Mayo’s women entrepreneurs encourged to enter Visa’s She’s Next Grant Programme
Visa is reminding women business owners in Mayo to enter the She’s Next Grant Programme as it reaches the halfway point for applications.
She’s Next offers the chance to win one of five €10,000 grants in addition to a year of business coaching.
Applications are open until August 16 at www.ifundwomen.com/visaireland so there is still time to apply.
In Ireland, for every woman that is an early-stage entrepreneur there are nearly double the number of men. This is well above the average across the OECD. Confidence continues to be a barrier to achieving parity, with only 38% of Irish women perceiving they have the necessary skills to start a business compared to 58% of men.
For those that have started their own venture, this disparity in confidence remains, with 43% of women business owners surveyed by Visa stating they were very confident in evolving their business compared to 65% of men.
The lingering impact of the pandemic is also being felt and businesses run by women are again disproportionately affected, with over half (58%) saying 2021 had been a challenge and their business is still recovering, compared to 33% of men.
Mandy Lamb, managing director UK and Ireland, Visa, said: “Women who own and manage businesses face a unique set of challenges including access to capital and peer networks. That’s why we’re excited to help make a difference to women business-owners across Ireland today through the second She’s Next Grant Programme.
“Our research also shows women are less confident than men in growing their business, which is why we’re particularly proud to offer access to coaching and support through IFundWomen as well as that injection of €10,000 in capital.”
APPLICATIONS
The She’s Next Grant Programme, in partnership with IFundWomen, is open to small businesses and organisations who are majority owned by women, operating across all industries and sectors, through a simple application process.
To enter, applicants are asked to submit details about their business and online presence at www.ifundwomen.com/visaireland.
Applications are invited under five different categories: micro business (sole proprietorships or microbusinesses with no more than two employees), early-stage business (businesses founded and incorporated within the last 24 months), small business (any small business with less than 50 employees), innovation (businesses in science, technology, engineering or medicine that are focused on developing new technologies) and sustainability (businesses that show recognisable achievements in sustainability efforts, e.g. sustainable energy, climate resilience, environmental and social best practice, environmental and social innovation, and gender and economic inclusion).