Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 21
21
Accepted
Significant gap in support for female entrepreneurs scaling businesses due to lack of capital.
Conclusion
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 deliver such support but it is hampered by a lack of capital in its fund of funds. (Conclusion, Paragraph 86)
Government response summary AI-generated
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 finance barriers.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
We recognise the vital role that institutional investors play in the funding landscape and in increasing access to finance for female-led businesses. The Government is addressing the lack of UK pension fund investment in innovative UK businesses through the Mansion House Accord and the British Growth Partnership (BGP). Government is engaging with key stakeholders across these initiatives to create better coordination with the Invest in Women Taskforce. Two of the Mansion House Accord signatories, Aviva and M&G, have already committed to the Invest in Women Taskforce funding pot. We are working to bring additional Mansion House signatories on board and will continue to do so in 2026. The Invest in Women Taskforce is channelling large-scale institutional capital into female-led venture funds and female powered and mixed businesses. By empowering both sides of the investment table, the Taskforce is not only unlocking more capital but also redesigning where the capital goes and who controls it. The Women Backing Women Fund of Funds will bridge the gap between institutional investors and diverse fund managers best placed to back female and mixed businesses. Commitments from institutional investors include Barclays, BGF, Nationwide, and the British Business Bank.
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