Celebrating and empowering women in business
OCBC Women Unlimited, the first programme dedicated to women entrepreneurs by a Singapore bank.
While there has been progress in gender diversity and inclusivity, women entrepreneurs still face challenges in establishing and growing their businesses today. Our goal is to bridge this gap by providing the tools, knowledge and support needed to start or grow your business successfully.
From our data:
- In 2023, 30% of newly incorporated businesses – up from 23% in 2018 – were small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) founded by women
- Women founders are increasingly prominent in male-dominated industries, including Manufacturing, Resources, Building and Construction, and Transport and Logistics.
- However, female-owned SMEs still exhibit low growth in sales turnover in the first 3 years of operations.
What does ‘unlimited’ mean to you? Whether it pertains to opportunities or capabilities, OCBC remains steadfast in our endeavour to help you achieve your business ambitions.
The OCBC Women Unlimited programme is designed to address the unique challenges women entrepreneurs face and, empower them on their journey to success. Our offering has three pillars.
Empower
Provide access to networking opportunities and valuable connections locally and regionally.
Expand your network across industries and countries.
Provide access to networking opportunities and valuable connections locally and regionally.
Expand your network across industries and countries.
Enable
Equip women entrepreneurs with practical and pertinent resources to amplify their business expertise and financial acumen.
This includes financing solutions and a diverse range of events to enable your progress and your business growth.
Equip women entrepreneurs with practical and pertinent resources to amplify their business expertise and financial acumen.
This includes financing solutions and a diverse range of events to enable your progress and your business growth.
Engage
Foster a safe and supportive community of women entrepreneurs where knowledge and experience are shared openly.
This gives you an opportunity to connect with like-minded women entrepreneurs.
Foster a safe and supportive community of women entrepreneurs where knowledge and experience are shared openly.
This gives you an opportunity to connect with like-minded women entrepreneurs.
Through these pillars, you can gain the following:
- Tailored financing solutions: Financing for different business needs, as well as business insurance
- Educational events: Access to exclusive events (e.g. talks and symposiums) with subject matter experts
- Networking opportunities: Chances to build valuable relationships and expand your professional network
Seize opportunities to help your business take off or reach the next level. Get an exclusive fee waiver when you join our programme for women entrepreneurs and apply for a business loan* with us.
Obtain your first loan to fuel your startup ambition
Secure financing of up to S$100,000 within 2 years from incorporation.
Scale your business to greater heights
Start your expansion plan today and enjoy waiver of processing fees*
Protect your business
Have greater peace of mind with comprehensive coverage for your business with BizProtect Plus. Get 10% off any of our annual plans and 15% off multi-year/multi-policy plans.
Protect yourself
With OCBC Great Assurance, have peace of mind with added protection. Get this plan for free for 3 months with successful application of a business loan.
* The processing fee for the Business First Loan, Business Term Loan, Working Capital Loan and Revolving Term Loan will be waived.
The secret to building a strong and supportive community is no secret at all — these inspiring women are committed to supporting other women in the business operations.
"We benefited from OCBC’s partnership as they actively joined us in our business journey, genuinely taking an interest in vision, ideas and business challenges.
At different stages as we scaled, their expertise in laying out various financing options and outlining business considerations gave me the assurance that they had our backs covered."
Sharon Lim
Co-founder and Chairperson, Browzwear
“Securing our first green financing loan from OCBC was a significant milestone for our circular economy startup. Without that first loan, we would not be where we are today.”
Didi Gan
Managing Director, N&E Innovations Pte Ltd
The OCBC “Hear from Her” podcast features female experts sharing their experience and knowledge on entrepreneurship and ESG-related topics.
Hear from Her, EP1 - Susannah Jaffer, Founder, ZERRIN
Our ESG Analyst, Shu Yi Ong, spoke to Susannah Jaffer, entrepreneur and founder of ZERRIN, an online discovery platform that carries sustainable and ethically conscious fashion. Susannah is also the host of the madebetter podcast, where she connects with other incredible individuals to speak about how to create and consume more consciously.
The discussion focused on Susannah's personal journey in sustainability, ZERRIN's approach to sustainability and social impact through 5 Ps - People, Product, Packaging, Principles & Planet, the future of sustainable fashion and tips on how you can cultivate a healthy and meaningful relationship with your clothes.
Hear from Her, EP5 - Carolin Barr, Founder, susGain
🌎 Embracing Sustainable Lifestyles: Carolin explains how their Gamified Engagement app supports individuals in adopting sustainable habits, from reducing waste to lowering personal carbon footprints. Explore how they craft customised activities and challenges, making sustainability a seamless part of daily life.
🏢 Corporate & Community Initiatives: Dive into susGain's exciting projects, where they design employee engagement programs, events, and experiences to create tangible impacts. Learn how they measure the collective impact of these initiatives on a larger scale.
🌟 The Power of Awareness & Change: Gain insights into the evolving awareness of sustainability among Singaporeans, debunking stereotypes about generational involvement. Learn how susGain's community engagement initiatives drive positive change across demographics.
Hear from Her, EP10 - Jamie Lee, CEO, Scanteak
🌳 Discover the journey of sustainability and innovation as Jamie shares insights into Scanteak’s commitment to tackle illegal logging through their teak furniture supply chain.
🌐 Learn how technology and digitalisation are reshaping the way we buy furniture, with Scanteak leading the charge with E-Commerce and Augmented Reality (AR) experiences.