Women's Enterprise Centre of Expertise (WECOE)


Supporting Women's Enterprise Development in the West Midlands
In partnership with Advantage West Midlands and Prowess

The West Midlands needs 8000 more women-owned businesses to strengthen the regional economy. 


"WECOE supports the growth of women's business ownership, through the development of effective women-friendly business support policies, infrastructure and enterprise culture across the West Midlands Region.

We achieve this by raising awareness, providing capacity building support to organisations which provide enterprise support services and by fulfilling a 'critical-friend' role to all those involved with mainstream economic and business development policy and practice - ensuring business support services are 'women-friendly' and fit for purpose.

Our goal is to significantly increase the numbers of women starting and/or growing sustainable businesses across the region."

At the moment only 14% of businesses in the West Midlands region are majority-owned by women - encouraging and enabling more women into business is not only good for the economy and the vibrancy of the regional business culture, it'd good for its communities and social infrastructure too.

Key Areas of Work:

  • Providing strategic support for the development, growth and sustainability of women's enterprise across the West Midlands
  • Influencing policy development and economic corporate planning
  • Capacity building specialist business support providers
 PLus, WECOE provides three Bursaries:
  1. Business Advisor Development Fund
    Women wishing to become SFEDI accredited community based business advisors.
  2. WEConnect Accreditation
    Certification process linking majority women-owned businesses with public sector and corporate companies for procurement opportunities.
  3. Flagship Award
    Best practice Quality Standard for excellence in women's enterprise development for business support providers and business women's networks.

Would you like further information on WECOE bursaries? If so, please contact:

Dr Zahida Shah - External Relations Manager                         z.shah@prowess.org.uk

For more information about WECOE, please contact us at:

The Custard Factory,
321 The Greenhouse,
Digbeth,
Birmingham,
B9 4AA
Telephone: + (44)(0) 121 224 7830
Email:v.white@prowess.org.uk