To ask the Minister for the Economy, pursuant to AQW 33446/22-27, to detail any support in place to increase the number of active companies led by women.

A range of initiatives is currently in place to support female entrepreneurship in the North. Invest NI leads with programmes such as Ambition to Grow Supporting Women, which has provided £1.2 million in grants to 39 women-led businesses, creating 78 jobs and generating £2.3 million in salaries, with further calls planned. It also funds Techstart’s female-focused Proof of Concept grants, awarding £595,000 to 17 entrepreneurs and facilitating £1.6 million in follow-on investment, alongside annual calls through 2029. Additionally, Invest NI supports innovation-driven enterprises through its Founder Labs Accelerator and Pre-Accelerator programmes, which have engaged 38 startups since mid-2024, 14 of which were female-led.

InterTradeIreland delivers the €30 million Shared Island Enterprise Scheme, allocating €8 million to female entrepreneurship through thematic programmes such as W.I.R.ED, Shared Growth, Scale Together, and Future Focused Tech. These aim to support up to 642 women directly, with at least 30% participation from the North.

At Council level Go Succeed is exceeding its 50% female participation target, offering female-only masterclasses, peer networks, and outreach, with plans to introduce tailored support for high-growth female-led startups in Autumn 2025.

Other measures include engagement with the Invest in Women Taskforce, Enterprise Funding for Growth programme.