Grants for women entrepreneurs and small business owners in Louth

With just one month left to go, Visa is reminding women business owners in Louth to enter the She’s Next Grant Programme.

She’s Next, now in its third year in Ireland, offers the chance to win one of five €10,000 grants in addition to a year of business coaching.

Applications are open until 21 July 2023 at www.ifundwomen.com/visa
ireland.

Women business owners face barriers with funding

Findings from a recent report by Visa found that the main challenge faced by women business owners when it comes to business operations is access to capital (47%), while for men, it is marketing and lead generation (43%).

The report also found that 93% of men feel very or completely confident when it comes to evolving their business against 71% of women surveyed.

Mandy Lamb, Managing Director UK & Ireland, Visa said:

“It is clear there is more to be done to address the barriers that women-led businesses face and it shows why campaigns like She’s Next are so important.

“We want to empower women by providing funding, expertise and coaching to go towards achieving their growth inspirations.

“We’ve had considerable interest already in the programme this year and some fantastic submissions but there is still plenty of time to apply so we strongly encourage women entrepreneurs to put a little time aside and get their entries in – the process is very straightforward.”

Who can apply and how?

The She’s Next Grant Programme, in partnership with IFundWomen, is open to small businesses and organisations in Republic of Ireland that are majority owned by women, operating across all industries and sectors, through a simple application process.

It is designed to be an inclusive programme to appeal to a diverse range of applicants from different backgrounds.

Applicants in previous years who were not selected as winners are invited to reapply.

To enter, applicants are asked to submit details about their business and online presence at www.ifundwomen.com/visa
ireland. The closing date is 21 July 2023.

Terms and conditions apply.

Applications are invited under five different categories:

General awards for:

• Micro business: Sole proprietorships or microbusinesses with no more than two employees
• Early-stage business: Businesses founded and incorporated within the last 24 months (must have been operating for at least 6 months)
• Small business: Any small business with fewer than 50 employees

Additional two categories for:

• Changemakers: Social enterprises or community-based enterprises or 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.
• Innovation and technology: Businesses in science, fintech, technology, engineering or medicine or a business that has used technology to grow.