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Access Bank launches Season 8 of its Womenpreneur Pitch-a-ton for female founders.
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A cohort of 120 female entrepreneurs receives a fully funded Mini-MBA certification.
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Candidates must hold 50% equity in a registered business operating for over one year. Applicants must have an active Access Bank account and must be aged 18 to 55.
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Applications close on September 29, 2026, through digital submission channels.
September 21, (THEWILL) – Access Bank has officially opened applications for Season 8 of its flagship Womenpreneur Pitch-a-ton initiative, inviting female founders across Nigeria to compete for mini-MBA certifications, business grants, and pan-African market exposure.
Managed under the bank’s W Initiative, the program provides female-led enterprises with structured capacity building alongside direct financial injection. Interested entrepreneurs must submit their applications before the September 29, 2026 deadline.
Expanding Capacity for 120 Female Founders
Season 8 will select 120 women-owned businesses to participate in an intensive, fully sponsored Mini-MBA program. The curriculum focuses on operational leadership, financial strategy, and business scaling, addressing structural knowledge gaps that frequently hinder early-stage enterprises.
In addition to executive training, top finalists will receive non-dilutive equity grants and media exposure. Participants also gain direct entry into Access Bank’s continental network of alumni, connecting domestic founders with broader African market opportunities.
Launched in 2019, the initiative initially served domestic enterprises before expanding into a broader pan-African platform across Access Bank’s operating markets.
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Strict Qualification Criteria
Applicants must satisfy specific operational benchmarks to qualify for the first selection phase. The business must have operated for at least one year with a valid corporate registration.
Female founders must maintain at least 50 percent ownership and be between the ages of 18 and 55. Furthermore, applicants must hold an active individual or business account with Access Bank.
Screening proceeds in stages, advancing qualified applicants from written submissions to live pitching sessions before a panel of enterprise advisors.
Female entrepreneurs can submit their entries directly through the official Access Bank W Initiative portal before the September 29 cutoff.
Joy Onuorah is a business journalist and brand communications specialist covering financial markets, artificial intelligence, digital economy, and the ideas reshaping business across Africa and the global market. Beyond her reporting for TheWill, Joy uses brand strategy, storytelling, copywriting, and high-value SEO to help brands build lasting market authority.
