Women in business: great success in call for projects

The Region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, doubles resources, allocating 7.2 million euros to support 239 new projects with grants up to 80 000 euros per project, and a total investment of 21 million euros to support companies run by women.

The recently closed call for proposals was addressed to SMEs operating in Emilia-Romagna
with a predominant female participation, established in the form of sole woman owner or as
partnerships or cooperatives where the number of women represents at least 60% of
members of the corporate structure. Joint-stock companies were also eligible for funding
under the condition that women are at least two-thirds of the members of the administrative
bodies.

The call, promoted by the Emilia-Romagna Region, is financed by the European Regional Development Fund - ERDF Program 2021-27.

As for the size of the companies funded, 75% are micro-enterprises or small enterprises. In terms of the legal form, 57% are corporates where women hold two-thirds of
the company shares or are at least equally presented in the administrative bodies as men,
23% are sole proprietorships (female owners) and 20% companies with 60% female
participation. More than half of the projects plan to hire new staff.

One third of the projects affect the basic and advanced tertiary sector. The other projects
regard culture and tourism, food, fashion, publishing and communication, health and social
care and the housing system.

Almost 85% of the project costs concern the purchase of machinery and equipment,
telematic and digital infrastructures aimed at increasing the competitiveness and quality of
businesses run by women, and highlighting, where possible, the close link between equal
opportunities, company business and quality of work.

“Through the call for proposal we have addressed a real need. The high number of
applications received, in addition to the quality of the proposals, represent an extraordinary
signal from a territory, that of Emilia-Romagna, which wants to grow in all its components.
After the positive pilot call in 2021, when 107 projects were financed, we are strengthening
and consolidating an innovative measure, certain that there is a protagonism of women also
in the economic field and that it must be supported with concrete interventions to promote a
balanced growth of the whole regional society.” comments Barbara Lori, the Minister for Equal Opportunities for Emilia-Romagna Region and Vincenzo Colla, the Minister for Economic Development and Green Economy, Work, Training and International Relations for Emilia-Romagna Region.

More detailed information (in Italian) here.