Visa, a world leader in digital payments, together with Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB), has announced  Aida Almudaifa, the founder of Early Riser, and the only manufacturer of granolas and nut butters in Bahrain, as the winner of the first ‘She's Next’ grant programme for Bahrain.

The winner was announced at an award ceremony held at Princess Noura bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh.

Handpicked from a pool of over 880 applicants from GCC, the winning woman-owned small business received a $50,000 grant along with a year of business coaching from International Trade Centre (ITC), a United Nations and World Trade Organization, and $3,000 in Amazon Web Services credits.

The business coaching will be provided by the ITC SheTrades Initiative, ITC’s flagship women and trade programme. The winner was selected from a pool of applicants representing a range of sectors including but not limited to textiles, education, food and beverage, professional services, beauty and wellness.

A jury evaluated entries based on the following criteria: the progression of applicant’s entrepreneurial journey; robustness of their business metrics; digital presence; and a demonstrated ability to problem-solve confidently.

For the first time, She’s Next included a People’s Favorite award, voted for online by members of the public. This award with cash prize of $10,000 went to Esraa AlJanahi, the Founder of EJS Dynamic Fitness, a boutique fitness facility.

Through their participation in the She's Next programme, these women entrepreneurs have already had access to practical insights from women leaders, valuable tools, educational resources, and facilitated trainings. This includes access to AWS Connected Community and ITC SheTrades Initiative’s "Elevate Your Business" training programme. Visa and ITC will also provide one-to-one advisory support for 30 finalists – equipping these individuals with the guidance and insights to boost their business and financial strategies.

"In a world where women-owned small businesses consistently demonstrate their resilience and future-forward optimism, Visa is proud to acknowledge and support these trailblazing female entrepreneurs in Bahrain. We extend our heartfelt congratulations once again to the winners of She’s Next in Bahrain and look forward to supporting them in their business journey," said Malak Alsaffar, Visa’s Country Manager for Bahrain.

“We at BisB have always believed in the power of entrepreneurship and the immense potential that women-owned businesses bring. We are extremely proud to be a part of She's Next program and contribute to the success of the outstanding women who have emerged as winners. Their ability to innovate and create business solutions is truly an inspiration,” said Fatema Alalawi, Chief Retail Banking Officer-BisB. – TradeArabia News Service