Financial boost and visibility for local businesses

The call for applications opens during the second half of September. All applications are first reviewed internally by the EIS team. During the first half of October, six finalists are selected and their applications are submitted to the jury. The jury interviews then take place during the second half of October. Afterwards, the public is invited to vote for their favourite finalists, contributing to the final ranking. The contest concludes at the end of November during the annual EIS Awards Ceremony, where the winners are announced live in the presence of the finalists, jury members and partners.

In summary: from the call for applications in September to the awards ceremony at the end of November, the EIS Competition 2026 runs for approximately two and a half months.

Simply complete the online application form. Participation is free of charge and open to all eligible businesses, with priority given to members of the EIS Collective.

All application deadlines and key dates will be announced exclusively on the EIS Luxembourg website and on our social media channels. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram to make sure you don’t miss any updates.

The competition is open to local entrepreneurs who:

• are self-employed (sole proprietors) or company directors,
• run a for-profit business,
• hold a valid business permit.

The activity may be conducted as a sole proprietorship or a commercial company (Sàrl, Sàrl-s, SA, cooperative, etc.), including those with SIS approval. Non-profits (asbl) and foundations are not eligible.

Any activity covered by Luxembourg’s business establishment law qualifies, including:
crafts, trade, and commercial services (e.g., hospitality, real estate, tech/SaaS, web services, wellness, and more),
Liberal and creative professions regulated under this law.

The business must

• be legally established in Luxembourg for between 6 months and 5 years maximum,
• involve at least 1 person (salaried or self-employed) and up to 50 people,
• not be in bankruptcy proceedings or judicial restructuring.

The contest takes place in five key stages:

1. application period
2. pre-selection by the EIS team
3. combined evaluation by the jury and the public vote
4. annual awards ceremony
5. post-competition support for the winners

• Impact on the Luxembourg territory
• Growth potential
• Originality of products or services
• Clarity of the business model
• Energy and commitment of the leader

The jury is made up of experienced professionals representing the sponsors, together with a member of the EIS Collective —a seasoned entrepreneurial mentor— who serves as Chair of the jury.

The 2026 EIS Competition is supported by Arendt, Baloise, IPIL and EIS Luxembourg, which fund the prizes and/or provide additional in-kind benefits.

• Best independent talent committed to their sector (including creative profiles): open to any solo entrepreneur, regardless of legal structure, with no other profile requirement.
• Best local small business led by a woman (founded or taken over): for women who founded their business or took over an existing one in Luxembourg.
• Best initiative by an expat newcomer: for entrepreneurs not originally from Luxembourg who moved there (and reside there) to develop their business.

The other eligibility criteria apply to all 3 categories.

Each winner will receive:

• a €2,000 cash prize;
• a unique trophy created by a local artist, offered by EIS;
• additional non-financial benefits provided by IPIL.

And, of course, the opportunity to showcase their business and gain valuable visibility.

No. Only one application per person or business is permitted, and it must be submitted in the category that best matches your profile. Each applicant is responsible for selecting the most appropriate category.

If there is any doubt, the EIS team may recommend assigning your application to a different category during the review process.

All applications are reviewed by the EIS team, including verification of eligibility criteria and compliance with the Competition Rules, using the same evaluation criteria as the professional jury (local impact, growth potential, originality, business model, and entrepreneurial drive).

This process identifies the six finalists (two per category), who are then invited to present their project before the jury.

Each finalist is given a 15-minute session before the jury, consisting of a 5-minute pitch followed by 10 minutes of Q&A.

After the presentation, each juror independently evaluates the application using the same scoring grid applied during the internal pre-selection (90 points across five evaluation criteria).

The final professional score is calculated as the average of the individual scores awarded by all jury

• The final ranking combines the professional jury score (90%) and the public vote (10%).
• Within each category, the finalist who receives the highest number of public votes is awarded the maximum 10 points. The remaining finalists receive a proportional score based on the number of votes they receive.
• Final score = Professional jury score (/90) + Public vote score (/10), for a total of 100 points.

• Following the jury interviews, the video portraits of the six finalists are published on EIS Luxembourg’s official LinkedIn and Instagram accounts for a limited voting period, the dates of which will be announced in advance.
• The public can support their favourite finalists by liking their videos.
• The public vote accounts for 10% of the final score, complementing—without overriding—the professional jury’s evaluation.

In the event of a perfect tie, the Chair of the Jury—an experienced EIS mentor appointed from among the jury members—has the casting vote. If necessary, an additional discussion with the finalist(s) concerned may be arranged to support the final decision.

• The contest recognizes three winners in total, with one winner selected in each category.
• The ranking within each category is based on the same combined score, consisting of the professional jury score and the public vote.