Business finance for women in Ireland

No. Ireland's Equal Status Acts ban discrimination on the gender ground in the provision of goods and services, and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) lists banking, loans, credit and financing among the services covered.

IHREC also explains that the risk exemption financial services can use for some grounds does not apply to gender. In its words, no difference in treatment by a financial service can be justified on the basis of gender. If you believe you have been treated unfairly, IHREC's website explains your options.

Lenders assess a company's trading, accounts, bank statements and ability to repay. Our guide to business loan requirements explains what they look for.

Enterprise IrelandThe State agency responsible for supporting Irish-owned businesses that are, or plan to be, exporting and scaling internationally, as well as high-potential start-ups. has a dedicated women in business section and lists several supports for women founders. Some are only for women; others are open to all founders but listed there for visibility.

Programmes for women founders

• NextWave: Enterprise Ireland's National Women Founders Accelerator, a 10-week hybrid programme for high-potential women founders.
• Starting Strong: growth-focused help for ambitious female entrepreneurs early in developing their business.
• Going for Growth: for female entrepreneurs in all sectors who have been trading for at least two years and want to grow.

Funding open to women-led companies

• HPSU Feasibility Study Grant: up to €30,000 to test the feasibility of a business strategy and plan the resources needed to scale.
• New Frontiers: a national programme for founders with an innovative, scalable idea.

Local Enterprise OfficesOne of a network of 31 local offices, based in local authorities, that act as a first stop shop for small businesses and entrepreneurs in Ireland. (LEOs) are the first stop for most small businesses, and they run networks and events for women alongside their general grants, training and mentoring.

• Women in Business networks: the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment lists LEO Women in Business Networks among its female entrepreneurship supports.
• National Women's Enterprise Day: an annual LEO event. In 2026 it took place on Thursday 15 October, with regional events around the country.
• Start Your Own Business and other training, open to everyone.
• LEO grants, mentoring and business advice, open to every eligible small business.

Our Local Enterprise Office grants guide explains the main LEO grants and how to apply.

ACORNS is a free programme for early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland. It is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine through the Rural Innovation and Development Fund.

The twelfth cycle, ACORNS 12, opened for applications on 27 July 2026 and closed on 18 September 2026, with up to 50 places for a programme running from October 2026 to April 2027. It is built around monthly round-table sessions led by experienced entrepreneurs who give their time voluntarily. Rural means outside the city boundaries of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. Watch for the next cycle if you missed this one.

Yes. Under TAMS 3, the Department of Agriculture runs a grant scheme for women farmers. Its current terms, dated 7 March 2026, set a 60% grant rate up to a €90,000 ceiling on eligible costs per holding, or €160,000 for registered farm partnerships, plus separate €90,000 ceilings for solar and for slurry and nutrient storage. Where the farm is a company, the woman farmer must be a director and meet the scheme’s other conditions. Grant aid is paid only after the work is done and claimed, so check tranche dates with the Department before you apply. If your farm trades as a company, see our guide to finance for farm companies.

Beyond the State programmes, many women founders find peer networks useful for contacts, mentoring and confidence. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment's female entrepreneurship page, whose figures run to 2022, lists among others:

• Network Ireland and the Enterprising Women Network.
• The Female High Fliers Programme at the DCU Ryan Academy.
• Women Mean Business and the Women's Enterprise Awards, which promote women in business.

Check each organisation's own website for current membership terms, costs and dates.

Microfinance IrelandA not-for-profit lender, supported by the State, that provides unsecured business loans of €2,000 to €50,000 to micro-enterprises in Ireland with fewer than 10 employees and annual turnover under €2 million that cannot get credit from banks or other commercial lenders. lends to small businesses of every kind, including women-led ones, that find it hard to get bank finance. Its website lists business loans of €2,000 to €50,000 at 6.5%, for businesses with fewer than 10 employees and turnover under €2 million. Local Enterprise Offices say applying through them reduces the rate by 1%, and that sole traders, partnerships and limited companies can apply. Our guide comparing Microfinance Ireland with a non-bank business loan sets out the differences.

We did not find an SBCIA State-owned body that makes low-cost funding and loan guarantees available to Irish SMEs, farmers and fishers through participating banks and non-bank finance providers. loan scheme reserved for women-led businesses. The SBCI's Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme is open to viable SMEs, whoever owns them, through participating lenders. Welcome Finance does not arrange SBCI loans; our SBCI scheme guide explains how to apply.

Every applicant is assessed on the same business factors, so preparation pays off whoever you are. Before you apply for a loan, it helps to have:

• Your latest filed accounts and recent management accountsInternal financial reports, usually monthly or quarterly, showing a company's recent trading, balance sheet and cash position..
• Three to six months of business bank statements.
• A short explanation of what the money is for and how the company will repay it.
• Any recent changes in the business, such as a new contract or a seasonal dip, explained in a line or two.

Our business loan calculator can help you check whether repayments would fit your cash flow.

Exactly the same way as with every other company. Our service is for limited companies registered in Ireland, and we ask every client the same questions about the company's trading, turnover and funding needs.

Our panel of non-bank lenders may consider unsecured business loans, working capitalThe money a business has available to fund day-to-day operations, calculated as current assets, such as cash, stock and debtors, minus current liabilities, such as suppliers and short-term debt. loans, merchant cash advance, revenue-based financeFunding repaid as an agreed share of a company's future revenue rather than through fixed monthly instalments, so repayments flex with sales. and stock or supplier-payment finance. Each lender makes its own decision, and approval is never guaranteed. Tell us what your company needs and we'll tell you honestly whether our panel can help, or where to look instead. You can start with our eligibility check, which involves no credit search.