With new research from Visa revealing that women business owners are less likely than their male counterparts to have sourced and secured funding for their business, Visa is determined to address the entrepreneurial gap in Ireland.
And, with the research also finding that access to business mentorship is the most valued resource by Ireland’s small businesses, it’s fitting that 2024 marks the most ambitious She’s Next grant programme ever. Now in its fourth year, the She’s Next grant programme aims to support and empower small and independent businesses in Ireland run by women.
This year, a total prize fund of €90,000 will be awarded to five women-owned businesses, together with that all-important business coaching and mentorship.
Mandy Lamb, Visa’s Managing Director UK & Ireland explained that Visa wants to support women entrepreneurs with the tools and resources needed to succeed.
“While progress has been made to narrow the gender gap in entrepreneurship, our commitment to addressing existing challenges remains resolute,” Mandy Lamb said. “That’s why we’re excited to bring She’s Next back to Ireland again, continuing our mission to empower women entrepreneurs on their business journeys. We can’t wait to connect with some of the inspiring women-led businesses that are driving innovation and growth across the country.”
The prize package
- Four business grants of €10,000 and a grand prize totalling €50,000 are up for grabs
- Pitch preparation and professional coaching to provide the skills to excel in future funding endeavours
- One-to-one mentoring sessions from MentorsWork and entrepreneur Aimee Connolly, founder of Sculpted by Aimee
Here’s everything you need to know about applying
- The She’s Next programme is open to small businesses in the Republic of Ireland that are majority-owned by women, operating across all industries and sectors, through a simple application process
- The programme has been designed to appeal to a diverse range of businesses. Applicants from previous years who didn’t win are invited to reapply
- To enter, applicants are asked to submit details about their business at visa.ie
- The closing date is 30th October, 2024
Aimee Connolly who was appointed Visa’s She’s Next judge and mentor said: “As a business owner myself, I empathise with the unique barriers and challenges identified by women entrepreneurs in the Visa study. Programmes like She’s Next are invaluable. The mentoring, coaching and funding can really help women business owners to build confidence and knowledge, not just in their brand and business, but in themselves as leaders too. I welcome the opportunity to help with this initiative, championing women business owners in Ireland to learn, grow and achieve their goals, whether that’s expanding into new markets, innovating products or increasing their digital presence.”
Follow in their footsteps
Since launching Visa’s She’s Next grant programme in Ireland in 2021, there have been 15 winners and the class of 2023 included: Rachel Hennessy of Happy Days Fashion Rental; Marion Cantillon, who created agricultural start-up PitSeal; GORM Media founder Mamobo Ogoro; Suraya Rahman of Little Eden Terrariums, a bespoke terrarium seller and Alison McGrath who founded My First Steps in the west of Ireland.
As a relatively new business with two stores located in Clare and Galway, Alison’s business was thriving locally, but she had limited resources to expand her children’s footwear superstore’s reach. Alison wanted to digitise her operations to attract customers who could not easily visit the stores in person. However, the costs associated with creating an online platform, enhancing digital marketing, and integrating personalised customer services were proving to be barriers to expansion.
Alison said that the €10,000 funding from her Visa’s She’s Next win last year helped contribute to the digital transformation of her business. “My business had only been going two years when I won Visa’s She’s Next last year, so to have any money that’s not already allocated is massive. For me, winning the grant money was a real catalyst to be able to digitise my business. It’s really broadened our horizons.”
She’s Next is truly transformational and if you want to follow in the footsteps of some of these incredible women-led businesses, don’t miss your chance and apply today at visa.ie
1x €50,000 and 4x €10,000 grants available. Open to women-owned businesses in the Republic of Ireland. Terms and conditions apply