BOOST: Women Innovators (Europe and Central Asia)

Reimagining our future through innovation!

Enabled by the Slovak Ministry of Finance, and powered by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Europe and Central Asia, BOOST: Women Innovators is an open call for innovative and/or tech-driven ideas that that seek to bridge the gender divide and boost enablers for women and girls to advance and prosper.

Selected participants will take part in BOOST, an intensive 16-week online acceleration program, receiving world-class trainings and mentorship to develop, reimagine and scale their innovations – and compete for US$10.000 in equity-free capital.

The call is run in partnership with the STEM4ALL network. We invite women-led startups, SMEs, social enterprises, non-profits, and academic institutions working on innovative ideas in three key thematic areas:

• Women and digital access and use: Innovations that help bridge the gender digital divide, enabling women and girls to equally access and use digital technologies – from creating affordable tech and enhancing digital literacy skills to tackling gender stereotypes.

• Women in the digital economy and STEM: Innovations that help increase women’s active participation in digitally transformed economies and STEM or boost opportunities for women to be creators/drivers of innovation – for instance by leveraging the amplifying effect of emerging technologies, or by facilitating access to affordable finance.

• Women in data: Innovations that can help close the gendered data gap, using gender-sensitive data – data specific to women – to improve research, planning, design and monitoring in urban planning, transportation, policy, manufacturing, and other fields.

By leveraging UNDP's global presence (170+ countries and territories) and longstanding partnerships, BOOST offers a unique and innovative program, tailored to the needs of each organization. The program includes professional training sessions, mentorship, pitching events and peer-to-peer learning sessions. As a participant, you will become part of the BOOST Community, where connections and partnerships are nurtured to last long beyond the graduation day.

Join the BOOST, apply today!