Women entrepreneurs are sought for £3m eco projects

THE Government is to help 10 female entrepreneurs make businesses out of their climate change concepts with a £3million fund.

Female inventors will receive £50,000 to develop solutions for climate change, energy efficiency and health issues, as part of the scheme. A further £500,000 will be provided for pioneering female entrepreneurs to develop innovations such as cleaner transport.

The announcement on International Women’s Day today, follows The Telegraph’s Women Mean Business campaign, launched in 2018, which called on the Government to close the funding gap facing female entrepreneurs. More than 100 entrepreneurial women will benefit from the fund, which will also allocate £2.2million to helping young people aged 18-30 with creative and groundbreaking business ideas. Amanda Solloway, the UK’s first dedicated female science minister, committed funds for the scheme. She said: “We find inspirational women in every decade, from Ada Lovelace to Rosalind Franklin and Dorothy Hodgkin. Their discoveries had a profound impact on all our lives. We are committed to supporting women and young people and opening up new opportunities.” The 10 inventors will be funded via the Women in Innovation Awards, and will receive coaching and mentoring. Funds for young entrepreneurs will be allocated through the Young Innovators’ Awards – a threeyear programme run in partnership with the Prince’s Trust.