Recommendations & Conclusions
16 items
1
Recommendation
8th Report - Female entrepreneurship
Accepted
It should be a concern to all that a tiny fraction of venture capital investment goes to supporting women-led businesses. Despite numerous reviews and initiatives this situation is getting worse not better. Venture capital firms must do more to challenge themselves into providing investment on a more equitable basis including …
Government response. The government accepts the recommendation, outlining new specific actions through the British Business Bank's Strategic Plan. These include launching the £400m Investor Pathways programme, expanding support to diverse angel networks with new Angel Syndicate Support and Embracing Diversity programmes, and …
Government Equalities Office
2
Conclusion
8th Report - Female entrepreneurship
Accepted
The prize of £250 billion plus in potential growth is one that the Government should throw everything it has at pursuing. Current piecemeal initiatives have had little impact, systemic change is required. First and foremost this needs to be led by increasing access to finance for female-founders. Evidence has shown …
Government response. The government highlights the existing government-led Investing in Women Code as a significant initiative for transparency and accountability, and explains why the FCA does not request reporting from venture capital firms due to proportionality and streamlining plans.
Government Equalities Office
3
Conclusion
8th Report - Female entrepreneurship
Accepted
We welcome new initiatives by the British Business Bank to support more women into venture capital, particularly the commitment that at least 50% of investment from the Investor Pathways Capital initiative will be targeted at female fund managers and the £100 million investment in the Invest in Women Taskforce. However, …
Government response. The government welcomed the committee's focus, sharing the ambition to improve access to finance for female entrepreneurs, and detailed the British Business Bank's existing initiatives and new Strategic Plan which already embed diversity and inclusion, stating they will continue to …
Government Equalities Office
7
Recommendation
8th Report - Female entrepreneurship
Accepted
Wo do not support mandating gender quotas on investment committees at this stage, as measures to improve transparency and increased incentives to change behaviour should be given time to have an effect; but the Government should not rule out intervention in the future if the level of venture capital investment …
Government response. The government agrees on supporting women-led businesses and highlights its current strategies, including the new British Business Bank £400m Investor Pathways scheme, to back under-represented entrepreneurs and foster an action-based approach through initiatives like the Invest in Women Taskforce.
Government Equalities Office
14
Conclusion
8th Report - Female entrepreneurship
Accepted
Angel investment is a vital lifeline for early-stage female-led businesses, particularly in sectors where institutional funding remains elusive. While recent growth in angel investment for women-led ventures is encouraging, the gender imbalance among angel investors continues to limit progress. Increasing the proportion of women in angel networks directly correlates with …
Government response. The government acknowledges the role of institutional investors and is addressing investment gaps through initiatives like the Mansion House Accord and the British Growth Partnership. It highlights the Invest in Women Taskforce and the Women Backing Women Fund of Funds, …
Government Equalities Office
15
Conclusion
8th Report - Female entrepreneurship
Accepted
We welcome the increase in funding to the British Business Bank’s Regional Angel Programme. However, we are not reassured that a sufficient proportion of the funding will go to addressing the market failure in support for female entrepreneurs and we are concerned about transparency in who receives funding from it. …
Government response. The government agrees with unlocking potential and describes a £100 million expansion of the British Business Bank's innovation clusters program, alongside other initiatives like the UKEF Female Founder Export Accelerator. Critically, the British Business Bank's Investor Pathways Capital initiative will …
Government Equalities Office
21
Conclusion
8th Report - Female entrepreneurship
Accepted
There is a clear gap in support for female entrepreneurs who wish to scale their business or even to make it sustainable, particularly those whose businesses do not fall within those sectors of the economy considered ‘high growth’. We believe the Invest in Women Taskforce is an appropriate vehicle to …
Government response. The government acknowledged the value of unlocking potential and detailed existing initiatives and programmes, including a £100 million expansion (of an unspecified fund, possibly related to the British Business Bank), that aim to support female entrepreneurs and address access to …
Government Equalities Office
22
Recommendation
8th Report - Female entrepreneurship
Accepted
Institutional investors, including major banks and pension funds, are a key component of the funding landscape. We call on them to do much more to support female-led businesses, including through supporting the Invest in Women Taskforce. (Recommendation, Paragraph 87)
Government response. The government accepts this recommendation, stating it is addressing the issue through the Mansion House Accord and British Growth Partnership, coordinating with the Invest in Women Taskforce, and securing commitments from institutional investors to the Women Backing Women Fund of …
Government Equalities Office
24
Conclusion
8th Report - Female entrepreneurship
Accepted
There is a lack of pitch events, accelerators, networks and mentorship opportunities for female founders. Many that do exist tend to be focused on the ‘Golden Triangle’ of Cambridge, Oxford and London, limiting the growth potential of businesses in other regions. This disproportionately affects women, who are more likely to …
Government response. The government has committed to strengthening financial education in the curriculum, with revised content to be taught from September 2028, to increase financial confidence in girls and enhance future female entrepreneurship.
Government Equalities Office
26
Recommendation
8th Report - Female entrepreneurship
Accepted
As part of a new Strategy for Female Entrepreneurship, the Government should establish a large-scale nationwide programme dedicated to supporting female founders across all sectors to sustain and scale up their businesses. The programme should offer mentorship, sponsorship, coaching and networking for female entrepreneurs with a particular focus on raising …
Government response. The government agrees on the value of supporting female founders and works with the British Business Bank and Metro Mayors, highlighting existing and new initiatives like the UKEF Female Founder Export Accelerator and the Investor Pathways Capital initiative, which targets …
Government Equalities Office
27
Recommendation
8th Report - Female entrepreneurship
Accepted
The Government should develop a specific programme of promoting targeted, female-focused accelerators in high growth sectors where women are underrepresented. Such a measure was noticeably missing from the Industrial Strategy. (Recommendation, Paragraph 111)
Government response. The government has accepted the recommendation, announcing the launch of the UKEF Female Founder Export Accelerator in partnership with Lifted Ventures, commencing in January 2026. This programme is specifically designed to support women-led businesses in high-growth sectors to scale internationally.
Government Equalities Office
28
Recommendation
8th Report - Female entrepreneurship
Accepted
Universities are a vital source of innovative start-ups, but evidence to this inquiry suggests women are less likely to take up entrepreneurship courses and/or develop spinouts than their male peers. This is a missed opportunity for growth. The Government should work with UKRI to develop a specific programme of dedicated …
Government response. The government has accepted the recommendation, outlining new entrepreneurship fellowships, £25 million for doctoral training schemes, a £4.5 million round of Women in Innovation Awards, and specific women-led Discover and ICURe Explore programmes, all designed to support female entrepreneurs in …
Government Equalities Office
30
Recommendation
8th Report - Female entrepreneurship
Accepted
Self-employed women (and those employed via their small business) are poorly served by the UK’s parental leave arrangements. As part of its Parental Leave and Pay Review, the Government should review legislation 57 pertaining to maternity through the lens of a self-employed woman and seek to tailor policies to support …
Government response. The government confirms its Parental Leave and Pay review, launched on 1 July 2025 and running for 18 months, will consider parental leave and pay for all parents, including the self-employed, and assess fairness and equality across employment statuses, directly …
Government Equalities Office
38
Conclusion
8th Report - Female entrepreneurship
Accepted
Young people in the UK show strong entrepreneurial ambition, yet a lack of financial education and awareness hinders their ability to turn aspirations into viable businesses. While initiatives like Young Enterprise and Talk Learn Do demonstrate the positive impact of financial literacy, there remains a significant gap in provision in …
Government response. The government commits to strengthening financial education in the curriculum with a revised content plan for 2027 and implementation by September 2028, directly addressing the identified gaps and need for earlier provision to build foundational skills and confidence.
Government Equalities Office
39
Conclusion
8th Report - Female entrepreneurship
Accepted
This gap disproportionately affects young women, who will face greater barriers in accessing networks, mentorship, and funding, and whose confidence drops as they progress through education. Embedding enterprise and financial literacy skills into the curriculum is essential to creating a diverse and capable pipeline of future entrepreneurs. (Conclusion, Paragraph 148)
Government response. The government is committed to strengthening financial education in the curriculum, with revised content planned for publication by 2027 and teaching from September 2028, directly addressing the identified importance of embedding these skills.
Government Equalities Office
40
Recommendation
8th Report - Female entrepreneurship
Accepted
The Government should work to increase the provision and relevance of financial and enterprise education in schools and to ensure that it is delivered as a core part of the curriculum. Seeking to increase the financial confidence of girls should be a key element of the provision. (Recommendation, Paragraph 149)
Government response. The government has committed to strengthening financial education in mathematics and citizenship as part of a curriculum review, with a public consultation in 2026, content publication by 2027, and teaching from September 2028. This work will also consider how to …
Government Equalities Office