THE SECOND APPLICATION PHASE IS NOW OPEN!
The International Trade Centre’s SheTrades initiative aims to connect 3 million women entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses to international markets by 2021.
Under the umbrella of the SheTrades Initiative, SheTrades Invest is dedicated to supporting fruitful relationships between investors and women entrepreneurs in developing markets. In doing so, SheTrades Invest addresses the sixth global action of the SheTrades initiative – unlocking financial services for women-owned businesses.
SheTrades Invest will:
– Strengthen the financial and managerial capacity of women entrepreneurs, improve their investment readiness, and connect them to impact investors and financiers
– Build a pipeline for investors of women-owned businesses and SMEs that are benefitting women.
Application Process for Women-owned Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and SMEs Benefitting Women
Conditions to apply:
The enterprise must comply with at least one of the three criteria below:
1. Be at least 51% owned by woman/women;
2. Be at least 20% owned by woman/women, has at least one woman as CEO/COO/President/Vice President; and has at least 30% of the board of directors composed of women, where a board exists; or
3. Be a SME benefitting women.
Benefits for women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and SMEs benefiting women:
– Access to a range of local, regional and global investors and impact investors
– Access to capacity-building/technical assistance from ITC
– Increased level of competitiveness and a deeper understanding of business practices, trade and investment