Ulster Bank partners with AwakenHub to deliver next phase of SheGenerate Programme

SheGen2.0 will provide targeted support for early-stage female founders and is particularly interested in supporting women who are interested in building their own business.

Interested entrepreneurs have just days left to apply for a spot on the all-island programme which aims to build a community of female founders and redress the current gender imbalance which exists in this field.

Having joined forces with AwakenHub in 2021 as a funding partner, Ulster Bank will once again provide financial assistance to the SheGenerate programme through its annual enterprise funding scheme, which offers support to organisations who are working with traditionally underrepresented entrepreneurs.

In 2021, the initial phase of the SheGenerate initiative saw 56 women take part in the programme, giving them access to support, information, and access to a community of like-minded founders. Of this group, 60% of participants are now actively trading, 23% are seeking early-stage investment and 67% have been successful in securing additional funding or gaining acceptance onto further accelerator programmes.

Leadership consultant Sinead Crowley, one of the four co-founders behind SheGenerate, says she is confident SheGen2.0 will replicate these same levels of success.

She explained: “The inaugural SheGenerate programme was a really successful initiative and we are proud to have been able to create a strong community of women entrepreneurs and allies. Part of our mission was to remove the barriers female founders are often faced with, especially when it comes to securing investment or upscaling a business.

“Our goal for SheGen2.0 is to build on this journey by encouraging more women to think about entrepreneurship and giving them the confidence they need to fulfil their growth ambitions.

“We are grateful to John and the team at Ulster Bank for their continued support with the project and looking forward to tapping into their knowledge and expertise as we welcome our next cohort of entrepreneurs on board.”

John Ferris, regional eco-system manager at Ulster Bank Northern Ireland, explained: “At Ulster Bank, we want to encourage more women to start or scale a business so it’s welcome to have found like-minded partners in the team at AwakenHub who are also on a mission to level the playing field.

“Having already secured success with the initial programme, we are confident that this next phase of the project will produce similarly impressive outcomes and see more female founders embrace their entrepreneurship journey.”

Those interested in applying for a place on SheGen2.0 are invited to fill in a short application form which can be found at www.awakenhub.com/shegenerate2. The website also includes testimonies and video snippets from previous participants.

Expressions of interest close at 5pm on September 9.