We Innovate 2026 | Support for women entrepreneurs

Support for women-led ventures in Northern Ireland

We Innovate is a pre-accelerator programme for women entrepreneurs, delivered by Queen's University Belfast in partnership with Imperial College London. The programme offers masterclasses, mentoring, and funding opportunities to help participants turn early-stage ideas into successful ventures.

How the programme works

We Innovate provides expert support through three phases, running from January to June 2026.

Phase 1: Ignite your potential

Fifteen women take part in eight masterclasses on key topics like customer discovery, personal branding, intellectual property, pitching, leadership, and fundraising.

Phase 2: Accelerate your growth

Top ten participants then receive six weeks of intensive coaching and mentoring, and a £500 grant to help them refine their business strategy.

Phase 3: Fund your future

Finalists compete for a £15,000 funding opportunity to help launch or scale their ventures.

Progression through each phase will be based on performance and evaluation by the programme panel.

Who can apply

We Innovate is open mainly to Queen's University students, researchers, and alumni. A limited number of places are available for external applicants active in Northern Ireland's innovation and entrepreneurship community.

No previous business experience is necessary. The programme supports entrepreneurs at any stage of their journey.

The deadline for applications is Tuesday 16 December 2025.

If you're interested in applying, you can join a live information session on Tuesday 25 November 2025. Once signed up, you will receive a Teams link to confirm your place. 

Find out more about the We Innovate Programme.

First published 11 November 2025