Recommendation 19

The Government should remove entirely the age limit on eligibility for the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS). The existing seven-year threshold does not adequately reflect the structural and social challenges faced by many 55 female founders, including longer growth trajectories typical of the sectors in which they operate and the impact of caregiving-related career breaks. Extending the eligibility period would better accommodate these realities, promote gender equity in access to growth capital, and support the scaling of female-led enterprises across the UK. (Recommendation, Paragraph 74)