Description
Due to the high female unemployment rate, increasing female entrepreneurship is one of the priorities of the PO. The Project will promote female entrepreneurship through a study on women in high value sectors followed by workshops and training to encourage entrepreneurial activity. It is intended to improve conditions for female entrepreneurs through structural changes, as well as organizational and individual networking and capacity building. The objectives of the project are to increase female entrepreneurship in emerging sectors, to promote funding of companies in these sectors lead by women, to develop training and support programs specifically designed to help the achieving of the above objectives and to facilitate the access of entrepreneur women in these sectors to the funding resources for the creation and development of their businesses. 20 training programs all around Spain are expected with, at least, 500 beneficiaries. One coaching program for female directors, with 25 women, is also expected as a pilot project. For a broader dissemination, specific communication materials and a website will be designed and developed.
Summary of project results
The main objective is to support the creation and consolidation of women-led businesses and contribute to enterprise competitiveness via work-life balance policies which promote business development, benefiting primarily the less favoured sectors. This project promotes training, use and visualization of female talent. How will the results be maintained? Through two-year follow-up of beneficiaries. The initial goal was to promote equality of opportunity from a business perspective, strengthening and empowering the entrepreneurial potential of women throughout the country. 736 female entrepreneurs / business women were supported and assisted in these three years. The impact provided the meeting between private investors and female entrepreneurs with a business plan considered as viable. There were 31 sensitization days (860 beneficiaries), and 31 training programmes (736 beneficiaries), achieving an increase of entrepreneurship in the emerging sectors, the development of training and support programmes, the creation of women-led companies in emerging sectors, the access to funding resources and the consolidation of businesses in this sector. The beneficiaries participated actively in the sensitization sessions and in the 8-week training programmes right from the start. Viable projects were acknowledged with a certificate of viability which was sent to the entities with which the Institute of Women or the Chambers of Commerce have signed agreements. The main benefit was providing access to the funding resources and the consolidation of female entrepreneurs in those sectors.
Summary of bilateral results