A new pilot program designed to help P.E.I. women grow their business is looking for participants and accepting applications.
Accelerate HER PEI is a 12-week mentorship program running from Jan. 18 to April 9 for women who own, control or manage at least 51 per cent of a for-profit business that is registered on P.E.I. and has been continuously in operation for at least one year (as of December 2020).
The program will be led by the P.E.I. Business Women's Association (PEIBWA) and the Atlantic Canadian Women in Growth Partnership in collaboration with Charlottetown's Startup Zone. It will be offered virtually and in-person from PEIBWA’s Rural Women’s Business Centre in Central Bedeque.
"This program is unique as it combines customized support for women business owners from both accelerator and mentorship perspectives," PEIBWA's executive director Margaret Magner said in a news release. "We’re particularly targeting businesses in the early growth stage, whether it is a business in operation for one to two years or a business operating for several years that is ready to pivot in a new direction. A cohort of selected candidates will participate in group training, goal-setting, meetings with expert advisors, and will be matched with a mentor in their field of interest."
Eligibility for the program may also give preference to underrepresented populations, such as Indigenous women and women of colour, rural women business owners, women in trades and STEM disciplines, newcomers and women with disabilities.
A spokesperson for the program said there is no application or registration fee.
The program is funded by the Atlantic Canadian Women in Growth Partnership through federal government's Women’s Entrepreneurship Strategy and the P.E.I. Business Women's Association.
Applications for the program end on Friday at 5 p.m. More information on the program as well as a link to the online application form can be found at peibwa.org/Accelerate-HER-PEI.
