Applications Now Open for SheBuilds at UCC
SheBuilds: Building the Business. Building the Founder.
A six-week entrepreneurship programme helping women in the UCC community develop their business ideas and build the confidence to lead.
Applications are now open for SheBuilds, a programme from IGNITE UCC delivered with the support and expertise of Virginia Foley of Up She Rises.
Running from 6 October to 10 November 2026, the programme supports women with an early business idea, a side hustle or an emerging business. Across six weekly evening workshops, participants will develop their ideas while building confidence, self-belief and leadership skills.
What is SheBuilds?
Most startup programmes focus on building the business. SheBuilds builds both: the business and the woman who will lead it.
Through practical workshops, guest speakers and opportunities to present their ideas, participants will learn to understand their customers, test their thinking, shape their offering and communicate its value.
Participants will use the Lean Canvas, a practical tool for mapping out a business idea, to clarify the problem they are solving, their target customer and their value proposition.
Alongside this, a parallel focus on self-leadership will help participants address self-doubt, make decisions under uncertainty and take action before they feel completely ready.
Who can apply?
SheBuilds is designed for women in the UCC community, including undergraduate and postgraduate students, who:
- Have a business idea but have not yet acted on it.
- Have a side hustle they would like to develop into a full time business.
- Are developing an early business and want greater clarity on their next steps.
You do not need to have tested your idea or spoken to customers yet. Women applying as cofounders are welcome.
Places are limited to 20 participants.
SheBuilds is delivered through a series of six in-person workshops, with each session contributing to the overall learning experience.
What participants will gain
By the end of the programme, participants will have:
- A clearer business idea, shaped around a customer, a problem and an opportunity.
- A completed Lean Canvas, outlining their target customer, the problem they are solving and the value they offer.
- Practical next steps to test and develop their idea.
- A stronger voice, with greater confidence to communicate their value and pitch their business.
- Greater self belief and resilience, helping them make decisions and keep moving forward.
- A supportive network of women building alongside them.
Participants will present throughout the programme, culminating in a Grand Pitch at the final session.
Applications are now open.