Technology

NatWest and Meta launch competition to aid women in business with digital skills

Female entrepreneurs and business founders are invited to enter a new competition from NatWest and Facebook parent company Meta.

22 Mar 2022 . 3 min read

NatWest and Meta are launching a new competition aimed at empowering female entrepreneurs across the UK with digital advertising and wider business skills.

Together, we are creating a unique space for women to make valuable connections, share advice and develop their skills and ambitions. We are also embarking upon a joint campaign of exclusive events and thought leadership initiatives.

This initiative demonstrates our longstanding commitment to promoting and supporting female entrepreneurs and business owners, and ties in with our other projects this March around International Women’s Day.

Objectives of the competition

Connect female entrepreneurs
Offer training in digital skills and financial literacy
Run ad campaigns to promote women in business
Support businesses through digital channels

Driven by the broad reach of NatWest, and the digital expertise of Meta, our vision is to create a positive economic and social impact for women who have been disproportionately affected by the ongoing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The competition will be open to female business owners from across the country, and our 50 winners will be announced in the summer (2022). Each will receive:

a creative ad campaign from Meta’s MobileWorks
Meta ad credits for Facebook and Instagram
a one-to-one digital mentorship with a Meta platform expert
NatWest business support, covering themes like leadership, technology and sustainability
exclusive digital and financial training
exclusive community and networking events
campaign press and marketing opportunities

Growing numbers of female entrepreneurs

Head of Enterprise at NatWest Group Julie Baker says: “More women than ever are starting up businesses and we must harness this potential. The latest Rose Review Progress Report showed that 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 female entrepreneurs tuition and networking, and a lucky 50 women business owners an even bigger boost to their companies.”

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on women in Britain, according to a recent report by the Women’s Budget Group. The Alison Rose Review Progress Report 2022 also found that the pandemic exacerbated the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs.

Investment in female entrepreneurship

Meta launched its #SheMeansBusiness campaign six years ago, as a long-term commitment to support women’s economic empowerment. To date, the programme has supported more than 1.5 million women around the world.

Meta’s director of global business marketing for EMEA, Carrie Timms, says: “We are excited to partner with NatWest to expand Meta’s long-standing investment in the health of female entrepreneurship.”

Find more details about the NatWest and Meta partnership competition for female entrepreneurs and more about the support on offer for all women business owners on the #SheMeansBusiness website.

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