Madrid, February 21, 2026 – The Madrid City Council, through its Madrid Emprende agency, has officially opened the application period for the 2026 Women Entrepreneurs Award. This prestigious competition seeks to acknowledge and boost female talent at the helm of original, creative, and innovative business ventures. The initiative will award a total of €100,000 to 14 outstanding projects, comprising three main prizes and 11 special mentions.
Promoting Female Entrepreneurship and Economic Dynamism
The primary objective of these awards is to foster female entrepreneurship, facilitate job creation, and stimulate economic activity within the region, thereby contributing to the reduction of the gender gap in business. Applications can be submitted online or in person at the Línea Madrid Citizen Service Offices until March 30th, 2026.
Award Structure and Categories
In this 16th edition, the City Council will present three main awards:
- First Prize ‘Entrepreneur of the Year 2026’: €20,000
- Second Prize: €15,000
- Third Prize: €10,000
In addition to these, 11 special mentions (accésits) will be granted, each valued at €5,000, to recognize projects in specific categories:
- Madrid Entrepreneur
- City Council Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centers
- Best Elevator Pitch
- Highest Growth and Projection Potential
- Technological Field
- Orange Economy
- Health and Well-being
- HORECA and Food Tech Sector
- Environmental Field
- STEM Sector
- Retail Sector
Beyond the monetary prizes, winners will also receive support and in-kind contributions from various sponsoring entities, including the Spanish Association of Businesswomen (ASEME), Female Startup Leaders, IBM, Neinver, Onda Madrid, PwC Spain, Rey Juan Carlos University, and Womenalia.
Eligibility Criteria for Applicants
To be eligible for the 2026 Women Entrepreneurs Award, companies must meet the following requirements:
- Be classified as an SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprise).
- Be constituted as a natural or legal person in one of the accepted forms.
- Have more than 50% female participation in the company.
- Have started their activity from January 1, 2019, with the company or new business line presented for the award.
- Have generated invoicing for the company or the new business line presented, or present a new business line started after that date and have generated invoicing before the publication of the call.
- Possess an original, creative, disruptive, and innovative project, with or without a technological base.
- Have a product or service tested in the market.
- Be up to date with tax and social security obligations.
Madrid’s Commitment to Entrepreneurship
Since 2005, the Madrid City Council, through Madrid Emprende, has been dedicated to fostering the creation and consolidation of startups and businesses at all stages of their development. The City Council’s entrepreneurship support services include:
- The Municipal Network of Business Incubators, which features seven centers located in the districts of Carabanchel, Moratalaz, Puente de Vallecas, San Blas, Vicálvaro, Villaverde, and the Madrid Food Innovation Hub.
- The Single Entrepreneurship Window.
- The Madrid Emprende Mentoring Network.
- The Madrid Emprende Investment Forum.
- Various training programs.
Further details, including the complete terms and conditions of the call, are available on the Madrid Emprende website.
Source: https://www.madrid.es/portales/munimadrid/es/Inicio/Actualidad/Noticias/El-Ayuntamiento-de-Madrid-lanza-una-nueva-edicion-del-Premio-Emprendedoras-para-poner-en-valor-los-proyectos-liderados-por-mujeres/?vgnextfmt=default&vgnextoid=32ba019035f7c910VgnVCM100000891ecb1aRCRD&vgnextchannel=a12149fa40ec9410VgnVCM100000171f5a0aRCRD
