Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Train 2000 unveils the £5m shape of Women's Enterprise in Liverpool


Train 2000, has unveiled a first image of the £5.3 m Women’s International Centre for Economic Development (WICED) which will open in the city centre in 2010.
WICED is to be located in the Baltic Triangle on the corner of St James Street and Norfork Street and will be the hub of international research on female entrepreneurship. 


It will also provide a range of enterprise support services including space for up to 80 business units to help women start and grow their businesses.


The 2,000sqm centre aims to ‘break the gender gap’ in starting businesses and is expected to help 3,000 women set up businesses in the next 10 years creating 4,500 new jobs. Initatives planned for the centre by Train 2000 and the WICED team have already been hailed as “amongst the best I’ve ever seen” by the world’s leading expert on women’s enterprise , Professor Patricia Greene of Babson College, USA who visited Liverpool to review the plans in May this year.Maggie O’Carroll, Executive Director of Train 2000 said:“We are creating the most advanced centre for women’s’ entrepreneurship and economic development in the world - right here in Liverpool. 


It will connect to a global network helping to create the conditions for more sustainable and high growth women’s businesses”. 


“In the 13 years since Train 2000 was set up we have shown how to provide innovative support mechanisms to accelerate the pace of creating and growing women-owned businesses and the WICED centre will only accelerate that process.” 


The new-build project will contain a range of offices, training & conference facilities and incubator space for new businesses.


Deputy Council Leader at Liverpool City Council, Cllr Flo Clucas said:“Liverpool City Council is fully behind the WICED plans and we are delighted that the plans are being internationally recognized for something that will happen right here in Liverpool.


Work on the building which has been designed by Liverpool based architects, Nightingales will begin in October and is expected to be completed in late 2010.

About WICED

The £5m Womens’ International Centre for Economic Development (WICED) will comprise of 2,000sqm located in the heart of Liverpool and is expected to help 3,000 women set up business creating 4,500 new jobs over the next ten years. The WICED will be the hub of international research on female entrepreneurship as well as providing a range of enterprise support services including space for up to 80 business units to help women start and grow their businesses.The new-build project, expected to reach completion in late 2010, will contain a range of offices, training & conference facilities and incubator space for new businesses. It is being jointly-funded by WICED, the North West Development Agency, Future Builders and Liverpool Council. WICED, a registered charity, was re-launched this year with the merge of two organisations, Train 2000 and the Women’s Electronic Village Hall.