Empowering Females through Capacity Building

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Delivered by IFC/World Bank Group in partnership with the UK Government’s Good Governance Fund

 

 

INVITING APPLICATIONS FROM WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

 

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is inviting applications from existing and potential women entrepreneurs for its Empowering Females through Capacity Building to promote technology in non-technology sectors program. The central goal of the program is to encourage, motivate, and drive women to become an active part of the Armenian economy.

Under guidance from mentors, the women participants will have the opportunity to discover and improve their entrepreneurship talent, overcome their fears of starting and expanding their businesses, learn about risk-management tools to tackle difficult conditions, and master the art of business negotiations. Participants will learn how to implement business ideas, set up women-led companies, expand existing companies, attract additional financial and other resources, implement tech solutions in non-tech businesses, establish cooperation with other women entrepreneurs, and cope with COVID-19 and similar situations.

The program consists of two main components: Intensive Bootcamps and the Acceleration Program. These will be held in Yerevan, Gyumri and Vanadzor with support from the ISTC Foundation and Gyumri and Vanadzor Technology Centers.

Intensive Bootcamp will address specific needs of female applicants towards business-idea validation; business-plan development; financial-plan development; sales and marketing skills to attract customers and partners; and presentation and pitching skills. The key outcomes of the bootcamps will be to select emerging female entrepreneurs for the next phase, which is the Acceleration Program.

The Acceleration Program is designed to help the selected women entrepreneurs integrate innovation and technology into their businesses. This component will target already established women-led firms in the high-tech sector and will consist of individual and group mentoring, coaching and technical advice aimed at improving business skills, investment readiness, and soft skills (personal initiative, risk management, change management in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, negotiation, confidence building, pitching, and so on). It will also help the women access larger business networks and funders.

 

The expected impact of the project will be improved performance of participating women entrepreneurs through revenue generation, funding, and job creation. After completing the Acceleration Program, participant teams will pitch business ideas and products to an evaluating committee. The five best teams will receive AND1,000,000 as a grant to help develop their project further.

 

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The program is being conducted by the Enterprise Incubator Foundation as part of the Armenia Economic Growth and Economic Empowerment of Women project, which is being implemented by IFC in partnership with the UK Government’s Good Governance Fund. This project aims to promote investment, growth, and job creation among female entrepreneurs in Armenia through capacity building, connecting to investors, and helping to access global business networks.

Women are Armenia’s driving force, gifted with a flexible mindset, unlimited abilities, and still undiscovered talents. Throughout the project we will create the conditions and opportunities so that each participant will realize that entrepreneurial and career success is not based on gender, but rather on skills and knowledge. Empowerment of women in entrepreneurship in Armenia will boost the economy, help families, and create a healthier society.

 

HOW TO APPLY

Interested women can apply for the program’s first phase, the Intensive Bootcamp, before July 20 23:59, 2020 by filling out the online application at the following link: Empowering Females through Capacity Building to promote technology in non-technology sectors program

 

In case of further inquiries or questions, you can to send an email to [email protected] or call  +37441121480.

 

 

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