PROMOTION OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP, SLOVENIA
WOMEN
The Promotion of Women Entrepreneurship programme (Podjetnost je ženskega spola) provided entrepreneurship training and a small grant to help unemployed women with tertiary education (unemployed for at least three months) start a business. The programme ran from 2016 to 2019 as a joint initiative between the public entrepreneurship and business development agency SPIRIT Slovenia and the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (MDDSZ), Ministry of Economic Development and Technology (MGRT), Public Employment Service of Slovenia (ESS). It was available in five cities: Ljubljana, Maribor, Celje, Nova Gorca and Novo Mesto.
Following a Global Entrepreneurship Monitor survey, which ranked Slovenia among the countries with the lowest participation of women in early-stage entrepreneurship activities, the government introduced a measure to promote women’s entrepreneurship. The Promotion of Women Entrepreneurship programme was created as part of this measure. The programme focussed specifically on unemployed women with tertiary education, as women tend to face more challenges in the labour market, notably in entrepreneurship.
The training aimed to equip participants with the necessary skills, information and contacts to start a successful business. The programme included an introductory workshop as well as 15 training sessions provided by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia in collaboration with local partners and mentors. These 15 in-person training sessions covered entrepreneurial themes such as idea development, business modelling and legal advice. The trainings also informed participants of all the public measures and incentives for entrepreneurship available. Upon completing the 100 hours of trainings, participants received a certificate to provide to the Employment Service of Slovenia who distributed a one-time lump sum start-up subsidy of EUR 5 000. Follow-up training and mentorship was available after the disbursement of the lump-sum.
The Promotion of Women Entrepreneurship programme occurred between 2016 and 2019 with 2 iterations per year (fall and spring). EUR 1 million in funding was made available for the training programme in both 2018 and 2019. Overall, about 1 500 women participated in the training, of whom 90% had active businesses two years after completing the programme.
- European Union (2022), Employment and Entrepreneurship.
- OECD (2020), Inclusive Entrepreneurship Policies: Country Assessment Notes, OECD, https://www.oecd.org/cfe/smes/Ireland-IE-2020.pdf (accessed on 24 February 2022).
- SPIRIT Slovenija (2016), Uspešen začetek podjetniškega usposabljanja za brezposelne ženske s terciarno izobrazbo, https://www.spiritslovenia.si/novica/424 (accessed on 28 April 2022).