonstrated pilots).
b) Funding stage: The company has raised at least 300.000€ in public or private funding.
Only applications submitted in English via the designated platform (EuroQuity) and before the official deadline will be considered.
Application Process Overview
Applications available here: Greenhouse Community
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Eligible startups must first create a profile on the EuroQuity platform and join the WE-RISE Greenhouse Community. ​
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Note: Being accepted into the Community requires a manual internal check by EuroQuity team, which can take up to one working day. After entering the Community, the applicant will be allowed to fill in the application form for the WE-RISE Open Call – Phase 1.
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Application Period: December 4th, 2025 – February 12th, 2026 until 5 PM CET.
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Selection: 20 startups will be chosen to enter Phase 1 after signing a Sub-Grant Agreement.
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Phase 2 Eligibility: Startups completing the Phase 1, 3-month support program and developing their Strategic Action Plan (SAP) can apply for Phase 2.
Phase 1 - Application Requirements - Applicants Must Provide:
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Organization details (contact info, PIC number, etc.).
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Project summary and goals.
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Startup’s current stage and financial information.
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Problem/market opportunity analysis.
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Innovation details and IP protection actions.
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Market and competition analysis.
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Commercial strategy and scalability.
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Expected impact (social, environmental, economic).
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Team details and pitch deck.
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Investment Readiness Level assessment questionnaire.​
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Application form: template of the application form available here.
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Only applications submitted in English via the designated platform (EuroQuity) and before the official deadline will be considered.
Key Aspects of the Whole Selection Process
Evaluation Criteria
Phase 1:
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Alignment to WE-RISE objectives
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Review of the Application Form: Team, Excellence/Innovation and Impact
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Review of the IRL Assessment
All criteria have the same weight. The maximum score obtainable is 15.
Phase 2:
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Alignment to WE-RISE objectives
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Comprehensiveness and coherence Strategic Action Plan
All criteria have the same weight. The maximum score obtainable is 10.
Each application will be assigned to two evaluators.
Selection Process
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Eligibility Check: Applications reviewed for compliance.
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Assignment of Evaluators: Two evaluators per application.
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Scoring: Based on predefined criteria.
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Consensus Meeting: Resolving scoring discrepancies.
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Final Selection: Based on ranking and quotas.
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Feedback & Results Communication: Applicants receive evaluations and results.
Eligible Activities for Funding
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Phase 1: Participation in international events, conferences, investor meetings and SAP development.
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Phase 2: Product development, technology improvements, scale-up activities, infrastructure access, user testing, business model development, marketing, sales enhancement, and ecosystem-building.
Financial Support
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Phase 1: €100,000 total; 20 beneficiaries; €5,000 per startup.
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Phase 2: €500,000 total; 10 beneficiaries; €50,000 per startup.
Help & Information
Need help navigating the Open Call? Our FAQ covers the questions applicants ask most often, and the Terms & Definitions document explains the main concepts and wording used throughout the process.
For any further information please contact the WE-RISE project at: info@we-rise.eu
CONTACT
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
