What is the Female Energy Award?
The Female Energy Award honors women from the former East German states with a special professional commitment to clean energy and industry. The award stands for innovation, commitment and creativity, is part of the Decarbon Days 2025 and will be presented annually from now on.
Who can win the Female Energy Award?
The award is aimed at women, who work in the new federal states or have their professional focus here and contribute to the future of green energy or industry with their projects, ideas or management tasks – regardless of whether they are founders, entrepreneurs, project managers or innovators in a company, start-up or in science.
What is there to win?
Instead of just any amount of prize money, we work with many partners to provide a package of services that helps to attract attention and create sustainable added value.
The winner of the Female Energy Award 2025 will receive:
In addition to prize money of 1,500 euros, the winner will receive numerous opportunities for personal development and public visibility. She will be featured in a full-page portrait in the business magazine FORUM of the Brandenburg Chambers of Industry and Commerce (circulation 50,000 copies) and in the high-quality Lausitz Magazin (circulation 10,000 copies).
Another highlight is the live appearance at the „Ostdeutsches Energieforum“ 2025 in Leipzig. There, the prizewinner will give a keynote speech and take part in a discussion on a prominent panel.
She also benefits from high-quality coaching, an exclusive professional photo shoot and her own podcast episode in the “HR & Her” format by Dr. Doreen Wächtler. All of this is flanked by intensive media work aimed specifically at the national business press.
As a symbolic sign of the award, the winner will also receive a sustainable, individually designed prize sculpture by artist Rita Grafe.
The finalists will also be honored:
Two further outstanding candidates will each receive 500 euros in prize money as well as a prize sculpture.
How can I apply?
Applications can be submitted until June 9 using the following form:
A contact form can be found under the “APPLY NOW” button. In the form, applicants answer a few short questions about their commitment and motivation. In the case of nominations by third parties, the candidate and her impact are presented with the answers to the questions by the person making the nomination.
Proof of existence must be attached to the application – either by referring to a current LinkedIn profile or by providing 3-5 bullet points on the candidate’s career to date.
Once this has been done, the application simply needs to be sent off and will go directly to our jury.
Further informations
Curator
The award is curated by Lucie Töpfer, multiple award-winning founder of the cleantech start-up pyropower.
The Jury
In addition to Lucie Töpfer, the jury includes representatives from LEAG Renewables, the Lusatia Investor Center, the East German Energy Forum, the Cottbus Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Lusatian Women’s Network, the Decarbon Days team and Dr. Doreen Wächtler. They will select three finalists from the applications.
Award ceremony
The three finalists are invited to the Tech-Festival on June 27 at Hangar 1, Cottbus. There they will each present themselves in a 3-minute live pitch as part of the award ceremony from around 2 pm. Immediately after the live pitches and the jury’s decision, the awards will be presented to the winner and the two other finalists.
Apply now!
Contact
Neela-Medea Löder
nl@zweihelden.de
Partners of the Female Energy Award
Supporters of the Female Energy Awards
