The second edition of the She's Next program, aimed at supporting the development of women-owned businesses through personalized mentoring sessions, coaching, and grants, kicks off this month with a training phase consisting of free webinars on current topics.

The new edition of the program, a project of ING Bank Romania and Visa in collaboration with Impact Hub Bucharest, offers grants totaling EUR 60,000.

The She's Next competition will be launched in September. Three of the ten finalists will win one of three grants: first place -  EUR 30,000, second place – EUR 20,000, and third place – EUR 10,000.

To be eligible to participate in the program, applicants need to have a business already established and for the company to be majority owned by women (at least 51%).

From May until October 2025, at the She's Next webinars participants will learn how they can use critical thinking to make business decisions from Radu Atanasiu (Associate Dean at Bucharest International School of Management) – May 23; deepen the advantages of using artificial intelligence tools in business growth from Tudor Galoș (entrepreneur and trainer) – June 6; develop their leadership skills with Manuela Ciugudean (professional coach and personal brand strategist) – June 12; understand the financing opportunities available to SMEs from Florin Ilie (Deputy CEO & Head of Business Banking ING Bank Romania) and discover how to effectively use digital marketing tools from Carmen Mihalca (founder of Antreprenoare.ro).

"Looking at our client portfolio, small and medium-sized businesses that access the right financing, on average, manage to generate more business and have a higher profitability rate. […] We are convinced that innovation and entrepreneurship are in women's DNA and, more importantly, that supporting them through mentoring and funding programs such as She's Next will contribute to the growth of the SME sector in Romania," Luana Sorescu, Head of Easy Banking, ING Bank Romania, said.

"Our experience from the first She's Next program in Romania has shown us how important it is to support female entrepreneurs not only with funding, but also with access to mentoring, exchange of ideas and a supportive community. We learned that the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs in Romania and around the world are diverse, from a lack of resources and digital skills to difficulties in scaling up a business. That is why this year's edition comes with solutions better adapted to local realities. […]," Elena Ungureanu, Visa Country Manager in Romania, said.

"Only 8% of startup founders in Romania are young women, while 75% are men - a reality confirmed by a report carried out as part of a women accelerator program developed by Impact Hub Bucharest. Starting from this discrepancy, the She's Next program is a catalyst for female courage and initiative. It's about women, regardless of age, turning their ideas into impactful businesses. Accelerator programs like this one are designed to give them the confidence to step into the game and make their mark in the Romanian business environment - and beyond," Oana Craioveanu, CEO & Co-Founder Impact Hub Bucharest, said.

Applications for the She's Next program will take place from September 8 to October 22, 2025.

(Illustration: Andrei Rahalski | Dreamstime.com)

simona@romania-insider.com