Standard Chartered HK & LIFTWOMEN Launch 'SC WIN Now & Next' Challenge for Women

• Standard Chartered Hong Kong and LIFTWOMEN have introduced the "SC WIN Now & Next Challenge" program
• The program is under Standard Chartered's Women's International Network (SC WIN)
• It seeks to enable women entrepreneurs via an international network of support 

Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited ("Standard Chartered Hong Kong") has joined forces with LIFTWOMEN® to introduce the "SC WIN Now & Next Challenge," a new initiative under the bank's Women's International Network (SC WIN). The programme will leverage SC WIN's international resources and network, as well as LiftWomen®'s extensive experience in uplifting women entrepreneurs, to offer 10 selected participants with entry to the 8-week LiftHER Global Accelerator Programme.

Five programme winners will get a combined total of HKD 1 million worth of grants, as well as professional training to develop and expand their businesses. The introduction of the "SC WIN Now & Next Challenge" was celebrated by a special gathering of prominent women entrepreneurs from all over the startup and business ecosystems.

The gathering commemorated the launch of the initiative while underlining Standard Chartered's enhanced support to SMEs, with a particular emphasis on strengthening their financial abilities and business development capabilities.

As per a study conducted by Women of Hong Kong, SC WIN's local partner, accessing available funding is an issue for most women entrepreneurs. SC WIN hopes to fill in that gap with three main pillars providing products that fit various levels of business development, developing platforms that bridge markets, customers, suppliers, and businesspeople around the world, helping SMEs establish successful development and expansion strategies.

The "SC WIN Now & Next Challenge" is a fresh programme under SC WIN that targets women entrepreneurs who have already developed their business models and are looking to scale and expand into new markets. The programme is likely to attract applications from more than a hundred local women entrepreneurs.

Out of these, ten exceptional participants will be selected to attend the 8-week LiftHER Global Accelerator Programme, where they'll receive more in-depth knowledge on business operations and market trends to sharpen their strategies. The program will culminate in a late August pitching competition, in which five winners will be announced.

Mary Huen, CEO Hong Kong and Greater China & North Asia, Standard Chartered, stated "Standard Chartered Hong Kong continues to support the growth of SMEs. Through collaborations with industry associations and chambers, we seek to enable SMEs to succeed by embracing digitalisation, growing cross-border, and driving sustainability. Since the launch of SC WIN in Hong Kong in October 2023, we've provided customised lending solutions and networking sessions to enable women entrepreneurs to connect and expand.” The new 'SC WIN Now & Next Challenge' further boosts this assistance—giving more exposure, resources, and pragmatic tools to enhance brand competitiveness and business capabilities. It's all part of our mission to drive SME growth and support Hong Kong's economic advancement.