Research project
Leveraging migrant entrepreneurship: Voices of inclusive engagement
- Start date: 28 January 2026
- End date: 30 June 2026
- Principal investigator: Dr Deema Refai
- Co-investigators: Ewa Lelontko (Migration Yorkshire)
- External co-investigators: Dr Yousef Qaisi
Description
Project team: Dr Deema Refai, Ewa Lelontko and Dr Yousef Qaisi
Migrant women entrepreneurs face significant and often overlooked barriers when accessing business support in the UK.
In 2024, Migration Yorkshire delivered the Migrant Women in Business programme, supporting 25 early-stage women entrepreneurs across West Yorkshire. Research conducted alongside the programme by the University of Leeds identified substantial challenges in accessing relevant business support, alongside a clear need for greater visibility of migrant women's entrepreneurial success stories to build confidence and motivation within these communities.
Building on these findings, and with endorsement from West Yorkshire's Inclusivity Champion, this project establishes a Migrant Women Entrepreneurs Advisory Panel to bring the expertise and lived experience of migrant women entrepreneurs directly into policy and practice discussions.
The project responds to the demonstrated need for migrant women's voices to inform how business support is designed and delivered across the region.
This project is funded by the University of Leeds Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF), and builds on Dr Deema Refai’s previous research projects: Migrant Women in Business – A Focus on West Yorkshire (funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority through the Enterprise West Yorkshire Development Fund) and A Better Future - Understanding Refugee Entrepreneurship (BFURE) (funded by the British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grant).
Research overview
This project convenes an advisory panel of eight migrant women entrepreneurs, ranging from early-stage founders to established business owners, who will participate in four facilitated meetings between January and June 2026 at the University of Leeds.
Through these sessions, panel members will share their entrepreneurial experiences, identify systemic barriers to business support, and collaboratively develop evidence-based recommendations for improving provision.
The project adopts a participatory approach that positions migrant women as knowledge co-producers rather than passive research subjects.
A central component involves direct engagement with policymakers from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and regional business support organisations through roundtable discussions, enabling panel members to influence decision-making directly. Participants will also have access to optional capacity-building activities, including public speaking training and business coaching.
Data will be collected through observational notes, participant reflections, and documentation of recommendations developed, contributing to both regional policy development and academic understanding of inclusive entrepreneurship support.
Scope of project
Regionally, our message aligns with the strategic priorities of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, aiming to deliver inclusive and sustainable economic growth that benefits all parts of the region.
Nationally, this directly feeds into the regional implementation of national priorities, particularly the Levelling Up agenda and Industrial Strategy, which seek to address spatial inequalities by boosting productivity, skills, and high-quality employment across all parts of the UK.
Publications and outputs
Policy-focused event: Findings from this project will be communicated in a policy-focused event in July 2026. This event moves beyond description toward action, generating concrete recommendations for policymakers, support organisations, and higher education institutions. All findings will be communicated in a policy brief and a detailed report, to be shared on this platform.
Project activities to date: The advisory panel has engaged in a programme of activities designed to bring migrant women entrepreneurs' voices into policy and practice discussions:
- Advisory panel meetings: Two advisory panel meetings have been held with migrant women entrepreneurs, providing a forum to share entrepreneurial experiences, identify barriers to business support, and develop recommendations for improving provision across West Yorkshire.
- One-to-one mentoring sessions: Panel members have accessed individual mentoring sessions with a professional business coach, supporting their entrepreneurial development and building confidence.
- Training session: A dedicated training session has been delivered to develop panel members' skills and confidence, including preparation for engaging with policymakers and stakeholders.
Panel members at a training session