Gender Equality Plan
NEWCO S.A. — 2024–2027
Adopted: January 2024 · Reviewed: January 2026
NEWCO S.A. is committed to gender equality as a core organisational value and as a requirement of its participation in Horizon Europe-funded research programmes. This Gender Equality Plan (GEP) sets out our commitments, baseline data, targets, and concrete measures to promote gender equality across our organisation and in the research and innovation activities we conduct.
1. Commitment & Purpose
NEWCO S.A. recognises that gender equality is both an ethical imperative and a driver of innovation quality. This GEP is adopted as a formal public commitment and is a condition of our participation in Horizon Europe funding instruments. Our leadership is fully committed to implementing the actions described in this plan, allocating the necessary resources, and publicly reporting on progress. The GEP is reviewed annually and updated at least every two years.
2. Scope & Coverage
This GEP applies to: — All employees and contractors of NEWCO S.A. — All EU-funded research activities, including the COMFORTage (Horizon Europe) and WiseMe (Erasmus+) projects. — Recruitment, promotion, and retention processes. — Research design and dissemination activities. The plan covers the period 2024–2027 and is subject to annual review.
3. Work-Life Balance & Organisational Culture
NEWCO S.A. supports flexible and family-friendly working arrangements for all staff, regardless of gender: — Flexible working hours and remote-work options are available to all employees. — Parental leave is offered above the statutory minimum for both primary and secondary caregivers. — A structured return-to-work programme supports staff returning from parental or care leave. — We actively promote a culture where flexible arrangements carry no career penalty. Target: 100% of staff have access to flexible working arrangements by end of 2024 (achieved).
4. Gender Balance in Leadership & Decision-Making
NEWCO S.A. is committed to increasing the representation of women in leadership and senior technical roles: — Target: achieve at least 40% representation of the under-represented gender in management and senior technical positions by 2027. — A mentoring programme supports career development for under-represented staff. — Gender balance is considered in the composition of project advisory boards and research steering committees. — Succession planning processes explicitly account for gender diversity.
5. Recruitment, Selection & Career Progression
NEWCO S.A. applies gender-neutral principles throughout the employment lifecycle: — All job descriptions use inclusive, gender-neutral language. — Shortlisting panels are instructed to ensure gender-balanced candidate pools where qualified candidates are available. — Unconscious bias awareness is included in the onboarding process for all managers with hiring responsibilities. — An equal pay audit is conducted annually; any identified gaps are addressed within the following annual cycle. — Promotion criteria are transparent, objective, and applied consistently across all genders.
6. Gender Dimension in Research & Innovation
NEWCO S.A. integrates gender and sex analysis into our research and innovation activities where relevant: — The Tap2SOS platform considers gender-specific health parameters (e.g. cardiovascular risk profiles, medication dosing) in its patient data model. — The COMFORTage project incorporates gender-sensitive design principles in digital health tools for older adults, reflecting that care responsibilities and health outcomes differ by gender. — Research outputs and dissemination materials present gender-disaggregated data where available and meaningful. — We engage with our EU partners — including EHTEL — to promote gender-sensitive digital health frameworks across European research ecosystems.
7. Measures Against Gender-Based Violence & Harassment
NEWCO S.A. maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward all forms of gender-based violence, harassment, and discrimination: — A confidential internal reporting channel is available to all staff, contractors, and project collaborators. — All reported incidents are investigated promptly and impartially. — Annual awareness training on respectful workplace conduct and the reporting process is mandatory for all staff. — Retaliation against anyone who reports in good faith is a disciplinary offence. — This policy extends to all project-related events, conferences, and online collaboration environments.
8. Monitoring, Reporting & Accountability
NEWCO S.A. tracks progress against this GEP through the following mechanisms: — Gender-disaggregated HR data (headcount, seniority, pay, promotions, turnover) is collected and reviewed annually by leadership. — An internal GEP progress report is produced annually and shared with EU project coordinators as required. — This GEP is published on our website and updated at least every two years, or sooner if significant organisational changes occur. — The GEP Responsible Officer reports directly to the CEO on GEP implementation and is empowered to recommend corrective action.
9. Contact & Responsible Officer
For questions about this Gender Equality Plan, to request data, or to report a concern: GEP Responsible Officer NEWCO S.A. 4, Pleiadon str., Athens, Greece Email: info@newcotech.io Telephone: +30 210 98 41 972 This GEP is published in accordance with the requirements of the Horizon Europe programme and the European Research Area Policy Agenda.
This Gender Equality Plan has been adopted in accordance with the requirements set out in the Horizon Europe Framework Programme (Regulation EU 2021/695) and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) guidelines on gender equality. NEWCO S.A. participates in the COMFORTage consortium under Horizon Europe and the WiseMe project under the Erasmus+ programme.