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European Integrated Business Growth for Female Owned Enterprises

Female entrepreneurs face a set of barriers completely different to those experienced by men in growing their business. Women are not well-served by mainstream business support; many of the barriers experienced by women in their start-up phase (e.g., access to finance and confidence issues) remain in place when they wish to grow. There is alarming evidence in the UK that women are being disproportionately affected by the current economic climates. In Bulgaria, currently there are no business growth programmes specifically tailored to female entrepreneurs. In N Italy, rural female owned businesses experience difficulties in accessing support services. Across Europe, more women than men are losing their jobs. It is particularly vital, therefore, that women have appropriate support at this time. • This Project had three key aims. Firstly to adapt three female business growth training programmes that exist in the UK, to test and apply these approaches in Poland, Italy and Bulgaria to support female entrepreneurs in growing their established businesses. Secondly, the Project delivered high growth business support to women where there are gaps in the provision of VET systems by training business advisers and trainers in the partner countries. Thirdly, we promoted a training framework that was specific to the target group and which addressed the different labour market and sector needs and their learning needs for adoption in other EU countries.The partnership consisted mainly of Chambers of Commerce and was able to access mentors and learners in each country to test training requirements and needs to adapt and then apply three business growth VET programmes. • The outputs, results and products comprised an evaluation of the current provision of female business growth support in each partner country; the widespread promotion and dissemination of the progammes that will be transferable for adoption in other EU countries; creation of a project web-site for dissemination; testing e-learning facility; video footage of learner/trainer experiences; a course manual in 4 languages; an evaluation report measuring the effectiveness of high growth support • 60 female business owners were trained on gender specific business growth programmes to be piloted for the first time in partner countries. Also, business advisers and trainers in partner countries were trained in delivering the pilot programmes.
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