Visa, Halyk open She's Next 2026 in Kazakhstan with ₸30M prize fund
What's the deal? Visa and HalykDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → have opened applications for the fifth round of She's Next, Empowered by Visa, a grant and training program for women who run or plan to start a business in Kazakhstan. The total prize fund is ₸30 million, split across four categories.
The details: The existing business and inclusive business winners each receive ₸10 million; the starting business and IT business categories each carry ₸5 million. Applicants must be Kazakh citizens aged 18 or older, and applications close on November 22, 2026.
How it works: After registering, participants attend free webinars, then prepare and submit a business plan. Experts pick 40 projects for an online pitch, 12 finalists present at the She's Next Grand Final in Almaty, and four winners receive grants.
What's new? This fifth Kazakhstan edition adds an inclusive business category and a larger prize pool. Starting business applicants do not need a registered company and can submit a project that has not yet launched.
The signal: The program joins a broader local push to back women-led firms, which includes EBRDDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →-backed financing for Bank CenterCreditDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and KMFDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and a separate HalykDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → women's business lending program. As a grant-and-training offer, its scale is modest next to those lending lines — but it pairs cash with mentoring and widens access through the new inclusion track.
Read more: tokhum.com
Image credit: CityofStPete
