BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 20. Visa, in partnership with Birbank Biznes, has announced the launch of the fourth edition of its She’s Next Empowered by Visa initiative in Azerbaijan at an event held in Baku on Tuesday, Trend's correspondent reports.
The program, titled She’s Next in Digital and built around the motto “Start with One Step,” aims to help women entrepreneurs strengthen their digital skills, reach new customers, improve business processes and develop their businesses. Participants will have access to expert mentorship and compete for grants from a total prize fund of 60,000 manat (around $35,300).
Applications are open to both women who already run businesses
and those developing their first business ideas.
Participants will have access to an online educational program
featuring seven video lectures. They can then submit business plans
for expert evaluation and a chance to advance in the competition.
The 24 finalists will participate in a three-week Digital
Accelerator, combining expert-led sessions with individual
mentoring before presenting their projects to a jury at the Final
Pitch Day.
The program features four categories: Digital, for existing businesses focused on digital development; Social, for businesses creating a positive social impact; Regional, for businesses contributing to regional development; and Beginners, for women launching a business or developing an initial business idea.
For the first time, She’s Next Days will be held in Ganja on October 30 and in Shaki on November 6. The events will provide regional entrepreneurs with information about the initiative, on-site registration assistance, and opportunities to exchange experiences with other businesswomen.
Registration runs from October 20 through November 30, 2026. The online educational program is scheduled for November 30–December 15, followed by business plan submissions from December 16–29. The Digital Accelerator will run from February 8–26, 2027, with the Final Pitch Day scheduled for March 3.
Eight winners, two in each category, will receive grants from the total prize fund of 60,000 manat (around $35,300).
“Digital capabilities are fundamental to how businesses start, compete, and grow. With the fourth edition of She’s Next in Azerbaijan, we once again team up with Birbank Biznes to give women entrepreneurs practical knowledge they can apply directly to their businesses, whether that means reaching a broader customer base online, adopting digital payments or making everyday processes more efficient,” said Nurlan Hajiyev, Visa Senior Director and Country Manager for Azerbaijan.
He noted that this year’s edition marks an important step forward by extending the program beyond Baku and making it more accessible to women in the regions.
“By combining education, mentorship and funding, we aim to help more women turn their aspirations into sustainable businesses,” Hajiyev added.
Zakir Khanmammadov, Head of the Payment Products Office at
Kapital Bank, said the initiative was about more than financial
support, emphasizing the importance of developing women's
knowledge, skills and confidence.
“To date, more than 1,000 women have taken part in training
sessions held as part of the initiative. Over the past two years,
the number of women entrepreneurs among our customers has increased
by 1.5 times, while the volume of microloans provided to them has
grown fivefold,” he said.
Khanmammadov added that the bank had introduced products tailored to women entrepreneurs and was placing particular emphasis this year on digital skills and expanding opportunities for women in the regions.
“We believe that every woman, regardless of where she lives, should have the opportunity to turn her idea into reality and build a successful business,” he said.
Since its launch in Azerbaijan in 2021, She’s Next Empowered by Visa has attracted more than 2,000 Azerbaijani women, with 70,000 manat (more than $40,000) in grants awarded to support women-owned businesses.
The initiative also connects Azerbaijani entrepreneurs with a wider community of women in business across 17 countries in Eastern and Southeastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus through its digital community platform.
Registration for She’s Next in Digital is open until November 30, 2026. Interested applicants can find more information and apply at shesnext.az. Participants can also join the She’s Next WhatsApp community to receive program updates and information about upcoming events.