PROWOMEN NETWORK

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PROWOMENNETWORK
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GENERAL OBJECTIVES

• To create better conditions for women to realise
  and develop their entrepreneurial potential,
  resulting in the creation of innovative business
  opportunities for women
• To create new start-ups and strengthening
  existing SMEs to integrate the innovative
  entrepreneurial potential of women
• To increase the number of women entrepreneurs in
  sectors where they are underrepresented

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PROWOMEN MEMBERS

• Co-ordinating Consortium
• Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum (SEZ)
• Information Centre for Business Start-Ups (IFEX)
• ProWomEn network
• 16 members
• 11 countries
• 4 members from 3 newly associated countries

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SUB-NETS

• Sub-net 1 Problem awareness
• Sub-net 2 Instruments of support
• Sub-net 3 Regional networks
• Sub-net 4 Education and Training

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SUB-NET 1 PROBLEM AWARENESS

• Development of strategies how to inform
  political, economic and administrative decision
  makers, concerning the needs of women
  entrepreneurs
• Promotion activities and information campaigns
• Characteristics of women entrepreneurship,
  arguments for and culture of support and special
  curricula for women
• Collection of data concerning the situation and
  problems of women entrepreneurs

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SUB-NET 2 INSTRUMENTS OF SUPPORT

• Evaluation of instruments of support for women
  entrepreneurs (specific information, workshops,
  trainee programmes, advice, financing programmes,
  etc)
• Identification of best practice / case studies
  as models how to support women entrepreneurs

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SUB-NET 3 REGIONAL NETWORKS

• Setting up and maintaining regional networks in
  the field of women entrepreneurship
• Formation of associations and implementation of
  regional networks
• Pilot project plans and models how to initiate
  and run a regional network

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SUB-NET 4 EDUCATION AND TRAINING

• Integration of entrepreneurship into curricula,
  the motivation and qualification of women in an
  early stage of their education
• Information campaigns, projects in schools,
  entrepreneurial training centres in higher
  education, incubators on campus and programmes
  for the seed phase of start-ups
• Curricula for seminar actions and coaching
  programmes for school firms and university
  projects

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DESCRIPTION OF WORK/TIME

• Three main events
• Kick-off meeting November, 2001, Stuttgart
• Mid-term September, 2002, Stuttgart
• Final Conference September, 2003 Stuttgart
• 4 sub-nets with tasks forces of 6 to 8 members
• 4 meetings of each sub-net

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IDEAS CONCERNING SUPPORT MECHANISMS
General idea of support. Programmes of the region.
Regional policy of economic development
Regional Policies
Honorary activities
Financial support for education consulting
Financing programmes (loans, grants)
Support of access to finance
Support of access to market
Special business advisors
Education for these advisors
Incubators
Business Angels
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IDEAS CONCERNING SUPPORT MECHANISMS
Support for business plan (mkt study, financial
plan)
Incubator service
Pre-training
Consultancy for financial resources
Women with no experience / or with a low level of
education
Regional compet-ence system
Entrepre-neurial culture training
Trainer councelling programme
Financial aid to support technological innovation
Loans especially for women
Business advisers for women
Business plan, business advice
Regional guarantee systems
Incubator
Women with high level culture / education
Several websites with info about business
International contacts (searching for partners)
Seed capital
Information
Website regional support services
BA Network
Women who have already started a business
Regional guarantee systems
Tech-nology transfer
Business plan
Govern-ment support