Visa and Halyk have opened registration for She’s Next 2026, the fifth round of the grant competition for women entrepreneurs in Kazakhstan. The 30-million-tenge prize pool is divided among four winners: the “Existing Business” and “Inclusive Business” categories receive ten million tenge each, while “New Business” and “IT Business” receive five million each.
Registration remains open until November 8, 2026. Organizers do not specify an exact closing hour. Kazakhstan uses a single time zone, so the deadline is November 8 in Astana time.
What participants receive
The ten-million and five-million-tenge amounts are after tax. Under the rules, prizes before personal income tax are eleven million and 5.5 million tenge; the competition organizer, PBN Central Asia LLP, withholds the tax as tax agent. Funds are transferred only to a Halyk account within a month of the results announcement, so a winner without a card from that bank will need to open one.
Before business plans are submitted, participants attend expert webinars from November 9 to 22. Regional Public Talks also take place during registration, this year in Aktobe, Pavlodar, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Karaganda and Shymkent (digitalbusiness.kz).
Across the previous four rounds, fourteen women entrepreneurs received a combined 46.5 million tenge (digitalbusiness.kz, standard.kz).
Who the program is for
Women aged eighteen or older who are citizens of Kazakhstan and have legal capacity may participate. A registered business is not mandatory: applicants with an idea can enter “New Business.”
There are restrictions on company founders. An application will be rejected if the company’s sole founder is a man or if its founders include both men and women. A family business registered to a husband or jointly to spouses does not qualify under the terms.
Projects involving alcohol, tobacco, drugs, weapons, gambling, counterfeit goods or traditional healing practices are excluded. Employees of the organizer and its affiliated persons cannot participate.
How selection works
After registration and webinars, participants upload a business plan through a step-by-step website form between November 23 and December 13. Each plan is assessed against five criteria, worth up to ten points each:
- business idea and growth potential;
- business model viability;
- planned use of the grant;
- social impact;
- presentation quality.
The commission selects forty business plans, ten in each category. Their authors deliver online pitches, after which twelve finalists remain, three per category. The grand final, with in-person presentations, takes place in Almaty on January 22, 2027, when the four winners will be announced. Under the rules, the organizer covers travel and accommodation in Almaty.
The website gives conflicting expert review dates: the rules list December 14–21, 2026, while the homepage calendar lists December 14 to January 10, 2027.
Conditions and restrictions
The grant is awarded to develop an existing business or launch a new one. Winners must submit a detailed expense report with supporting documents every three months for one year. If funds are misused, the prize must be repaid in whole or in part.
A single business plan cannot be submitted in multiple categories. To receive the prize, winners need a scanned identity document, proof of residential registration, Halyk account details and a signed income receipt document.
The rules do not mention a participation fee. The FAQ includes the question, but its answer was not displayed when checked.
How to apply
Register at shesnext.kz by November 8 and choose one of the four categories. Submit a business plan describing the idea, model and growth plans later, between November 23 and December 13. Organizers publish updates in the She’s Next Telegram channel.
Program profile in RAEM’s grants directory
Terms checked on September 26, 2026.
