Led by Leeds Beckett University, the three-year #WECAN (Women Empowered through Coaching and Networking) project aims to enhance the resilience and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by building the leadership skills, capabilities and opportunities of women in the Leeds City Region. Working with a network of partners - including Edge Hill University and Social Enterprise Yorkshire and Humber (SEYH) – the project: - Offers bespoke support to SMEs and their employees and managers - Provides opportunities for SMEs to work with universities and other organisations to design a tailored approach to learning - Fosters a culture that recognises, retains and develops talent whilst proactively addressing gender inequality - Creates a range of leadership and management training opportunities - Provides bespoke accredited or non-accredited training, to enable women to progress into - and within - leadership roles in SMEs across the Leeds City Region Partly funded by the European Union Social Fund The project has a budget of £1.7m over three years, partly funded by partners and partly from the European Social Fund as part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England. The Department for Work and Pensions (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for the England European Social Fund programme. Established by the European Union, the European Social Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support skills development, employment and job creation, social inclusion and local community regenerations.