Celebrating Female Entrepreneurship: 5 reasons Wales is a great place for women to build a business

Happy International Women's Day! What a perfect time to acknowledge the remarkable support driving female entrepreneurship in Wales. 

With a wide range of dedicated organisations, programmes and initiatives, Wales is cultivating a vibrant ecosystem where women can start and grow their businesses. From funding support to dedicated networks, from mentoring schemes to skills development programmes, there’s plenty to empower female founders to succeed here in Wales.

Here are five ways that Wales is a supportive place for female entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses:

1. A thriving and supportive ecosystem 

Wales offers a variety of dedicated initiatives that female-led businesses, including Women Angels of Wales (WAW), the first female-focused angel investing community. Launched by the Development Bank of Wales and British Business Bank in 2022, WAW provides capital, mentorship, and co-investments up to £250,000. These resources help female entrepreneurs build and grow their businesses. There’s a variety of female-focused networking groups in Wales too, including The Women's Equality Network Wales and Network She. 

Not to mention, GlobalWelsh offers entrepreneurs access to a growing global network of Welsh business leaders, investors and talent located all over the world that can support them during any stage of their business journey.

2. Female-focused accelerators 

Wales offers a variety of accelerator and entrepreneur support programmes including tailored programmes for female entrepreneurs, such as Tramshed Tech’s Female Founder Investor Readiness Programme and Barclays Eagle Labs Female Founder Founder Accelerator Programme. 

The Female Founder Investor Readiness Programme supports Welsh tech founders with six months of workshops, peer sessions, and investor meetups to help them raise capital and scale their businesses.

The Barclays Eagle Labs Female Founder Accelerator, is a UK government-funded nine-week programme, in partnership with AccelerateHER, supporting 100 female founders ready for growth. 

3. World-class mentoring programmes 

There are a range of mentoring schemes available to female entrepreneurs to help them get access to people who have been there and done it themselves. 

Programmes like GlobalWelsh MyMentor offer entrepreneurs access to a range of world-class mentors located all over the world. We’ve matched a number of female entrepreneurs with voluntary mentors who have proven instrumental in helping them overcome growth challenges and trade internationally.

The Business Wales Mentoring programme connects entrepreneurs with experienced mentors offering guidance on marketing, growth, and overcoming challenges. With 498 mentors available, 36% are women, if you prefer a female mentor, you can easily request one. 

4. Free access to educational programmes and masterclasses

For women who are just starting their entrepreneurial journey, Wales offers valuable educational resources such as the Developing Entrepreneurial Women Programme, run by the University of South Wales. This programme provides fully-funded foundational masterclasses covering key topics such as finance, legal issues and business planning.

The ACF Women Entrepreneurship Programme offered by Business Wales provides free, six-week courses aimed at women, particularly from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. This programme provides critical skills, mentorship, and access to interest-free financing to support the launch of businesses, fostering diversity and inclusion in the entrepreneurial landscape.

5. Grants and funding support

In addition to Women Angels of Wales (WAW), Wales offers a range of funding options to help female entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses. The Development Bank of Wales provides tailored financial support, including micro-loans from £1,000, equity investments, and larger-scale funding to drive business growth.

The British Business Bank supports startups with start-up loans of up to £25,000, making it easier for women to secure the capital needed to bring their ideas to life.

Through GlobalWelsh Invest and our pitching activities, GlobalWelsh has helped over 60 female entrepreneurs connect with investors, mentors, and supporters.

To celebrate Welsh female entrepreneurship GlobalWelsh is hosting an event in London on 27th March. Join us for discussion, pitches, networking and Welsh food and drink. If you’re based or do a lot of business in London or the southeast, please come along and join us. REGISTER HERE >>