YELLOW WINDOW

Their core work

Yellow Window is a Belgian consultancy specializing in gender equality strategy and institutional change within research and higher education organizations. They design and implement Gender Equality Plans (GEPs), deliver training programs for gender mainstreaming, and develop operational tools that help universities and research funders embed equality into their structures. Their work spans the full cycle from diagnostics and capacity building to certification frameworks and policy co-creation, with growing expertise in addressing intersectional inequalities and gender-based violence in academic settings.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Yellow Window's early H2020 work (2017–2019) focused squarely on structural change and Gender Equality Plans within research performing and funding organizations — classic institutional transformation projects in STEM and academia. From 2021 onward, their focus broadened significantly toward intersectionality, gender+ frameworks, and tackling systemic inequalities including gender-based violence and COVID-19 impacts. This evolution shows a clear shift from "how to get GEPs adopted" to "how to make equality work in practice across complex, intersecting dimensions of disadvantage."

Yellow Window is moving from gender-specific institutional change toward broader inclusive policy design — expect future work connecting equality frameworks to green transition, health crises, and societal resilience.

How they like to work

Yellow Window operates exclusively as a participant, never coordinating, which positions them as a trusted specialist contributor brought in for their specific expertise in gender equality implementation. Across 9 projects with 57 unique partners in 22 countries, they work in large European consortia and appear to be a go-to partner that multiple coordinators seek out. Their consistent role across many different consortia suggests they are valued for delivering a defined service — equality strategy and training — rather than driving the overall research agenda.

Yellow Window has built an extensive European network of 57 unique partners across 22 countries, heavily weighted toward universities, research funders, and equality-focused organizations. Their geographic spread is pan-European with no strong regional concentration, reflecting the cross-border nature of EU equality policy work.

What sets them apart

Yellow Window is one of very few private SMEs in Europe that has built deep, sustained expertise specifically in gender equality implementation for the research sector — most competitors are either university-based centers or large consultancies doing equality as a sideline. Their nine consecutive H2020 projects demonstrate a track record that few can match, making them a low-risk choice for any consortium needing a professional equality partner. Their recent pivot into intersectionality and Green Deal inclusion positions them at the intersection of equality and sustainability — a combination increasingly demanded by Horizon Europe calls.

Highlights from their portfolio

• RESISTIRE
  Largest budget (EUR 678K) and a pivot into health/society crossover — analyzing how COVID-19 policy responses created gendered and intersectional inequalities.
• GE Academy
  Created a European-level training standards framework and trainers network for gender equality, establishing Yellow Window's credentials as a training authority.
• UniSAFE
  Tackles gender-based violence in universities — a sensitive and politically significant topic that signals Yellow Window's ability to handle complex institutional challenges.