Stimulating Female Entrepreneurship in ICT

Preface Good Practice - The Netherlands

Managing organisation: Universiteit Leiden
Other national partners: Chamber of Commerce Leiden,
Stichting Vrouwennetwerk Informatiekunde
EQUAL project from the European Union
Project period: September 2001 – march 2004

Short description of the project

The main aim of the project is to educate, coach and facilitate three groups of about 15 female nascent entrepreneurs in ICT branch. Starting point is that entrepreneurship can be taught, when ambition and intellectual skills are present. The project offers intensive guidance to starting entrepreneurs. This is not only done through an educational program but also by means of coaching, network development and offering an inspiring and creative environment.

The rationale behind this is that entrepreneuring has more to do with skills than explicit transferable knowledge.
Entrepreneuring cannot be taught out of a book, but needs practical development of skills.

Writing a business plan is a most important activity for the participants.
The 6-month course will be finished with a presentation of the business plan of each participant to a Venture Capital Forum.

Target group

Nascent female entrepreneurs in ICT. Participants need at least a bachelor grade and a sufficient ICT background by education or experience. Each participant has an assessment conversation before starting the course.

Empowerment

The individual empowerment of participants will be enhanced, as the project will provide them with skills, knowledge and personal networks to enable them to independently shape their future as an entrepreneur. Participants will be involved in the set-up of the program. Personal tracks through the program will be agreed on with each participant. These personal tracks are enabled by the "cafeteria" like character of the program, composed of many parts that may or may not be useful for each individual participant. In the course of the project participant's feedback on it will be invited. For evaluation purposes the input of the participants is thought to be essential and they will therefore be involved.

Intended results

- 36 female entrepreneurs in ICT (estimation is that 80% of the participants will succeed in the end)
- These female entrepreneurs are role models for other women
- The used method will be taken over by other organisations
- Stimulate the climate for female entrepreneurship in ICT
- Give entrepreneurship a more prominent place at the regular curricula of the university

FOCUS group preparation VHTO – The Netherlands

a/ New started enterprises in per cent of all enterprises

1995 9,6 %
1999 9,5%
2001 9,0 % (valuation)
2002 7,8 % (valuation)
(Source, EIM, 2003, the Netherlands)

The number of entrepreneurs in percent of working population the last 5 years is about 10-11%

b/ In which field do we see the new starters?

In 2002 most important branches for new starters are: Business services (31%), personal services (13,9%) and retail trade (13,3%) (Source: VVK, the Netherlands, 2003)

c/ Women in per cent of new business starters

1998-2000 32%
(Source EIM, the Netherlands, 2003)

d/ Students starting enterprises related to their academic exams?

Education male female
Vocational training (vmbo) 24% 26%
Secondary vocational training and education 46 % 42 %
Higher professional education (BA) 30 % 32 %
And university education (Ms)
(source Eurostat, the Netherlands, 2002)

Other relevant percentage/data:

-5% of all female business starters in the period 1998-2000 has a higher professional education or university education in engineering and technology. For male starters this percentage is 14%. 16% of all technostarters (who start a business in SET) with a higher/university education is female, 84% is male. Compared to male entrepreneurs, relatively many female entrepreneurs have their business in the branch ‘Industry’ (production business - for example furniture; design) and business services (f.e. consultancy, facilitating like IT and research services)
(Source EIM , the Netherlands, 2003)

e/ Are there business incubators?

In the Netherlands there are many incubators; incubators with seed capital funds, incubators without own funds (assemble buildings) and incubators connected with companies (corporate venturing) and universities.

f/ Are there business incubators for students who want to start academic entrepreneurship?

Yes, in the Netherlands several incubators are connected to universities where spin off companies from students can start their entrepreneurship