Female Founders Funding Opportunity!

/in /by

Techstart Ventures and Women in Business have partnered together to invite females across Northern Ireland, with an innovative business idea, to apply for a grant of up to £35,000 to help kickstart their business.

Whether you are an individual with an exciting, novel idea or an established business looking to explore a new product or market, you could receive a grant to support your innovation. Successful applicants will also receive a business mentor through the Women in Business mentoring programme.

Eligibility criteria

  • Applicants must be a sole trader, partnership or limited company to apply. Applications from community interest companies and social enterprises will not be considered.
  • You (i.e. sole trader, partnership, limited company) must have an innovative business idea.
  • You must be resident in Northern Ireland, and if the principal applicant is applying through a limited company then the company must be registered in Northern Ireland, with the principal applicant being the majority shareholder in the limited company. (Please note that Techstart may ask for a copy of a recent utility bill for proof of address).
  • If you are applying for some of the grant to cover the employment costs of people promoting the project, then the application must be made by a limited company.
  • For independent third-party costs, at the application stage, you must identify your proposed supplier. If your proposed supplier has provided you with a quotation, you should append it to your application.
  • Successful applicants will be required to provide formal quotations from the proposed suppliers in advance of a letter of offer being issued.
  • Up to 30 per cent of the grant awarded is available to cover the employment costs of the people promoting the project with a set daily rate of £200. For such costs to be approved, your application must clearly detail what work will be done during the proof of concept project under these costs and what the output will be. Please note that administration time, project management time and similar overhead activities will not be eligible activities to be covered within employment costs.

How do I apply?

You will need to submit the online application form. Applications for the Female Founders Funding Opportunity are currently open until noon on Monday 31 January 2022.

Once the closing date has passed, and all application forms have been received, Techstart will complete an eligibility check on each application. If your application is eligible, you will be invited to present your business idea to a panel.

To Apply, all you need to do is submit our online Application Form, by the Closing Date, via the following link https://techstartni.flexigrant.com/.