Call for Women in Business projects: the 2022 winners

The winning projects in the Women in Business call for projects have been announced! Coordinated by hub.brussels via its Women in Business platform, this Brussels-Capital Region initiative aims to support and develop female entrepreneurship on its territory. Among the 39 applications examined by the jury, eight were selected and granted between 35,000 and 100,000 euros to create their idea. Discover their projects!

“We rise” led by Womade

WE RISE aims to help aspiring female entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds in the Brussels-Capital Region with a strong community and a mentoring and support system that offers training and coaching. This network will be led and fuelled by monthly events and a platform for exchange and tools, and an academy will be created to support the candidate entrepreneurs during their conceptualisation or development phase.

“Shifting Standards” led by Femmes Fières and Power Club (Beabee)

Shifting Standards is a nine-month programme that boosts the development of women entrepreneurs and accelerates their business growth. Aimed at 40 female entrepreneurs leading growth-seeking start-ups, the programme provides a platform for innovative personal and professional development. Complete support is also offered, from theoretical training to practical masterclasses with renowned entrepreneurs, and from networking to peer-to-peer mentoring.

“Assowomen” led by Ideji

Assowomen aims to accompany and support women wanting to develop a project in the associative sector. Through training and coaching (individual and collective), the candidate entrepreneurs will be supported in the creation of their ASBL and the launch of their project. The training will allow the entrepreneurs to familiarise themselves with all the features of the associative sector, while the coaching sessions will allow them to reflect practically on their project with regard to the new knowledge they have acquired.

“WoBizz” led by Déclic Belgium and Lead

WoBizz! is a coaching programme for female entrepreneurs that aims to support the entrepreneurship of women with a migratory background and in a situation of socio-economic insecurity. This coaching takes the form of a complete programme of training, workshops, exercises, meetings with female entrepreneurs, and a one-day internship with a launched entrepreneur. This intersectional programme is an offshoot of Women who Lead, Lead’s employment-focused programme for women.

“Women in textile” led by Green Fabric

The Women in Textile project offers one year of support to textile designers to help them create solid and sustainable projects. The support given to eight designers will begin with a four-day textile camp focused on the discovery of the fablab’s digital tools and their potential in textile creation. Training and networking will then be offered, and the programme will conclude with a pop-up sale system during which candidates can sell their creations.

“SheMeansBusiness” led by (S)he did it

SheMeansBusiness Brussels is a one-on-one business coaching programme for immigrant women entrepreneurs, regardless of how long they have been in the country. Candidates will be coached in the development of their business and financial plans through workshops. The entrepreneurs’ projects will then be presented to a jury of potential investors.

“Women in Food” led by Bons Plaisirs

Women in Food is aimed at migrant women who want to launch an entrepreneurial activity in the food and agri-food sector. The 25 candidates will be supported for one year towards a sustainable project by addressing the issues of reducing informal activities and supporting their professionalisation.

 “Inform’Elles” led by Growfunding & Crédal

Rêv’Elles is a journey of inspiration and support in entrepreneurship for vulnerable women who do not necessarily have the codes, knowledge, or network necessary for integration into this specific world of work. The objective is to offer a journey better suited to the needs of women who meet the criterion of intersectionality by monitoring them directly in the field, experimenting with fun, physical activities that allow self-exploration and using collective intelligence tools.