NatWest and Meta have joined forces to offer digital skills and financial readiness training to female entrepreneurs in the UK.
NatWest is providing the financial readiness training as part of Meta's #SheMeansBusiness programme, which also offers digital skills training and opportunities to expand business connections and networks.
As part of the partnership, the two companies are also launching a competition from mid April to offer 50 female entrepreneurs the chance to win Meta advertising credits, 1:1 digital mentorship and support to build a creative advertising campaign, as well as NatWest coaching and peer-to-peer sessions.
Julie Baker, head, enterprise, NatWest, says: "More women than ever are starting up businesses and we must harness this potential. The latest Rose Review progress report showed that women are starting more businesses than ever: last year 140,000 new businesses were founded by women compared to 56,000 in 2019.
"Supporting women to build their companies is a key next step and it’s great news that NatWest and Meta have partnered to offer all female entrepreneurs tuition and networking, and a lucky fifty women business owners an even bigger boost to their companies."
In a related move, NatWest has partnered with Getty Images to launch a virtual gallery in the metaverse of pioneering female business owners. The project is an attempt to challenge the narrow view of women in business and "help create a more diverse and inclusive visual landscape that shows entrepreneurs as they really are".