Visa is offering five grants of €10,000 to women entrepreneurs to run, fund and grow their business.
The She’s Next grant programme also includes one year of coaching provided by IFundWomen, the funding marketplace for women-owned businesses.
Applications are now open until 16 August 2022 at IFundWomen.com/VisaIreland.
Mandy Lamb, Visa’s managing director UK & Ireland, commented that women who own and manage businesses face a unique set of challenges, including access to capital and peer networks.
“Our research shows that 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,” she added.
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In Ireland, for every woman who is an early-stage entrepreneur, there are nearly double the number of men. Visa says this is well above the average across the OECD.
Confidence continues to be a barrier to achieving parity, says Visa, with only 38% of Irish women perceiving they have the necessary skills to start a business compared to 58% of men.
For those who 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 saying 2021 had been a challenge and their business is still recovering, compared to one-third of men.
Ailbhe and Izzy Keane, founders of Izzy Wheels, the innovative and eye-catching wheelchair covers business, are encouraging women to apply for the She’s Next programme.
Ailbhe Keane stated: “Whether the grant goes towards website development, social media, branding, marketing, or research, this is the extra support that women in business need right now. The coaching element is also wonderful to see, as women can benefit from expertise and guidance to drive their business forward.”
Applicants for the grant are required to submit details about their business and online presence. There are five categories for the five €10,000 grants.
