Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards

The Cartier Women’s Initiative Award is an international business plan competition created in 2006 by Cartier, the Women’s Forum, McKinsey Company and INSEAD business school to identify, support and encourage projects by women entrepreneurs. See the latest Award edition

The Mission

The mission of the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards is threefold

• To identify and support initial-phase women entrepreneurs through funding and coaching
• To foster the spirit of enterprise by celebrating role models in entrepreneurship
• To create an international network of women entrepreneurs and encourage peer networking

The Competition

The annual competition involves two rounds

• Round 1 (in June) – The Jury selects fifteen Finalists, the top three projects of each region (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America), on the basis of their short business plans. They receive coaching from experienced businesspeople to move to the next round.

• Round 2 (in October) – The Finalists are invited to France for the final round of competition which includes submitting a detailed business plan and presenting their projects in front of the Jury. They also attend the Annual Global Meeting of the Women’s Forum where valuable business contacts can be made.

The Evaluation

The evaluation of the projects takes into account the following criteria:

• Creativity: The degree of innovation shown by the overall business concept
• Sustainability: Financial impact of the business, indicating chances of long-term success
• Impact: Effect on society of the business, in terms of jobs created or its effect on the immediate or broader environment.
• Overall quality and clarity of the material presented

References

Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards: Official Website

See also

• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Women's Forum For The Economy & Society
• INSEAD Gender Diversity Initiative