Overview
The European Commission is accepting applications for the fourth EU Award for Gender Equality Champions, recognizing universities, higher education institutions and research-performing organizations that demonstrate meaningful institutional progress through Gender Equality Plans.
Complete competition details
The 2026 award has three categories: Sustainable Gender Equality Champions, Newcomer Gender Equality Champions and Inclusive Gender Equality Champions. Organizations may apply to only one category and previous winners cannot re-enter. The Commission states that each winner receives a trophy and a EUR 100,000 prize; the 2026 announcement describes one Sustainable winner, two Newcomer winners and one Inclusive winner. The award is designed by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research and Innovation and managed by the European Research Executive Agency.
Eligibility requirements
The programme page covers universities, higher education institutions and other public or private research-performing organizations established in EU Member States or countries associated with Horizon Europe. The European Commission's 2026 launch announcement additionally states that this edition expands eligibility to research and innovation organizations from countries holding EU-candidate status. Applicants should check the 2026 Rules of Contest for the final admissibility and eligibility conditions and may apply to only one award category.
Tips for this competition
Practical Job and Scholarship guidance. These tips do not replace official rules or create new eligibility requirements.
- Study the scoring criteria and previous winners before deciding what evidence, prototype, essay, research or portfolio will best support the entry.
- Confirm country, age, team, education and organization restrictions and whether one person may enter multiple submissions.
- Follow the required file format, word/time limits and naming rules exactly; technical non-compliance can disqualify a strong entry.
- Keep proof of submission and submit before the deadline rather than relying on the final hour.
Verification notes
Verified on the current European Commission prize page and the 16 June 2026 official launch announcement. The Commission states that applications opened 16 June 2026 and close 29 September 2026 at 17:00:00 CET, that each winner receives EUR 100,000, and that the 2026 edition expands eligibility to organizations active in research and innovation from EU-candidate countries. The UTC deadline is a direct conversion of the Commission's stated CET time.
Job and Scholarship is the discovery and verification layer. Confirm eligibility, dates, salary/funding and application instructions on the original source before submitting anything.
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