The BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (BRICS WBA) invites women-led startups from member nations, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, to apply for its prestigious Startups Contest. This initiative is designed to empower and accelerate women-led ventures, offering a dynamic platform for visibility, networking, and business expansion across the BRICS ecosystem.
At a Glance
- Opportunity Type: Competition
- For: Women-led startups in Early, Growth, and Scale-Up stages from BRICS nations (including Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE).
- Key Benefits: Global visibility, networking with investors and industry leaders, business expansion support, and a trip to India for finalists.
- Application Deadline: April 19
- Location: Global (BRICS nations) with an awards ceremony in India.
Competition Overview
Led by India for the 2026 edition, the BRICS Women’s Startups Contest aims to spotlight innovative, high-impact enterprises founded and led by women. The competition fosters cross-border economic integration, collaboration, and knowledge exchange. It provides a platform for women entrepreneurs to scale their ventures by connecting them with investors, industry leaders, and policymakers across Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the UAE.
Key Benefits
- Global Visibility: Gain exposure on an international stage for your startup.
- Networking: Connect with investors, industry leaders, and policymakers from across the BRICS nations.
- Business Expansion: Access a dynamic platform to help scale your venture into new markets.
- Awards and Recognition: 18 finalists will be selected, culminating in an awards ceremony and trip to India in September.
Eligibility Criteria
- Residency: Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of a BRICS nation.
- Market Presence: Your startup must be operating in one or more BRICS markets.
- Female Leadership: You must hold a key leadership position (Founder, Co-Founder, or equivalent) and play an active role in the startup’s operations and strategy.
- Impact: Demonstrate the long-term social, economic, or environmental impact and sustainability of your solution.
- Viability: Provide evidence of a viable business model, market demand, and existing traction.
- Innovation: Your solution must be innovative and scalable.
- BRICS Alignment: Show alignment with BRICS priorities and potential for impact across member countries.
Business Stages
The competition is open to startups at three distinct stages:
- Early Stage: Startups in the MVP or prototype phase, focused on concept validation.
- Growth: Startups with an established product or service, focused on expanding operations.
- Scale-Up: Mature startups with significant growth, expanding into new markets.
Competition Categories
Applications are welcome from startups in the following sectors:
- Healthcare and Wellbeing
- Agriculture & Food Security
- Education and Skill Development
- Energy, Infrastructure and Mobility
- Commerce, Service and Digital Transformation
- Sustainable Development and Climate Solutions
Evaluation Criteria
Submissions will be evaluated based on the following:
- Impact & Sustainability: 25%
- Solution & Innovation: 25%
- Commercial Viability & Traction: 20%
- BRICS Alignment & Scalability: 10%
- Technology Readiness & Capability: 10%
- Partnerships & Networks: 10%
Key Dates
- Submissions Open: March 19
- Submissions Deadline: April 19
- Winners Announcement: June
- Trip to India & Awards Ceremony: September
How to Apply
To participate, submit your application through the official contest portal before the deadline.
The deadline to apply is April 19. For more information and to submit your application, please visit the official contest page.
About BRICS Women’s Business Alliance
The BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (BRICS WBA) is the lead organizer of the contest, an initiative aimed at empowering and accelerating women-led startups across BRICS nations. Initiated in 2024, the contest serves as a key mechanism for identifying and stimulating women’s entrepreneurship within the BRICS ecosystem, fostering innovation and cross-border collaboration.
Learn More: BRICS WOmen Startups Contest 2026
