In a milestone for women’s economic empowerment in Belize, 124 women entrepreneurs from every corner of the country have officially graduated from the incubator phase of the landmark “Catalyse Her Potential: Fuelling Female Entrepreneurship Project” on July 16, 2026. The initiative was crafted with a clear mission: to level the playing field for women in business by equipping emerging female founders with the practical resources, skills, and connections required to build and scale sustainable, successful enterprises.
Funded by RF&G, the program is executed on the ground by NIME Belize Inc. in strategic partnership with IDB Lab. Unlike generic business training programs, the incubator phase was tailored specifically to meet the needs of early-stage women-led ventures. Over the course of the program, participants gained hands-on training in core business areas including business model development, strategic planning, and market positioning. Beyond technical skills, the initiative also opened doors to one-on-one mentorship from experienced industry leaders, and created a dedicated collaborative space for female founders to network, share challenges, and exchange actionable ideas with peers who understand their unique obstacles.
The graduating cohort reflects the broad geographic reach of the project, drawing participants from all six of Belize’s administrative districts. The highest turnout came from Belize District, which contributed 50 graduates, followed by Cayo District with 24, Toledo with 21, Orange Walk with 11, Stann Creek with 10, and Corozal with 8. This cross-district participation underscores the widespread demand for targeted support for female entrepreneurs across both urban and rural areas of the country.
Even before the ink dried on the incubator phase graduation certificates, 91 participants moved forward to the program’s next stage: the accelerator phase, which officially launched on July 13. Where the incubator phase focused on laying a strong foundational framework for new businesses, the accelerator phase is designed to help more established female-led businesses expand their operations. The curriculum for this stage centers on advanced growth strategy development, financial planning and readiness, expanded access to top industry experts, continued personalized mentorship, and connections to potential investors who are focused on supporting women-owned ventures.
Overall, the “Catalyse Her Potential” project is structured around three interconnected core pillars that address common barriers facing women entrepreneurs in Belize. The first pillar is comprehensive capacity building, delivered through a flexible learning management system that allows participants to access training materials on their own schedule. The second pillar is intentional networking and connection, designed to bridge gaps between emerging founders, experienced mentors, and established industry professionals. The third and final pillar is seed capital and micro-financing support, which directly addresses one of the most significant challenges women business owners face: limited access to affordable capital to grow their operations.