Applications are open for Tara’s Circle 2026, an international initiative supporting women-led projects that generate measurable social, environmental or economic impact.
Organised by Tara for Women, the 2026 programme will distribute up to €100,000 among 15 winning projects across five thematic areas. Within each area, three projects will receive cash support of €10,000, €6,000 or €4,000.
In addition to the financial support, all 15 winners will enter a six-month development programme offering strategic mentoring, specialised training, international visibility, networking opportunities and potential connections with investors.
The call is open to women aged 18 and above from any country. Applicants must be founders or co-founders of their projects and play an active leadership role. Eligible projects should be at the seed, defined minimum viable product or functional minimum viable product stage and demonstrate the potential to become sustainable and scalable.
Applications must be submitted by September 17, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Central European Summer Time. This is a midday deadline rather than an end-of-day deadline, so applicants should carefully convert it to their local time.
All information is based on the official Tara’s Circle 2026 Open Call Guidelines.
Tara’s Circle 2026 at a Glance
| Call detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Organiser | Tara for Women |
| Programme | Tara’s Circle 2026 |
| Geographic scope | International |
| Eligible applicants | Women aged 18 or older |
| Leadership requirement | Woman founder or co-founder actively leading the project |
| Project stages | Seed, defined MVP or functional MVP |
| Thematic areas | Five |
| Total award allocation | Up to €100,000 |
| Number of winning projects | 15 |
| First place in each area | €10,000 |
| Second place in each area | €6,000 |
| Third place in each area | €4,000 |
| Additional support | Six-month support programme |
| Application languages | English and Spanish |
| Application opening date | July 1, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. CEST |
| Application deadline | September 17, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. CEST |
| Finalist notification | October 14, 2026 |
| Awards ceremony | November 18, 2026 |
| Application method | Online application form only |
About Tara for Women
Tara for Women is a Spanish nonprofit foundation with a global mission to advance women’s talent and help women and girls develop projects capable of creating sustainable impact.
The foundation supports women through:
- Project financing
- Individual and strategic mentorship
- Professional training
- International visibility
- Access to networks
- Entrepreneurship support
- Partnerships and collaboration opportunities
- Connections with members of the investment ecosystem
Its work is organised around education and entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on sustainability, inclusion, empowerment, transparency and measurable social impact.
The foundation seeks to address the barriers that prevent women from turning ideas into sustainable projects. Its initiatives are designed to provide women with the financing, confidence, knowledge and professional relationships required to grow their projects and contribute to positive change.
More information about the foundation’s mission and values is available on the official Tara for Women website.
Purpose of Tara’s Circle 2026
Tara’s Circle 2026 supports women-led projects that combine innovation with a clear social, environmental or economic purpose.
The programme is not limited to one industry or type of business. Applicants may propose commercial ventures, social enterprises, technology projects, cultural initiatives, educational models, healthcare solutions, sustainability projects or other ventures that fit within the five thematic areas.
The programme seeks projects that demonstrate:
- A clearly identified problem
- A relevant and innovative solution
- Meaningful social, environmental or economic impact
- A capable and committed team
- Potential to become financially sustainable
- Capacity to scale or expand
- A defined or operating minimum viable product
- A coherent business or operating model
- Measurable outcomes
- Alignment with one or more programme themes
The emphasis is on women-led initiatives that can move beyond a general idea and demonstrate how their proposed solution could be implemented, sustained and expanded.
Who Can Apply?
Applicants must satisfy the following main conditions:
- Be a woman aged 18 or older when the application is submitted.
- Be the founder or co-founder of the project.
- Play an active role in leading the project.
- Submit a project with national or international scope.
- Have a project at an eligible development stage.
- Demonstrate a commitment to creating social, environmental or economic impact.
- Show potential for scalability and long-term sustainability.
- Submit all required documents through the official platform before the deadline.
Projects may be based in any country. No geographic or nationality restriction is stated.
The application may be submitted by a woman working with a wider team, provided she is a founder or co-founder and remains actively involved in project leadership.
Women-Led Project Requirement
A project is considered women-led when a woman:
- Founded or co-founded the initiative
- Participates actively in strategic decision-making
- Exercises a genuine leadership role
- Is substantially involved in developing and implementing the project
- Is not included merely as a nominal or symbolic founder
Applicants should explain their position, responsibilities and decision-making role clearly in the application and pitch deck.
Projects that include men or other team members are not automatically excluded. The essential condition is that an eligible woman founder or co-founder actively leads the initiative.
International Eligibility
Tara’s Circle 2026 is open to applicants worldwide.
Projects may operate:
- Within one country
- Across multiple countries
- Regionally
- Internationally
- Through physical operations
- Through digital or hybrid models
No citizenship, nationality, racial or continental restriction is published.
However, international eligibility does not guarantee that the foundation can transfer cash to every country. Financial disbursement remains subject to applicable laws, banking mechanisms, international regulations and sanctions.
Cash Awards and Funding Structure
Each of the five thematic areas receives a total cash allocation of €20,000.
The amount is distributed among three winning projects in each thematic area:
| Placement | Amount per winner |
|---|---|
| First place | €10,000 |
| Second place | €6,000 |
| Third place | €4,000 |
| Total per thematic area | €20,000 |
Across all five thematic areas, the programme plans to provide:
- Five first-place awards worth €10,000 each
- Five second-place awards worth €6,000 each
- Five third-place awards worth €4,000 each
- Fifteen awards in total
- Up to €100,000 in total financial support
The funding is non-repayable, subject to the applicable terms, agreements, tax rules and transfer restrictions.
International Funding Restrictions
Although applications are accepted internationally, the transfer of funding is subject to legal and operational conditions.
Tara for Women states that it may postpone, restrict or cancel a financial transfer if payment is prevented by:
- Applicable laws or regulations
- International sanctions
- Banking restrictions
- Lack of a safe or lawful payment mechanism
- Force majeure
- Other conditions outside the foundation’s control
If financial support cannot be transferred, Tara for Women may consider providing an alternative form of non-financial assistance where appropriate.
International applicants should therefore understand that being selected does not override banking laws, sanctions or other transfer restrictions.
The Five Thematic Areas
Applicants may submit their project under one or more thematic areas, provided that the selection is consistent with the project’s activities, impact model and objectives.
The categories are indicative rather than exhaustive. Cross-cutting and hybrid projects may still qualify.
1. Sustainability, Environment and Mobility
This area seeks projects contributing to a more sustainable, resilient and environmentally responsible future.
Relevant projects may address:
- Circular economy models
- Waste reduction and waste valorisation
- Recycling and material recovery
- Clean and renewable energy
- Energy efficiency
- Decarbonisation
- Sustainable transport
- Low-emission mobility
- Climate adaptation
- Community climate resilience
- Carbon capture
- Carbon reduction and compensation
- Biodiversity conservation
- Ecosystem protection and restoration
- Efficient resource management
- Environmental technology
- Sustainable urban systems
Projects should explain the environmental problem being addressed, the measurable benefit of the solution and how the model can be sustained or expanded.
2. Health and Well-Being
This area supports projects that improve physical, mental or social well-being while expanding fair and inclusive access to healthcare.
Special consideration is given to women’s health and caregiving.
Relevant initiatives may include:
- Preventive healthcare
- Community-based health services
- Mental health support
- Emotional well-being
- Women’s health across different stages of life
- Maternal or reproductive health
- Caregiving products and services
- New models of care delivery
- Healthcare-access solutions
- Technology supporting health services
- Projects reducing inequalities in access to care
- Community health education
- Affordable health-related products
Applicants should demonstrate how their project responds to a real health need and why their approach can improve access, quality, equity or outcomes.
3. Social Innovation, Education and Community Development
This thematic area supports projects that strengthen communities through education, inclusion, entrepreneurship and new economic opportunities.
Relevant initiatives may address:
- Social entrepreneurship
- Community-led innovation
- Support for underserved communities
- Solutions for vulnerable populations
- Inclusive and accessible education
- Quality education
- Workforce development
- Entrepreneurship training
- Employment creation
- Social inclusion
- Economic inclusion
- Digital inclusion
- Skills development
- Innovative economic models
- Projects generating measurable community impact
Applicants should explain how the proposed model will create meaningful, lasting benefits rather than temporary or unmeasurable activities.
4. Technology and Science
This area supports projects with a substantial technological or scientific foundation.
Eligible initiatives may involve:
- Digital platforms
- Software products
- Mobile applications
- Artificial intelligence
- Data analytics
- Automation
- Cloud computing
- Emerging technologies
- Technology for healthcare
- Educational technology
- Climate and sustainability technology
- Inclusion-focused technology
- Digital economic-development tools
- Technology improving access or efficiency
- Productivity tools
- Digital impact-measurement systems
- Scalable technology with measurable social or environmental value
Projects should demonstrate that technology is a meaningful part of the solution rather than an unnecessary feature added only to appear innovative.
Applicants should explain:
- How the technology works
- Which users need it
- What makes it different
- How it will be developed
- How it will generate or support revenue
- How it can scale
- How its impact will be measured
- What ethical or data-protection issues may arise
5. Design, Culture and Impact-Driven Fashion
This area focuses on creativity as a means of generating positive social, environmental or economic change.
Relevant projects may include:
- Sustainable fashion
- Circular fashion
- Responsible production
- Ethical supply chains
- Design responding to social challenges
- Design addressing environmental problems
- Cultural projects with measurable community value
- Creative industries
- Projects preserving cultural heritage
- Initiatives protecting traditional knowledge
- Innovative cultural-production models
- New approaches to cultural consumption
- Inclusive design
- Responsible material use
Creative merit alone is not enough. Projects should demonstrate how their design, cultural or fashion model produces measurable impact and can remain economically or operationally sustainable.
Applying Under More Than One Area
Projects may be submitted under one or more thematic areas.
A project combining health and technology, for example, may have a legitimate connection to both categories. Similarly, a circular-fashion initiative may fit under sustainability and impact-driven fashion.
Applicants should select multiple categories only where there is a clear and defensible connection. The application should remain coherent and should not be stretched artificially to fit every available theme.
The declared thematic area is one part of the evaluation but does not independently determine whether a project will be selected.
Eligible Project Stages
The call supports projects that have progressed beyond a vague or completely untested concept.
Three development stages are described.
Seed-Stage Projects
These are early-stage initiatives with significant growth potential.
They may have the following characteristics:
- The product or service is still under development.
- The underlying business idea has already been validated.
- The project is seeking initial external funding.
- Potential funding sources may include angel investors, incubators or seed funds.
- The founding team is being formed or strengthened.
- The project has begun defining how its solution will work.
A seed-stage applicant should still provide evidence that the problem and proposed solution have been investigated and validated.
Defined MVP Stage
A minimum viable product, or MVP, is the simplest workable version of a product or service that can be tested with users.
At the defined MVP stage:
- The project has moved beyond the general idea phase.
- The value proposition is clear.
- A functional MVP design exists.
- Essential features have been identified.
- The team is actively developing the MVP.
- The product is not yet fully operational.
Applicants should show that they understand what must be built, who will use it and what must be tested.
Functional MVP Stage
At this stage:
- An operational and demonstrable MVP already exists.
- The product or service has been tested with real users.
- The project has received initial market or user feedback.
- The team is ready to improve or scale the model.
- The founders are prepared to receive mentoring and financial support.
- The project can demonstrate early evidence of relevance or demand.
Projects that are only abstract ideas without validation, a defined solution or meaningful development work are unlikely to meet the published stage requirements.
Six-Month Support Programme for Winners
The 15 winning projects will receive access to a comprehensive six-month development programme.
The support is intended to strengthen the founders’ capabilities, improve project visibility and accelerate sustainable growth.
Strategic Mentoring
Winners will have access to personalised mentoring from professionals connected to entrepreneurship, technology and social impact.
Mentoring may focus on:
- Strengthening the business model
- Refining the growth strategy
- Improving founder leadership
- Identifying operational weaknesses
- Developing measurable objectives
- Planning for expansion
- Clarifying financial priorities
- Preparing for partnerships or investment
Visibility and Positioning
Winning projects may be promoted through:
- Media coverage
- Social media
- Tara for Women’s platforms
- Partner events
- Strategic networks
- Entrepreneurship and impact platforms
The objective is to increase public awareness of the projects and create new opportunities for collaboration.
Specialised Training
Winners will receive access to training in areas such as:
- Innovation
- Leadership
- Sustainability
- Artificial intelligence
- Product development
- Commercial strategy
- Fundraising
Training may be delivered virtually, in person or through a combination of formats.
Networking and Partnerships
The six-month programme will create opportunities to connect with:
- Entrepreneurs
- Investors
- Companies
- Public and private institutions
- Mentors
- Experts
- Other women founders
- Potential strategic partners
These relationships may help winners identify clients, collaborators, advisers, investors or implementation partners.
Financial Support
Each winning project will receive the cash amount corresponding to its placement.
The funding may be used for activities such as:
- Technology development
- Product improvement
- Marketing
- Talent recruitment
- Commercial expansion
- Operational strengthening
- Market testing
- Other approved project-development needs
Applicants should provide a specific and credible explanation of how the requested capital will be used.
Potential Investor Connections
Winners may be introduced to investment networks associated with Tara for Women.
Potential connections may include:
- Business angels
- Seed funds
- Accelerators
- Impact investors
- Other organisations interested in women-led projects
The programme will also help participants communicate their value propositions more clearly to investors and other members of the entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Investor introductions do not guarantee that a project will receive additional investment.
Special and Corporate Awards
Through partnerships, Tara for Women may add special awards or corporate recognitions.
Any additional recognition must remain consistent with the programme’s objectives and may not change the basic eligibility conditions, evaluation criteria or core allocation of funding within each thematic area.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted digitally through an official form.
Applicants can choose between:
Applications submitted by email, social media or any other method will not be accepted.
Applicants should use only one official form and ensure that every required field and attachment is complete.
Mandatory Application Materials
Applicants must submit:
- A completed online application form
- A complete pitch deck in PDF format
- An elevator-pitch video lasting no more than two minutes
- Any additional documentation requested through the application platform
All information must remain consistent across the form, pitch deck, video and supporting materials.
Conflicting financial figures, project descriptions, team information or impact claims may weaken an application or raise verification concerns.
Pitch Deck Requirements
The pitch deck must present the project clearly, concisely and attractively.
It should include the following elements.
Project Summary
Explain:
- What the project does
- Why it matters
- The project’s purpose
- The overall vision
- The intended impact
The summary should capture attention quickly and provide a clear introduction to the project.
Problem
Describe the specific need, challenge or pain point being addressed.
Applicants should include:
- Relevant data
- Evidence
- Examples
- User experiences
- Market information
- Community needs
- Other information showing that the problem is real and important
The problem should be specific enough to understand and significant enough to justify the proposed solution.
Solution
Present the product or service as a response to the problem.
Explain:
- How the solution works
- What users receive
- Why the approach is effective
- What value it creates
- What makes it practical
- How it differs from existing approaches
Business Model
Explain how the project currently generates or plans to generate revenue.
This may include:
- Product sales
- Subscriptions
- Annual licences
- Service fees
- Partnerships
- Institutional contracts
- Training
- Customisation services
- Other revenue streams
The business-model section should address:
- Revenue sources
- Pricing
- Sales channels
- Customer-acquisition channels
- Major operating costs
- Financial sustainability
Examples of potential expenses include software development, cloud infrastructure, personnel, sales, marketing, regulatory compliance and legal support.
Target Market
Identify:
- The intended customer or beneficiary
- Customer profile
- Market segment
- Geographic market
- Estimated market size
- Growth potential
- Demand for the solution
Applicants should distinguish between users, beneficiaries, customers and paying clients where these groups are different.
Competitive Advantage
Explain what makes the project different or better than available alternatives.
Competitive advantages may relate to:
- Technology
- Intellectual property
- Delivery model
- Specialist expertise
- Partnerships
- Cost
- Accessibility
- Impact
- Cultural relevance
- Speed or efficiency
- User experience
Claims should be supported by evidence rather than broad statements that the project is unique.
Team
Introduce the key people involved in the initiative.
Include:
- Names
- Roles
- Responsibilities
- Relevant experience
- Professional or technical capabilities
- Reasons the team is qualified to implement the project
The woman founder or co-founder’s active leadership should be clear.
Financial Projections
Provide realistic estimates of:
- Revenue
- Expenses
- Growth
- Funding needs
- Financial sustainability
Projections should cover the next one to three years.
The figures do not need to be exact, but they should be internally consistent and connected to the project’s operating and business model.
Investment Requirements
State:
- How much funding the project needs
- What the funding will be used for
- How the investment will advance the project
- What results or impact the investment is expected to produce
Possible uses include technology development, hiring, marketing, market expansion, product testing or other clearly justified activities.
Elevator-Pitch Requirements
Applicants must submit a video pitch lasting no more than two minutes.
The video should explain:
- Who the founder is
- What the project does
- What problem it addresses
- Why the problem matters
- How the proposed solution works
- What makes the solution distinctive
- Who the target market is
- What support, investment or partnerships are needed
The objective is to create immediate interest among potential investors, partners, mentors or customers.
The video must be uploaded to a public platform, specifically YouTube, and shared through an unrestricted link.
Applicants should ensure that:
- The video is publicly accessible or unlisted with unrestricted link access.
- No password or permission request is required.
- The link works correctly.
- The video remains available until the call closes.
- The presentation does not exceed two minutes.
- The audio is clear.
- The main value proposition is communicated quickly.
Online Registration Form
The online form includes sections concerning:
Legal and Contact Information
Applicants may be asked to provide:
- Full name
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Role in the project
- Legal name of the entity
- Address
- Project logo
- Other organisational information
Impact
Applicants must explain the project’s contribution to social, environmental or economic impact and its relationship with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Formal SDG alignment is used as an evaluation and partnership framework, but the call does not state that applicants must satisfy a separate SDG certification requirement.
Ethics
Applicants must provide information about relevant ethical issues, including:
- Use of personal or project data
- Use of biological materials, if applicable
- Research or experimentation
- Privacy
- Other ethical considerations connected to the project
Commitment Statement
Applicants must confirm:
- The truthfulness of the information submitted
- Their commitment to participate
- The absence of conflicts of interest
- Acceptance of the programme’s terms
Evaluation Criteria
Eligible applications will be assessed by an expert committee and, where applicable, a jury.
The evaluation is structured around four dimensions.
Impact
Evaluators will consider:
- The relevance of the problem
- Potential social, environmental or economic benefit
- Reach of the proposed impact
- Depth of impact
- Alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals
- Coherence between the solution and intended results
Implementation Capacity
This dimension considers whether the team can execute the proposed project.
Evaluators may examine:
- Founder and co-founder experience
- Founder involvement
- Team structure
- Complementary capabilities
- Available resources
- Planned resources
- Coherence between objectives and implementation capacity
Excellence
The excellence assessment covers the project’s overall quality.
This includes:
- Level of innovation
- Clarity of objectives
- Strength of the value proposition
- Viability of the model
- Quality appropriate to the project’s development stage
- Internal consistency of the application
Thematic Fit
The committee will assess how well the project fits the thematic area under which it is submitted.
Hybrid projects are not automatically excluded. However, applicants must explain the relationship between the project and each selected theme.
Selection Process
The selection process includes the following stages:
1. Eligibility Review
The foundation verifies whether:
- The applicant meets the participation requirements.
- The project is women-led.
- The applicant is at least 18.
- The project is at an eligible development stage.
- All required documents have been submitted.
- Links and files are accessible.
2. Technical Evaluation
Eligible projects are evaluated comparatively by an expert committee using the published assessment criteria.
3. Finalist Selection
Selected projects advance to the finalist stage.
Finalist status does not guarantee receipt of an award.
4. Jury Presentation
Finalists present their projects to a jury.
The jury may:
- Ask questions
- Request explanations
- Challenge assumptions
- Seek clarification about finances, impact or implementation
- Examine the founder’s understanding of the project
5. Winner Selection
The jury chooses three winning projects within each thematic area.
Awards are allocated according to first, second and third place.
6. Public Announcement
Winners will be announced through the programme’s official channels according to the published calendar.
Important Dates
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications opened | July 1, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. CEST |
| Application deadline | September 17, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. CEST |
| Fifteen finalists notified | October 14, 2026 |
| Tara’s Circle Awards Ceremony | November 18, 2026 |
The deadline is 12:00 noon CEST, equivalent to 10:00 a.m. UTC. Applicants should calculate the corresponding time in their own country and avoid assuming they can submit until midnight.
Legal Conditions
By submitting an application, participants accept the programme’s terms.
Selected applicants may be required to:
- Provide additional information
- Sign a confidentiality agreement
- Sign an image-consent agreement
- Allow the project to be featured on the foundation’s website and social media
- Sign a collaboration agreement
- Confirm their entitlement to receive the funding
- Comply with applicable tax and legal requirements
For individuals or self-employed recipients, the funding is subject to the applicable 19% tax withholding described in the official guidelines.
Applicants should obtain independent tax or legal advice if they are uncertain about the treatment of an international award in their country.
Incomplete Applications and Broken Links
Incomplete applications or submissions containing inaccessible links will be considered ineligible.
Applicants should verify that:
- The pitch deck opens correctly.
- The PDF is not corrupted.
- The video link works.
- The video does not require approval to view.
- All information is consistent.
- Required files remain online until the deadline.
- Contact information is accurate.
- The application form has been fully completed.
Applicants should check all links in a private or incognito browser window before submission to confirm that reviewers can access them without using the applicant’s account.
Technical Support
Questions concerning the application process should be sent to:
This is the only official support channel.
The foundation states that:
- Questions sent through social media will not be answered.
- Questions sent through personal communication channels will not be answered.
- Responses will normally be provided within a maximum of two business days.
- Requests submitted during the final 48 hours before the deadline will not be addressed.
Applicants requiring clarification should therefore contact the foundation well before September 15, 2026.
Recommendations for a Strong Application
Applicants should:
- Read the full guidelines before beginning.
- Confirm eligibility before preparing the submission.
- Select the most appropriate thematic area.
- Prepare the pitch deck in advance.
- Keep project information consistent across all materials.
- Use reliable evidence to explain the problem.
- Define the target market clearly.
- Explain how revenue will be generated.
- Provide realistic financial projections.
- Demonstrate the woman founder’s active leadership.
- Show measurable impact and scalability.
- State exactly how the funding would be used.
- Keep the two-minute pitch clear and memorable.
- Test all links before submission.
- Submit well before the deadline.
Conclusion
Tara’s Circle 2026 offers women founders worldwide an opportunity to secure financial support, mentoring, visibility, specialised training, networking and potential investor connections.
The programme will distribute up to €100,000 among 15 women-led projects across sustainability, health, social innovation, technology, science, design, culture and impact-driven fashion.
Five first-place projects will receive €10,000 each, five second-place projects will receive €6,000 each and five third-place projects will receive €4,000 each. All winners will also join a six-month support programme intended to strengthen their leadership, business models and growth strategies.
Applicants must be women aged 18 or older who founded or co-founded and actively lead an eligible project. Initiatives may come from any country but should be at the seed, defined MVP or functional MVP stage and demonstrate meaningful impact, scalability and sustainability.
Applications must include a completed online form, a PDF pitch deck and an elevator-pitch video of no more than two minutes. The deadline is September 17, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. CEST.
Interested applicants should study the official guidelines carefully, prepare all documents in advance and submit through the official English or Spanish application form before the deadline.
For more global opportunities, click HERE.
