My dashboardA Rs 5,000,000 dedicated incubator for women entrepreneurs, plus loans without spousal consent
At a glance
Budget 2026-2027 (paragraphs 236 to 239) announced three measures for women in business: a Rs 5,000,000 dedicated incubator for women under the SME scheme, an amendment to the law so women applying for loans no longer need their spouse's consent, and the She-Invents programme supporting women in research and innovation. These are announced measures whose detailed rules and application processes have not yet been published.
Budget 2026-2027 put a package on the table specifically for women in business. There are three parts: a dedicated incubator for women entrepreneurs under the SME scheme, a change in the law so that a woman applying for a loan no longer needs her spouse's consent, and the She-Invents programme to back women working in research and innovation. If you are a woman running or starting a business in Mauritius, all three are aimed at you.
The incubator carries a budget of Rs 5,000,000. No figures have been published yet for what each participant receives, how many places there will be, or what support She-Invents will carry. The spousal consent reform has no rupee value but removes a real barrier: banks and lenders will no longer be able to ask a married woman for her husband's signature before granting her a loan.
These measures are for women who are Mauritian citizens or residents. The incubator targets women entrepreneurs under the SME scheme, so expect it to follow the usual SME registration requirements once rules are out. She-Invents targets women in research and innovation, which could suit you if your business has a product development or tech angle.
There is nothing formal to apply to yet. Your best move now is to make sure your business is registered with SME Mauritius and holds a valid SME registration certificate, since the incubator will almost certainly require it. Then watch SME Mauritius channels for the incubator launch and official announcements for She-Invents.
Watch out for this
Watch out for the announced-only status of all three measures: the Rs 5,000,000 incubator figure is a budget allocation, not a grant amount per person, and the selection criteria could be narrow once published. The spousal consent change also needs the amending legislation to actually pass before banks change their practice, so do not assume it applies until the law is in force.
No application process has opened yet. The incubator is expected to run under the SME scheme, so contact SME Mauritius for updates once it launches. The spousal consent reform is a legal amendment that applies automatically once passed. Watch official announcements for She-Invents entry details.
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