Powered by Impact Hub Network
The Bayer Foundation Women Entrepreneurs Award 2025
Are you a women-led enterprise building sustainable solutions in health or food security?
This is your moment! Across Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East, we’re seeking 15 women who are ready to scale their ideas and create sustainable change. If you’re working on innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges in health and food security, now is the time to take your business to the next level.
We're looking for 15 women entrepreneurs ready to scale their impact.
This award is tailored to provide the resources, support, and visibility needed to elevate your work and amplify your mission.
As one of 15 winners selected from Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, you’ll receive:
6-Month Accelerator Programme
Access tailored mentorship, expert networks, and comprehensive entrepreneurial support to grow your business and achieve your goals.
Sponsored Trip to Award Ceremony
Celebrate your success with a fully funded trip to an exclusive award ceremony, connecting with peers and global leaders driving change.
€25,000 Cash Support
Receive financial support to grow your business, expand your reach, and bring your mission to life with confidence.
Visibility and Recognition
Share your story on a global stage, highlight your achievements, and inspire others to lead with purpose and create positive impact.
Bayer Foundation Alumni Community
Access a global community of past winners and changemakers for ongoing collaboration, learning, and support to sustain your journey.
Join Impact Hub Network
Become part of a global community of 320k impact innovators and entrepreneurs driving inclusive and sustainable innovation – at scale.
We're a match
if you...
Lead with Purpose
You’re a founder, co-founder, or part of your enterprise’s leadership team.
Focus on Impact
Your business addresses critical challenges in health or food security with a sustainable and scalable model.
Drive Positive Change
Your work creates measurable outcomes in low- and middle-income communities.
Want to scale
Your enterprise generates up to $500,000 USD in annual revenue and you're ready to take it to the next level.
Apply if your work is focused on:
Health
Everyday Health
Enabling access to everyday health solutions for underserved communities
Healthcare Payment Options
Solutions that make healthcare more affordable and accessible for all.
Health Technologies
Digital solutions that improve access and efficiency in healthcare.
Community Health Workers (CHW)
Initiatives that empower and support CHWs to deliver better care.
Fewer diseases
Addressing health issues like infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases worsened by climate change.
Food Security
Value Chains & Markets
Strengthening food systems to ensure equitable access and fair trade including supporting smallholder farmers.
Food Waste Prevention
Solutions to minimise waste from production to consumption.
Healthy & Sustainable Food Access
Initiatives making nutritious food available and affordable.
Water Justice & Sanitation
Ensuring clean water and sanitation to support food and health issues.
Good Agricultural Knowledge
Teaching basics of good generational agricultural knowledge
Your journey starts here
Jan - 18 Feb
Applications
This is your moment to shine! Submit your application to share your vision, goals, and innovative solutions for health and food security.
April
Pitches
The top 30 applicants will be invited to pitch their ideas to a jury. Show your passion and vision to secure your place among the 15 winners.
June
Awards
Join a global celebration of excellence. Winners will travel to an exclusive event to receive their award, connect with peers, and showcase their achievements.
June - December
Accelerator
Embark on a transformative six-month programme filled with mentorship, expert advice, and tools to elevate your enterprise to the next level.
Join extraordinary women making a difference.
Joan Nalubega from Uganda, developed organic mosquito repellents to fight malaria in her community. In Brazil, Sarah Sampaio is transforming how coffee farmers protect the Amazon through sustainable practices. And in Indonesia, Athalia Mutiara Laksmi is breaking communication barriers between hearing and deaf communities with innovative tools. These are just some of the incredible changemakers leading the way.
Get inspired!
Creating change isn’t always easy, but you’re not alone. Here’s some advice and motivation from the women of our 2024 cohort who are on their journey:
Your questions answered
The applicant must be a woman in a leadership position (co)-founder or C-level) in the company. Other leadership positions in the organisation may (can also) be filled by males.
organisations of any legal entity type may apply, if there is a strong business mindset and the business is not dependent on grants/donations/subsidies/etc as a sole income stream.
Solutions should (aim to) be accessible to Low or Middle-Income Communities. Higher product/service prices before economies of scale are accepted.
The business must drive its impact in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Asia Pacific (excluding Australia & New Zealand), Latin America, or the Middle East. Business registration in the Global South is preferred.
The business generates annual revenue up to $500,000 USD.
The applicant should have a strong personal drive and commitment to social impact. We favour applicants who have had to overcome obstacles in life.
Bayer Foundation Women Entrepreneurs Award aims to support women entrepreneurs engaged in developing sustainable solutions for health, and food security, including:
- Healthcare Payment Options: Solutions that make healthcare more affordable and accessible for all.
- Community Health Workers (CHWs): Initiatives that empower and support CHWs to deliver better care.
- Health Technologies: Digital solutions that improve access and efficiency in healthcare.
- Fewer diseases: Addressing health issues like infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases worsened by climate change.
- Everyday Health: Enabling Access to Everyday Health Solutions for underserved communities.
- Value Chains and Markets: Strengthening food systems to ensure equitable access and fair trade including supporting smallholder farmers.
- Food Waste Prevention: Solutions to minimise waste from production to consumption.
- Healthy and Sustainable Food Access: Initiatives making nutritious food available and affordable.
- Water Justice and Sanitation: Ensuring clean water and sanitation to support food and health systems as well as communities.
- Good Agricultural Knowledge: Teaching basics of good generational agricultural knowledge.
Applicants may apply provided a working solution can be demonstrated.
The application deadline is February 18th, 23:59 (GMT +1, Vienna, Austria)
Following the close of the application period, all submissions will undergo a thorough internal review. The top 30 finalists per region will be selected through the internal stakeholder review. The finalist programme will commence in April, where 10 founders per region will have the opportunity to pitch directly to the jury of representatives from the Bayer Foundation, Impact Hub Network and Philanthropy Network. Finally, five winners per region will be selected to attend the final event and participate in the Acceleration Programme.
Bayer Foundation and Impact Hub experts will review the applications.
We welcome NGOs and their women leaders with sustainable business models that can continue creating impact to apply.
The cash grant can be used without restrictions and is intended to support business growth.
The sponsored trip includes coverage for your international travel, travel insurance, accommodation, and visa expenses. An allowance of 30 EUR/day will also be provided for daily expenses. Any additional expenses or personal preferences beyond the covered items will be the responsibility of the participant.
Apart from the awardees’ personal preferences during the international trip, the participant will not have any cost in participating in the programme.
In addition to meeting the general eligibility criteria, we prioritise applicants with a strong personal motivation to receive support from the Bayer Foundation and Impact Hub and to win this award, alongside a clear commitment to creating social impact through their proposed solution.
Have more questions after exploring our website? Feel free to contact our team at bfwea@impacthub.net! We’re here to help and will get back to you with a detailed response within 3 business days.
The Bayer Foundation and Impact Hub Network share a mission to foster women-led innovation for a just and sustainable future. Through the award’s accelerator programme, Impact Hub provides mentorship, resources, and access to a global community of 320,000 Impact Makers.
