Barcelona, November 19, 2025 – Autoocupació, with the support of the Visa Foundation and in collaboration with MicroBank, launches the Mentoring for Women Entrepreneurs program to promote female entrepreneurship in Spain.
Statistics show that the number of women intending to start a business has grown steadily in Spain over recent years, but the female entrepreneurship rate remains lower than that of men. It is no secret that women entrepreneurs face greater difficulties in accessing the resources they need to start a business.
Microcredits and mentoring have proven to be the most effective tools for helping women create, consolidate, and grow their own businesses.
“With this program, we want to demonstrate that the joint offer of access to financing and personalized support services is key to helping women entrepreneurs create more solid and sustainable businesses,” says Guillem Arís, Director of Autoocupació. “Mentoring provides experience, reflection, and confidence—factors that money alone cannot offer.”
Over the next three years, the program will support 200 women entrepreneurs who have obtained a microcredit from MicroBank, through an experienced mentor who will help them face their challenges and make informed decisions, contributing to their professional development. Upon completing the program, participants will receive a €1,000 grant to invest in their businesses or reduce their debt. By combining access to capital and mentoring, this initiative will help strengthen their management skills, improving business sustainability and contributing to job creation.
“MicroBank’s mission is to facilitate access to financing for people who have difficulty obtaining it through traditional channels,” says Cristina González Viu, General Manager of MicroBank. “Participating in this program allows us to go one step further, combining financial inclusion with personal and professional development through mentoring.”
This initiative aims to contribute to the growing evidence that the combination of financial and non-financial support increases the success prospects of small businesses promoted by women.
“For any entrepreneur starting or scaling their business, opportunities arise when they have access to the tools and resources they need to take the next step,” says Graham Macmillan, President of the Visa Foundation. “By partnering with Autoocupació and MicroBank, our goal is to promote inclusive economic growth and enable women entrepreneurs not only to participate in the digital economy but also to thrive in it.”
