Cartier Women's Initiative Awards: Call for Applications 2010

NEW YORK, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Recognizing entrepreneurs as having the audacity to create, innovate and imagine the future, the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards aim to support female entrepreneurs who have just set up their own companies. Launched in 2006 in partnership with the Women's Forum, McKinsey & Co. and the INSEAD business school, Cartier's program involves an international business-plan competition for female entrepreneurs who lead creative, financially sustainable and socially responsible companies.

The awards are presented every year to five laureates, one from each continent.  

The prize includes personalized coaching, a $20,000 grant and an invitation to the annual Women's Forum Meeting in Deauville (France).  Applications will be accepted until 10 March 2010.

For this fourth edition, Cartier is looking for innovative women-led business projects from all around the world.

Eligibility Criteria

The project to be considered for the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards must be:

• An original for-profit business creation
• In the initial phase: pre-launch or start-up (less than three years old)
• The main leadership position must be filled by a woman.

The competition is open to women from all countries, nationalities and industries.

Application Procedure

Applicants, who can be from any country, are invited to apply online www.cartierwomensinitiative.com before March 10, 2010, 5.59 pm, Eastern Standard Time by presenting their business project in its initial phase.

The 2009 Laureates

The Laureates of the third edition of the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards were announced on October 16, 2009 by Bernard Fornas, President and CEO of Cartier International at the Annual Global Meeting of the Women's Forum for the Economy and Society in Deauville, France.  Find out about their businesses on www.cartierwomensinitiative.com.

The Laureates are currently undergoing coaching for one year with their Cartier, McKinsey & Co. and INSEAD mentors.

SOURCE Cartier, Inc.