InterTradeIreland, in collaboration with Invest Northern Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, has launched eight new entrepreneurship programs to support women. These initiatives are designed to foster collaboration, learning, growth, and scaling of their businesses.
In February 2024, the Government of Ireland launched €800m for Shared Island priorities involving €30m towards the Shared Island Enterprise Scheme which was created by InterTradeIreland, Invest Northern Ireland and Enterprise Ireland.
In addition to cross-border clusters and sustainability innovation investment, a part of the Shared Island Enterprise Scheme is focused on women’s entrepreneurship for the island.
The first stage of this work is to secure the necessary funding for launching the initial pilot schemes to support women entrepreneurs throughout the island as described below. More details as part of the broader Shared Island Enterprise Scheme will be made in the following months.
Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at InterTradeIreland Alison Currie, said, “InterTradeIreland, in collaboration with our key delivery partners, is delighted to introduce eight new innovative programmes to support and empower women entrepreneurs across the island of Ireland. We will facilitate the delivery of these programmes in partnership with Invest Northern Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, as we collectively strive to support women founders, business leaders and academics as they take their careers and businesses to the next level. We know the depth of talent and energy that exists here and we’re calling all women founders to get involved with these programmes and make the most of the fantastic opportunities and supports that they offer.”
Manager of European and Partner Delivery at Invest Northern Ireland Karen Finlay, said, “Invest NI is proud to partner in this transformative initiative, which will offer extensive, tailored support to women entrepreneurs at all stages of their business journey. These programmes provide a holistic range of resources—whether through financial education, networking opportunities, or business scaling strategies—that are designed to foster growth, collaboration, and success. By empowering women to take bold steps toward entrepreneurship and innovation, we are strengthening Northern Ireland’s business landscape and building a thriving, interconnected ecosystem of women entrepreneurs across the entire island of Ireland.”
