InterTradeIreland Introduces Eight New Programmes to Empower Women Entrepreneurs Across the Island of Ireland

Pictured L-R: Anna-Marie Turley, Head of Entrepreneurship & HPSU Operations, Enterprise Ireland, Elaine Patterson, Programme Manager Innovation and Entrepreneurship, InterTradeIreland, Alison Currie, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, InterTradeIreland, Karen Finlay, Manager, European and Partner Delivery, Invest NI

InterTradeIreland, in partnership with Invest Northern Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, have introduced eight new entrepreneurship programmes designed to empower women and help them collaborate, learn, grow and scale their business.

In February 2024, the Government of Ireland announced €800m of funding for Shared Island priorities, including €30m towards the establishment of a new Shared Island Enterprise Scheme developed by InterTradeIreland, Invest Northern Ireland and Enterprise Ireland.

Alongside cross-border clusters and sustainability innovation investment, a key element of the Shared Island Enterprise Scheme is dedicated to fostering women’s entrepreneurship on an all-island basis. The first stage of this stream of work involves funding for early pilot programmes to empower women entrepreneurs across the island as detailed below. Further announcements as part of the wider Shared Island Enterprise Scheme will follow in the coming months.

Alison Currie, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at InterTradeIreland 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.”

The eight programmes which are designed to empower women entrepreneurs and are open now. They are: 

• The Angel Investor Masterclasses delivered by AwakenAngels is designed to provide aspiring and current angel investors with comprehensive insights into the world of angel investing. Research indicates that women are less likely to diversify their investment portfolios, with only 24% of women investing in assets beyond cash, compared to 35% of men. Participants will gain valuable insights into angel investing, enhance their financial literacy, and learn how to leverage their corporate expertise to support innovative start-ups. Expressions of Interest will close Monday 30^th September at 1pm.
   
• The Deal Leader Training Programme delivered by AwakenAngels is aimed at women angels seeking to upskill in angel investing. It is designed for those who want to deepen their knowledge and expertise in evaluating investment opportunities, conducting thorough due diligence and making informed investment decisions. Expressions of Interest will close Monday 30^th September at 1pm.
   
• An open mindset and mechanisms that stimulate entrepreneurship are essential for fostering innovation and leveraging research outcomes. Engage, delivered by Alinea is a short, structured training programme to help identify new business opportunities and talent. Recognising the unique challenges women face in entrepreneurship, this programme is dedicated to offering additional support to help women navigate and overcome these obstacles. Applications will close Monday 30^th September 1pm.
   
• Evolve, delivered by Alinea is a rigorous, technical start-up programme designed to support the development of spin-out ventures. Over ten weeks, individuals and teams are introduced to proven start-up tools and methodologies, entrepreneurial role models, and dynamic guest speakers. Applications will close Monday 30^th September 1pm.
   
• The Grow It programme, delivered by Women in Business and Network Ireland is for business owners, founders and directors or partners who are ready to take their business to the next level and have an interest in developing their sales and marketing all-island. Expressions of Interest will close on Monday 7th October at 1pm.
   
• SheScales, delivered by AwakenHub is designed to empower women entrepreneurs to scale their businesses. Focus areas include business scaling strategies, knowledge and skill development and sustainable growth. Expressions of Interest will close Monday 30^th September at 1pm.
   
• The Spark It programme, delivered by Women in Business and Network Ireland  is aimed at women who have already been working on their business idea but are pre-revenue and need more support or are keen to seek external investment. Expressions of Interest will close on Monday 7th October at 1pm.
   
• Innovation Labs 1, delivered by TechFoundHer is a programme designed to empower women founders to leverage AI-driven tools for business efficiencies, comprehensive market research, customer insights, and product / service innovation. The Labs offer immersive, hands-on, learning that empower women to use an innovation design thinking framework alongside no-code low-code and GenAI tools. Expressions of Interest will close on Wednesday 2nd October at 1pm

All programmes can be applied for at https://intertradeireland.com/entrepreneurship/womens-entrepreneurship

Karen Finlay, Manager, Partner Delivery at Invest Northern Ireland 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."

Anna- Marie Turley, Head of Entrepreneurship and HPSU Operations at Enterprise Ireland said: “With this announcement, we are seeing the first of many much-needed programmes which are tailored specifically for women and will support business leaders across the island. We are delighted to partner with and InterTradeIreland and Invest Northern Ireland and look forward to seeing the outcomes of the businesses that get involved in the years to come.”

ENDS

For further information contact Robyn Keleghan 00353 85 800 1275 robyn@communicationsclinic.ie

Notes to editors: InterTradeIreland is the all-island economic development agency. We connect and help businesses across the island to trade cross-border, collaborate, innovate and attract investment. In our unique role we also identify opportunities for North-South collaboration that accelerate economic growth and help deliver shared policy priorities. 

With 25 years’ experience of working alongside businesses of every size in every county on the island, InterTradeIreland’s trade, innovation and entrepreneurship pathways help businesses to access funding, advice, experts and networks across the island to maximise exports, productivity and growth. To date we have supported over 57,000 businesses and generated €1.8bn/£1.6bn in business development value.