What are the main grants, available during the year 2024, for women entrepreneurs?
Below you will find information on the main existing grants and lines of funding, which promote female entrepreneurship, and their main characteristics.
European Innovation Council
EU Prize for Women Innovators 2023
Within the framework of the new European funding program: Horizon Europe, the 4 women entrepreneurs whose projects have created the greatest impact in terms of innovation will be awarded. The objective is raise awareness of the need for more innovative women and create role models for women and girls around the world. The jury will evaluate the projects submitted based on concepts such as innovation, impact and inspiration.
- Type of funding: Three prizes of €100,000 will be awarded for applications submitted in the main category and a prize of €50,000 for those submitted in the Rising Innovator category.
- Beneficiaries: Women, residents in one of the Member States of the European Union, founders or co-founders of innovative projects that are more than 2 years old. To be eligible for the Rising Innovator award, women entrepreneurs must not exceed 30 years of age.
- Deadline for submitting applications: 20/06/2021.
It is expected that, within the framework of the Horizon Europe program, more lines of funding and aid will be announced for women entrepreneurs.
Neotec Women Entrepreneurs
Promotion of innovative ventures led by women, focused on the use of technologies or knowledge derived from research, and whose business strategy focuses on technological development, for the creation of new business projects.
- Type of funding: Grants up to 70% of the action budget, with a maximum grant amount of 250,000 euros per beneficiary.
- Beneficiaries: Innovative small businesses led by women.
- A minimum fundable budget of 175,000 must be submitted for projects lasting 1 or 2 years.
Microbank
It offers microloans without guarantees for women with financial difficulties, through an agreement between La Caixa and the Institute for Women and for Equal Opportunities (IMIO).
- Type of funding: Loan, without the need for guarantees, of up to €25,000 with a 6-year repayment period plus an optional 6-month grace period. -
- Beneficiaries: Women who want to consolidate or expand business projects started in a period of less than 5 years or entrepreneurs who have not yet started their activity.
- Main requirements: Beneficiaries must have difficulties (economic or social) to obtain credit through the traditional financial system. In the case of companies, more than 50% of their share capital and management must be held by women.
- Deadline for submitting applications:
The Chamber of Commerce, which participates as a collaborating entity, and the Women's Business Support Program (PAEM) offer help for women entrepreneurs in the processing of applications, as well as a six-month support program to ensure the correct consolidation of the projects of all those who are beneficiaries.
As part of the European Commission's COSME COVID-19 subprogram, Microbank has created a new line of loans to cover the working capital needs of those businesses whose activity has been affected by the measures taken by the Government during the Covid-19 health crisis.
- Type of funding: Loans of up to €50,000 with a repayment period between 12 and 60 months.
- Beneficiaries: Self-employed or micro-enterprises with an annual turnover of less than 2 million euros.
- Deadline for submitting applications: 30/06/2021 or until the 310 million euros available are sold out.
- Although it is not a line intended only to offer aid for women entrepreneurs, the PAEM offers help to all those women who want to request it.
Women's Institute for Equal Opportunity
Rural Women's Challenge Program
Its objective is to promote and support the competitiveness of projects led by women, in rural areas. The program, which has been convened annually since 2016, is co-financed by the European Social Fund and offers technical training and personalized advice for all those women entrepreneurs who need it. In addition, participants have the possibility to access the Rural Women's Entrepreneurship Portal, a platform where you can market your products and where you can access all the necessary information about grants, training, competitions, grants, etc.
The year 2021 was born with the collaboration of the University of Santiago de Compostela for Encourage women's entrepreneurship and provide aid to women entrepreneurs in the university environment. The program, which is co-funded by the European Social Fund, offers a training platform for all women interested in the world of scientific and technological entrepreneurship.
In addition, there is the possibility of being able to participate in the AmadrinaneT, a sponsorship program where university women with recently created entrepreneurial projects receive the support of other women with extensive and recognized experience in different sectors of the business world.
Finally, the Innovatia 8.3 Contest, whose third edition was announced in 2020, offers two prizes of €10,000 and €7,000 for the best “Technology-Based Business Project” and the best “Startup Business Project”, respectively.
Support for obtaining guarantees
It prevents women entrepreneurs from assuming the expense incurred when requesting funding, due to project study commissions for the granting of guarantees. In this case, it is the Spanish Refinancing Company (CERSA) that bears the expenses derived from the study before the Mutual Guarantee Companies (SGR), such as AvalMadrid and Asturgar, with which it collaborates.
- Type of funding: Bonus of up to 500€ per project.
- Beneficiaries: Women who have started an entrepreneurial project within the last three years.
AWE
Academy for Women entrepreneurs
It is a 3-month training program promoted by the United States Embassy in Spain. The objective of the program is Boosting female talent, creating support networks, at the national and international levels, and providing support to women entrepreneurs with the training and tools necessary to develop viable and successful projects.
Those entrepreneurs who are awarded scholarships will have access to five face-to-face masterclasses and the online DreamBuilder course taught by Thunderbird University of Arizona. In addition, the program offers prizes, including audiovisual material and hours of mentoring, for the most relevant projects.
- Beneficiaries: Women with start-ups created in the last 5 years and women entrepreneurs who want to create a startup, as long as they have developed a minimum viable product that they can launch on the market. To be eligible for scholarships, you must be a resident of Spain.
State Public Employment Service (SEPE)
Youth Employment Shock Plan 2019-2021
Although the grants offered by the program are not specifically aimed at women, the plan includes measures aimed at achieving equal opportunities in access to employment and reducing the wage gap. Through the support line for startups or technology-based projects for young women, entrepreneurs under 30 can access advisory and monitoring services of the business plan and the economic incentives provided for self-employment (provided that the SEPE has previously accredited the viability of the project).
The Chamber of Commerce, which participates as a collaborating entity, and the Women's Business Support Program (PAEM) offer help for women entrepreneurs in the processing of applications, as well as a six-month support program to ensure the correct consolidation of the projects of all those who are beneficiaries
As part of the European Commission's COSME COVID-19 subprogram, Microbank has created a new line of loans to cover the working capital needs of those businesses whose activity has been affected by the measures taken by the Government during the Covid-19 health crisis.
Although it is not a line intended only to offer aid for women entrepreneurs, the PAEM offers help to all those women who want to request it.
Women's Institute for Equal Opportunity
Rural Women's Challenge Program
Its objective is to promote and support the competitiveness of projects led by women, in rural areas. The program, which has been convened annually since 2016, is co-financed by the European Social Fund and offers technical training and personalized advice for all those women entrepreneurs who need it. In addition, participants have the possibility to access the Rural Women's Entrepreneurship Portal, a platform where you can market your products and where you can access all the necessary information about grants, training, competitions, grants, etc.
The year 2021 was born with the collaboration of the University of Santiago de Compostela for Encourage women's entrepreneurship and provide aid to women entrepreneurs in the university environment. The program, which is co-funded by the European Social Fund, offers a training platform for all those women interested in the world of scientific and technological entrepreneurship. In addition, there is the possibility of being able to participate in the Amadrinanet, a sponsorship program where university women with recently created entrepreneurial projects receive the support of other women with extensive and recognized experience in different sectors of the business world. Finally, the Innovatia 8.3 Contest, whose third edition was announced in 2020, offers two prizes of €10,000 and €7,000 for the best “Technology-Based Business Project” and the best “Startup Business Project”, respectively.
Support for obtaining guarantees
It prevents women entrepreneurs from assuming the expense incurred when requesting funding, due to project study commissions for the granting of guarantees. In this case, it is the Spanish Refinancing Company (CERSA) that bears the expenses derived from the study before the Mutual Guarantee Companies (SGR), such as AvalMadrid and Asturgar, with which it collaborates.
AWE
Academy for Women entrepreneurs
It is a 3-month training program promoted by the U.S. Embassy in Spain.
The objective of the program is Boosting female talent, creating support networks, at the national and international levels, and providing support to women entrepreneurs with the training and tools necessary to develop viable and successful projects.
Those entrepreneurs who are awarded scholarships will have access to five face-to-face masterclasses and the online DreamBuilder course taught by Thunderbird University of Arizona. In addition, the program offers prizes, including audiovisual material and hours of mentoring, for the most relevant projects.
State Public Employment Service (SEPE)
Youth Employment Shock Plan 2019-2021Although the grants offered by the program are not specifically aimed at women, the plan includes measures aimed at achieving equal opportunities in access to employment and reducing the wage gap. Through the support line for startups or technology-based projects for young women, entrepreneurs under 30 can access advisory and monitoring services of the business plan and the economic incentives provided for self-employment (provided that the SEPE has previously accredited the viability of the project).
Enisa
Through the Enisa Digital Entrepreneurs line, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, through the State Secretariat for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, offers funding to promote women-led business projects. This support is independent of the phase in which the company is in (growth, consolidation or internationalization) and the sector they are framing.
Barcelona Activa
The Local Development Agency of Barcelona City Council offers support and individualized support sessions, to women who want to start an entrepreneurial project, to prepare a business plan and to research the different funding options available, among others.
Andalusian Institute for Women
Grants for the creation, consolidation and improvement of SMEs
In Andalusia, women enrolled in the training plans of the Vivem Centers have access to grants for material and immaterial investments. The objective of the grants is for women entrepreneurs to access the necessary resources to start up or consolidate their project.
Xunta de Galicia
The Xunta makes available to small businesses, with registered office and tax offices in Galicia, different lines of aid to support women's entrepreneurship. Thus, through the Innovative Line, a total of 3.6 million euros will be granted during 2021 to start-up companies established and led by women.More: [embed] https://intelectium.com/ayudas-para-startups/[/embed]
