2026
Registration Opens: July 01, 2026 at 12:00 pm CEST
Deadline: September 17, 2026 at 12:00 pm CEST
Tara's Circle is an international program that supports women-led projects generating social, environmental, and economic impact through innovative solutions.
In 2026, the program evolves into a multi-sector initiative, expanding opportunities for women founders across diverse industries and backgrounds. Through financing, strategic mentorship, international visibility, and access to a global network of partners, Tara’s Circle helps women-led ventures grow and create lasting change.
WHAT WE OFFER
€100,000 in awards across five impact areas!
Tara's Circle 2026 offers a total of €100,000 in cash awards, supporting women-led projects that stand out for their impact, quality and execution within the call's thematic areas.
€100,000 in awards
15 winning projects
Five impact areas.
How the awards work
1st place: €10,000
2nd place: €6,000
3rd place: €4,000
Cash awards are granted by thematic area. Each of the five areas receives a total of €20,000, distributed among three (3) winning projects:
In total, the call grants fifteen (15) cash awards three winning projects in each of the five thematic areas up to the full €100,000.
Table of Contents
Who Can Apply
Thematic Areas
How to Apply
Require Documentation
How We Evaluate
Eligible Project Stages
Selection Process
Key Dates 2026 Edition
For Sponsors & Partners
Support Services for Winners
Application Process and Recommendations
1. WHO CAN APPLY?
Women aged 18 or over at the time of application.
Women-led projects meaning projects where a woman is founder or co-founder and plays an active role in leading the project.
Projects of national or international scope, with no geographic restriction.
Initiatives at the seed stage, with a defined MVP or a functional MVP.
Teams committed to social, environmental and/or economic impact, with scalability and sustainability potential.
The Tara’s Circle 2026 Call for Applications is aimed at women-led projects that generate social, environmental and/or economic impact, and that fall within any of the thematic areas described below.
Projects may be submitted under one or more thematic areas, provided there is consistency between the proposal, its impact model, and the objectives of the call, which are:
2. Thematic Areas
Building a more resilient and sustainable future.
Projects addressing climate challenges through innovative approaches to environmental protection, sustainable mobility, and efficient resource management.
Circular economy and waste valorization.
Clean energy, energy efficiency, and decarbonization.
Sustainable mobility and low-emission transportation.
Climate adaptation and community resilience.
Carbon capture, reduction, and compensation.
Biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration.
SUSTAINABILITY, ENVIRONMENT & MOBILITY
HEALTH & WELL-BEING
Advancing healthier lives through innovation, equity, and care. special focus on female health.
Projects improving physical, mental, and social well-being while expanding equitable access to healthcare, with a special focus on women's health and caregiving.
Preventive and community healthcare.
Mental health and emotional well-being.
Women's health across every stage of life.
Caregiving services, products, and innovative care models.
Solutions reducing inequalities in healthcare access.
Creating opportunities through knowledge, inclusion, and innovation.
Projects strengthening communities through innovative models that promote education, inclusion, economic opportunity, and long-term social impact.
Social entrepreneurship and community-based innovation.
Solutions for underserved or vulnerable populations.
Accessible, inclusive, and quality education.
Workforce development and entrepreneurship.
Social, economic, and digital inclusion.
Innovative economic models that create measurable social impact.
SOCIAL INNOVATION, EDUCATION & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE
Driving innovation, female leadership, and the digital future.
Projects with a strong technological foundation or a significant technology component, developing innovative and scalable solutions that generate social, environmental, and economic impact.
Digital platforms, software, and mobile applications.
Artificial Intelligence, data analytics, automation, cloud computing, and emerging technologies.
Technology applied to healthcare, sustainability, education, inclusion, and economic development.
Digital tools that improve access, efficiency, productivity, or impact measurement.
Scalable technology solutions with measurable social or environmental impact.
DESIGN, CULTURE & IMPACT-DRIVEN FASHION
Creativity as a catalyst for positive change.
Projects using design, culture, or fashion to generate meaningful social, environmental, or economic impact through ethical, inclusive, and sustainable models.
Sustainable, circular, and responsible fashion.
Design addressing social or environmental challenges.
Cultural initiatives with measurable community impact.
Creative industries preserving heritage and traditional knowledge.
Innovative models for cultural production and consumption.
The thematic areas listed above are indicative and non-exclusive. A project's fit within one or more areas will be assessed based on the nature, goals and impact model of the initiative. Thematic classification does not limit eligibility nor, on its own, determine the outcome of the evaluation process.
3. How to Apply
All applications are submitted digitally, through the official platform, within the stated deadlines:
Complete application form, fully filled in.
Pitch Deck (PDF) a clear, structured and concise presentation of your project. It should include at least.
Elevator Pitch, maximum 2 minutes.
Any additional material that may be requested through the official platform for verification, clarification or expansion of the information provided.
The information in your Pitch Deck must be consistent with your application form and the rest of your documentation.
4. Required Documentation
Complete Pitch Deck:You will prepare a visual presentation in PDF format that clearly and attractively summarizes the key aspects of your project or startup. It must include:
Project Summary: What you do and why it matters.
Briefly explain what your project does and why it is relevant.
It should grab attention from the start and reflect your purpose and vision.Problem: What need you are solving.
Clearly describe the need, challenge, or “pain point” you are addressing.
Include data or examples that show it is a real and relevant problem.Solution: Your product or service.
Present your product or service as the answer to the problem.
Explain how it works, what makes it effective, and the value it provides.Business Model:How you generate revenue.
Detail how you currently generate or plan to generate income, including sales channels, pricing, revenue sources, and economic sustainability. For example:How do you generate revenue?
Monthly subscription for platform use (XXX model).
Annual licenses for large institutions.
Additional services such as algorithm customization or technical training.
What channels do you use to reach your customers?
Partnerships with associations.
Participation in trade fairs.
Digital marketing targeted at sector professionals.
What is your cost structure?
Software development and maintenance.
Cloud infrastructure.
Technical and sales team.
Legal and regulatory costs, etc.
Target Market: Who you are targeting and market size.
Define your target audience: customer profile, market segment, geographic location.
Include market size and growth potential.Competitive Advantage: What makes you different or better.
Explain what sets you apart from existing solutions.
This could be technology, approach, team, partnerships, intellectual property, etc.Team: Who is behind the project.
Introduce the key people in the project: names, roles, relevant experience.
Explain why this team is the right one to bring the idea to life.Financial Projections: Revenue, expenses, growth.
Include estimates for revenue, expenses, and growth over the next 1 to 3 years.
They don’t need to be exact, but should be realistic and aligned with your model.
Investment Needs: How much you need and what for.Indicate how much capital you need, how you will invest it, and the impact you expect to achieve.
Be specific: tech development, marketing, hiring, etc.Elevator Pitch (max. 2 minutes)
Designed to spark immediate interest from potential investors, partners, mentors, or clients.
It should communicate the value of your proposal quickly and memorably, opening doors to deeper conversations or collaborations.
What should it include?
Who you are and what you do
What problem you solve and why it matters
What your solution is and what makes it unique
Who it’s for (your target market)
What you need (investment, support, partnerships, etc.)
5. How We Evaluate
Admitted projects are assessed by an expert committee and, where applicable, by the jury, following a transparent, objective and fair process across four dimensions:
Impact
The project's potential to create positive social, environmental and/or economic impact: the relevance of the challenge addressed, the reach and depth of impact, and coherence with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Implementation
The team's ability to execute: the profile, experience and involvement of the founder/co-founders, the structure and complementarity of the team, and coherence between goals and available or planned resources.
Excellence
The overall quality of the project: how innovative the solution is, the clarity of its goals and value proposition, and the general viability of the model given its development stage.
Fit with the thematic area
How well the project fits the area it applied to, ensuring fair comparison of projects within the same area. This does not limit eligibility, and cross-cutting or hybrid initiatives are not automatically excluded, as long as they are coherent with the declared area..
6. Eligible Project Stages
Seed Stage Projects:
Early-stage projects with high growth potential. These are characterized by:
The product or service is under development
A business idea has already been validated
Initial funding is being sought (typically from angel investors, incubators, or seed funds)
The founding team is being formed or consolidated
MVP = Minimum Viable Product
Defined MVP Stage:
Projects that have moved beyond the idea phase and have clearly defined their value proposition. In this stage:
A functional MVP design exists
Key features needed to validate the product with real users have been identified
The team is actively working on MVP development, though it is not yet operational
Functional MVP Stage:
Projects that already have an operational and demonstrable MVP. These are characterized by:
The MVP is up and running and has been tested with real users
Initial market feedback has been gathered, and the team is looking to scale or consolidate the model
The team is ready to receive mentorship, visibility, networking, and financial support to accelerate growth
7. Selection Process
Eligibility review — verifying that applications meet the participation requirements and that all required documentation is complete.
Technical evaluation — eligible applications are assessed by an expert committee against the evaluation criteria, comparatively and objectively.
Finalist selection — finalists move on to the next phase. Being a finalist does not, on its own, mean winning an award.
Jury presentation — finalists present their project to a jury, including a pitch. The jury may ask questions or request clarifications.
Winner selection — the jury selects the winning projects. Final selection and award allocation are made per thematic area, with three (3) winning projects in each.
Results announcement — winners are announced publicly through the official channels on the dates set in the calendar.
8. Key Dates 2026 Edition
Registration Opens
July 1, 2026
12:00 p.m. CEST
Submission Deadline
September 17, 2026
12:00 p.m. CEST
We will contact the 10 finalists.
October 14, 2026
Final pitch & winners announcement:
November, 2026
9. FOR SPONSORS & PARTNERS
Partner with Tara's Circle 2026
Tara's Circle 2026 invites sponsors and corporate and institutional partners to support an international program backing women-led projects with social, environmental and economic impact.
Partners can get involved in several ways:
Brand association with initiatives aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals — used as a strategic alignment framework, not a mandatory requirement for applicants.
Supporting projects within the thematic areas defined in the call.
Joining as mentors, strategic partners or jury members, in line with the established selection process — without individual decision-making power over the final results.
Creating thematic awards or recognitions, always within the overall framework of the call and without altering eligibility or evaluation criteria.
Visibility and positioning in impact, sustainability and ESG commitment.
Corporate impact return: exclusive access to an open-innovation ecosystem, measurable impact reports, and the ability to align your brand with concrete ESG indicators linked to the SDGs.
Special or corporate awards: through strategic alliances, the Foundation may add special awards or corporate recognitions, as long as they align with the call's goals and do not alter the general eligibility criteria or the base award funding for each thematic area.
10. Support Services for Winners
The 15 winners of the call will have access to a comprehensive 6-month support program designed to strengthen their capabilities, increase the visibility of their projects, and accelerate their growth. This support is structured around the following key services:
Strategic Mentoring:
Access to a personalized mentoring program with professionals from the entrepreneurial, technological, and social impact ecosystem. Sessions will be aimed at strengthening the business model, growth strategy, and leadership of the founders.
Visibility and Positioning:
Promotion of the winning projects through media, social networks, partner events, and strategic platforms. This service aims to increase the visibility of the entrepreneurs and facilitate collaboration opportunities.
Specialized Training:
Access to training content in key areas such as innovation, leadership, sustainability, artificial intelligence, product development, commercial strategy, and fundraising. Sessions will be offered in virtual and/or in-person formats.
Networking and Partnerships:
Participation in networking spaces with actors from the entrepreneurial ecosystem, investors, companies, institutions, and other entrepreneurs. The creation of strategic alliances and collaboration opportunities will be promoted.
Financial Support:
Each winner will receive a tiered monetary prize aimed at boosting the development of their project. This support may be allocated to activities such as technological development, marketing, talent recruitment, or commercial expansion.
Potential Investor Connections:
Winners will have access to opportunities to connect with investment networks allied with the foundation. This service aims to facilitate contact with business angels, seed funds, accelerators, or other entities interested in supporting women-led projects. Participants will receive guidance to present their value proposition clearly, strategically, and aligned with investor ecosystem expectations.
11. Application Process and Recommendations
Documentation and Submission Format
Applications must be submitted exclusively through the official registration platform. Applications sent via email or other means will not be accepted.
Required documents must be submitted in PDF format, and if a video pitch is included, it must be uploaded to a public platform (YouTube) and shared via a visible link with no access restrictions.
Mandatory documentation:
Complete Pitch Deck (PDF)
Elevator Pitch (Maximum 2 minutes)
Completed registration form
Any other document requested on the platform
⚠️ Make sure all links work correctly and that documents remain accessible until the call closes. Incomplete applications or those with inactive links will be considered ineligible.
Registration Form Structure
The online form will be divided into the following sections:
Legal and Contact Information: Personal and organizational data, including full name, email, phone number, role in the project, legal name of the entity, address, and logo.
Impact: Project contribution to the SDGs (social, environmental, and/or economic).
Ethics: Statement on the use of data, biological materials, and ethical considerations of the project.
Commitment Statement: Confirmation of the truthfulness of the information, commitment to participation, and absence of conflicts of interest.
Recommendations for a Successful Application:
Carefully review this guide before starting.
Prepare all documents in advance.
Be clear, concrete, and concise in your responses.
Do not leave the application for the last minute.
Make sure the links to your documents and videos work correctly.
Ready to Apply?
The world needs your vision!
Technical Support
For questions related to the application process, you may contact our team at:
This will be the only official communication channel.
Inquiries sent via social media or personal channels will not be answered.
Inquiries will be answered within a maximum of 2 business days.
Requests received after the 48 hours prior to the call deadline will not be addressed.