Access Bank plc, a retail giant, has announced the launch of the W Initiative Womenpreneur Pitch-a-ton Season 5. The W Initiative is part of Access Bank’s vision to become the preferred bank for women in the markets and communities it serves.
The initiative aims to inspire, connect, and empower women, particularly female entrepreneurs, by providing them with financial support, business skills training, and mentoring opportunities.
Abiodun Olubitan, Group Head W Initiative, stated that the Womenpreneur Pitch-a-ton program creates an enabling environment for female entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.
Access Bank has been a strong advocate for women’s economic empowerment in Africa, and the W Initiative focuses on financing, capacity building, and networking opportunities for women.
Since its inception in 2019, the program has received over 150,000 applications, awarded Mini-MBA training to 300 women, and provided over N45 million in grants.
For the 2023 Womenpreneur Pitch-a-ton program, Access Bank plans to increase the number of finalists to 120 women entrepreneurs.
The program will run to August 11, 2023. Eligible female entrepreneurs must have an existing business for at least one year, with at least 50% female ownership and be between the ages of 18 and 55. Interested applicants are required to fill out an online application on the website www.womenpreneur.ng.
The online applications will be reviewed and screened by independent business experts. Five hundred candidates will be selected to submit a sixty-second video pitch. From these submissions, the top 120 candidates will be chosen as finalists.
The program will span three months and include eight weeks of mini-MBA training in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The finalists will have the opportunity to pitch their businesses to a Pan-African jury panel and compete for financial grants and other consolation prizes.
In summary, the Womenpreneur Pitch-a-ton Season 5 is a comprehensive program designed to empower female entrepreneurs across Africa through financial support, business training, and mentoring opportunities. Access Bank’s W Initiative aims to be the leading advocate for women’s economic empowerment in the region
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