Female business owners and entrepreneurs across Liverpool can now sign up to an exclusive programme to jumpstart their career.
“Women’s Launch Lab” is a three-day programme which will take place in London during National Women’s Enterprise Week in June.
Successful applicants will get the chance to work with ‘top-quality’ mentors and entrepreneurs, and gain vital experience that will flourish their businesses.
The programme also offers the opportunity for candidates to pitch their business ideas to a Dragon’s Den style panel of investors and financiers.
Two cash prizes will be awarded to the best pitches, as judged by the panel. Making a special appearance is Akshata Murty, fashion designer, entrepreneur and wife of Rishi Sunak, who will lead the judging panel and award the cash prizes to the winning businesses.
The Business and IP Centre in Liverpool are offering 10 free spaces for the programme, for both ‘start-up’ and ‘scale-up’ businesses.
Based in Central Library, BIPC supports Merseyside locals with any business idea they want to develop. They provide crucial support and pride themselves on their commitment to female entrepreneurs.
Geraldine Fuller, Business Engagement and Market Manager for BIPC said: “We’re really pleased that over 60% of the businesses that are supported by BIPC are women, and interestingly, women are more likely to turn over a profit in their first month of trading than men.
“However, only 2% of venture capital funding is given to female founders. Over a third only start their business with £1000 or less. There are still a lot of barriers for women setting up in business.”
Ms. Fuller said she is confident that many female-led business she comes across in her work would be more than capable of not only taking part, but winning the award at the end of the programme.
“What is clear, is that there is no shortage of fantastic, talented female entrepreneurs in our region and they really deserve this. I think this programme being specifically for women will give them a really unique opportunity to access help and feel confident in asking questions and meeting other women.
“If we get a Liverpool business on-board, that would be a tremendous amount of valuable publicity. To win this award would be a huge confidence boost and a lot of valuable, free experience would come with it.”
Applications for the project close on 30th April and can be accessed at http://nwew.co.uk/wll/?trk=public_post-text.
