• Applications open on September 19 with a November 29 deadline. The program will run from December 2022 and conclude on March 8, 2023.

Abu Dhabi, UAE: In partnership with the United States Mission to the UAE, startAD, the Abu Dhabi-based accelerator powered by Tamkeen and anchored at NYU Abu Dhabi, has opened applications for the third edition of the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program, titled AWE UAE 3.0 – Women in Business.  AWE is a U.S. Department of State initiative that gives enterprising women in more than 80 countries around the world the knowledge, networks, and access they need to launch and scale successful businesses. Female entrepreneurs can apply on awe.startad.ae.

Applications open on September 19 with a November 29 deadline. The three-month program will enable women-owned SMEs in the UAE to identify and analyze new channels, markets, and customers. It will also strengthen the operational business pillars that these businesses may not have the resources or experience to build, focusing on business resilience, adaptability, and identifying growth opportunities.

Commencing on December 13, the program will consist of workshops, mentoring, and one-on-one coaching by experienced business strategists, innovation experts, and mentors. It will culminate on International Women’s Day on March 8, 2023, where finalists will showcase their achievements and businesses to the program partners and key stakeholders from the UAE innovation ecosystem.

Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in the UAE Robin Solomon said: “The U.S Mission to the UAE is proud to partner with startAD to drive the third edition of the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in the UAE. Since 2020, startAD has supported 44 UAE women entrepreneurs and innovation leaders through this program, giving them the tools and confidence they need to launch and scale successful businesses.  By helping them cope with specific challenges they face in running their businesses, AWE is helping women more fully participate in and contribute to the local and global economy.  We look forward to welcoming a new cohort of AWE UAE participants, and continuing to work with UAE organizations, such as startAD, to promote women’s economic empowerment.”

Senior Associate Director of startAD Hana Barakat added: “The SME sector represents more than 94 percent of the number of companies operating in the country, with 48 percent of those SMEs owned by women. In recognition of the tremendous contributions that women entrepreneurs provide to the economy, AWE UAE equips women-owned businesses with the skills, tools, and network to focus on their business resilience enabling them to thrive and grow. To this end, we are pleased once again to partner with the US Mission to the UAE on a program that will help participants to re-energize and reset their mindset to a new paradigm. AWE UAE will provide access to experts to gain new insights on local and global markets as well as networking opportunities that will allow them to connect with potential partners, new customer channels, and potential investors. The graduates will leave this program with an action plan that helps them reinvent their business through guided learning and execution.”

The first two editions of AWE UAE incubated 21 businesses, resulting in partnerships and internships in sectors ranging from retail and construction to healthcare services. Two participating businesses secured commercial agreements with large Abu Dhabi-based corporations, and others expanded their operations in markets such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Applicants should be female UAE Nationals or long-term residents, between 20 to 55 years old, who are owners of a VAT-registered small business or an SME leader who influences strategic decision-making. AWE UAE is open to all industries and sectors. Businesses that demonstrate two years of operating revenues are encouraged to apply before November 29.

For more information about AWE UAE, please visit awe.startad.ae

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About startAD

startAD is an Abu Dhabi-based accelerator, steering local and global startups to scale in the UAE and beyond. Powered by Tamkeen and anchored at NYU Abu Dhabi, startAD is a new model for innovation that creates customized and impact-driven programs in partnership with stakeholders including governments, corporations, investors, and innovation entities, furthering UAE’s transition into a knowledge-based economy. startAD’s unique sprint accelerator model enables corporations to further innovation by partnering with startups disrupting their core businesses, while equipping startups with the training and opportunity to pilot their solutions with industry leaders.

startAD offers unparalleled business advancement opportunities to local and global tech startups, SMEs, researchers, investors, and youth through an extensive range of programs, state-of-the-art facilities, and a strong global network. Driving innovation in construction, retail, finance, and other priority industries in the UAE, startAD alumni startups have raised USD 70 million in investment, generated USD 50 million in revenue, secured over 50 global pilot projects with corporations, and created over 270 jobs worldwide.

About Tamkeen

Tamkeen is an Abu Dhabi based company mandated to deliver projects to meet the UAE’s vision of knowledge-based development. Tamkeen works with a variety of local and international institutions to enrich the UAE’s social, cultural and educational landscape.

About NYU Abu Dhabi 

NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective program with majors in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, arts, and humanities with a world center for advanced research. Its campus  enables students to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world, and to advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from some 120 countries and speak over 115 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents. 

About the U.S. Mission to the UAE:

The U.S. Mission to the UAE, which consists of the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate General in Dubai, is the official representation of the U.S. Government in the United Arab Emirates, with the goal of advancing the important U.S.-UAE partnership to advance shared regional and global priorities and deepen the historic ties between the two nations.