Gender Bias in Innovation Funding
Innovate UK's funding structures and processes exhibiting systemic bias against female entrepreneurs.
195 items
5 sources
Strongest theme matches
Mixed across source types and ranked by classifier confidence plus text match strength.
Committee recommendation
100match
#9 - Require Innovate UK to ringfence 30% of funding and reform processes for female entrepreneurs.
Public funding structures should challenge gender bias and not reinforce it. Innovate UK should: • ringfence a minimum of 30% of its funding for female entrepreneurs with year on year increases to 40% by 2030; 53 • in the short term lower leverage ratios and reduce match funding requirements for women-owned businesses to help level the playing field...
Matched on
terms: bias, funding, gender
Committee recommendation
100match
#8 - Innovate UK's funding structures and processes exhibit systemic bias against female entrepreneurs.
Innovate UK provides an essential funding stream for mainly male entrepreneurs. Women who seek to access funding from it report their projects being undervalued and subject to biased investment decisions from majority male assessment panels. Match funding requirements exclude women who already struggle to access investment while application processes are onerous. Innovate UK’s decision to allocate only half...
Matched on
terms: bias, funding, innovation
Committee recommendation
83match
#21 - Ensure FCDO retains expertise and provides gender-specific funding to empower marginalised groups.
The FCDO must have the expertise and resources required to empower marginalised groups in decision-making forums, as well as the ability to equip them in their efforts to bring about lasting change in their communities. The FCDO will need to ensure that, through its spending allocations, it retains centralised and local gender expertise. It will also need gender-specific...
Matched on
terms: funding, gender
Committee recommendation
78match
#16 - Ringfence 30% of Regional Angel Programme funding for female investors and businesses; publish data.
We call on the British Business Bank to ringfence a minimum of 30% of Regional Angel Programme funding for supporting female angel investors and investment in female-led businesses across the regions and to publish data on take-up by gender. The Bank should also review the access requirements to the programme to ensure that smaller angel groups, particularly those...
Matched on
terms: funding, gender
Committee recommendation
78match
#14 - Gender imbalance among angel investors limits growth of female-led businesses.
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 higher investment in female-founded and mixed-gender teams. Training...
Matched on
terms: funding, gender
Committee recommendation
70match
#15 - Insufficient funding for female entrepreneurs and lack of transparency in Regional Angel Programme.
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. (Conclusion, Paragraph 67)
Matched on
terms: funding
Committee recommendation
70match
#7 - Prepare Government to intervene on gender quotas if female entrepreneur investment does not improve.
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 in female entrepreneurs shows no sign of improvement....
Matched on
terms: gender
Committee recommendation
69match
#6 - Require British Business Bank to mandate data on equitable investment decisions for female-led businesses.
In the immediate term, the British Business Bank must take more of an interest in whom its funding supports. Venture capital firms and angel investors that benefit from public funding should be required to demonstrate gender-equitable investment decisions. The British Business Bank should require all investors it supports to provide data on the proportion of that finance they...
Matched on
terms: funding, gender
Committee recommendation
66match
#5 - Mandate FCA to require venture capital firms to report and publish female-led business funding data.
We do not accept arguments that transparency and accountability in venture capital are too difficult, and neither should the Government. The Financial Conduct Authority should be mandated to require all registered venture capital firms to report on the number and proportion of deals that go to support female-led businesses and the overall proportion of funding that represents. These...
Matched on
terms: funding
Committee recommendation
62match
#51 - Provide additional funding for early diagnosis and treatment of women’s reproductive health conditions.
We call on the Government to recognise the financial benefits of increased investment in early diagnosis and treatment of women’s reproductive health conditions and provide the additional funding necessary to truly transform the support available to the millions of women affected by reproductive ill health in this country. (Paragraph 187) 81
Matched on
terms: funding
Committee recommendation
62match
#49 - Allocate increased ringfenced funding for research into women’s reproductive health and boost clinical academia interest.
The Government should allocate increased, ringfenced funding to support research into the causes, diagnosis and treatment of women’s reproductive health conditions. While increased funding will in itself attract more researchers to this area, NHS England and research bodies should also consider what steps they can take to increase interest among clinical academia. (Paragraph 182) Implementing the Women’s Health...
Matched on
terms: funding
Committee recommendation
61match
#12 - Gender inequality causes limited progress and availability of female-specific sports kit and equipment.
It is symptomatic of gender inequality and sexism in the sports sector that the first football boot in the world designed around female feet came to the market less than four years ago. Since then, limited progress has been made by the largest sports brands, who between them have produced only a handful of football boots designed specifically...
Matched on
terms: gender
Committee recommendation
61match
#10 - Slow response to women's ACL injuries indicates systemic gender inequality in sports research.
There has been a slow and disparate response to disproportionately high rates of ACL injury in women’s football. We have no doubt that a health issue of similar magnitude affecting elite male footballers would have received a faster, more thorough, and better coordinated response. We agree with Karen Carney that the 40 Health barriers for girls and women...
Matched on
terms: gender
Committee recommendation
61match
#28 - Develop specific entrepreneurial support programmes for women in postgraduate and postdoctoral studies.
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 entrepreneurial support for women in postgraduate and postdoctoral...
Matched on
terms: funding
Committee recommendation
61match
#24 - Insufficient support and opportunities exist for female founders outside the ‘Golden Triangle’.
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 start businesses outside this hub. Without a deliberate...
Matched on
terms: gender
Committee recommendation
61match
#18 - Launch a Female Enterprise Investment Scheme with higher incentives for women-led businesses.
The Government should launch a Female Enterprise Investment Scheme to sit alongside the EIS and SEIS, with higher incentives to specifically drive investment in women-led businesses. People who invest in women-led businesses should receive greater benefits. Existing biases in the investment landscape and a lack of awareness of existing reliefs show that a new, easily marketable, marquee incentive...
Matched on
terms: bias
Committee recommendation
61match
#4 - Require British Business Bank to set target to increase equity finance for female entrepreneurs to 10%.
We recommend that the British Business Bank should: • have a fifth strategic objective, to ensure that equity finance to female entrepreneurs in the UK increases from 2% to 10% by 2030; • set itself the target of ensuring that no less than 30% of the finance it makes available to UK businesses is allocated to supporting female-...
Matched on
terms: gender
Committee recommendation
60match
#7 - Require disclosure of diversity statistics for EIS, SEIS, VCT tax relief eligibility.
HM Treasury should make provision of diversity statistics a requirement for eligibility to receive EIS, SEIS and VCT tax reliefs. Firms should be required to disclose the gender and ethnic breakdown of both recipients of their funding and their own staff. This should take effect from the renewal of the sunset clauses in April 2025.
Matched on
terms: funding, gender
Committee recommendation
60match
#4 - Venture capital market diversity statistics remain unacceptable and progress too slow.
The diversity statistics in the venture capital market are unacceptable. Venture capital firms are dominated overwhelmingly by white men, and the recipients of venture capital funding are even more unrepresentative of the wider UK population in terms of gender and ethnicity. While there has been some improvement, it is happening far too slowly, and affecting rapid change should...
Matched on
terms: funding, gender
Committee recommendation
57match
#39 - Gap in financial and enterprise education disproportionately affects young women.
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)
Matched on
terms: funding
Committee recommendation
57match
#22 - Urge institutional investors to increase support for female-led businesses and the Invest in Women Taskforce.
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)
Matched on
terms: funding
Committee recommendation
57match
#19 - Remove the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) age limit on eligibility entirely.
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...
Matched on
terms: gender
Committee recommendation
56match
#20 - Launch campaign to raise awareness of SEIS, EIS, and FEIS among investors and entrepreneurs.
The government should launch a campaign to increase awareness of the SEIS, EIS and proposed FEIS schemes among investors and female entrepreneurs. The campaign should be appropriately tailored to ensure underrepresented groups of women are aware of the schemes. The Government should collect data on the schemes by gender and region to monitor take-up. (Recommendation, Paragraph 75)
Matched on
terms: gender
NAO recommendation
56match
UK Research and Innovation: providing support through grants
It is vital that UKRI uses all available levers to ensure it is taking as much risk as it would like to in its funding decisions to achieve strategic objectives and to prevent missing out on high-reward opportunities. By April 2026, UKRI should consider ways it can improve the support it provides to those with responsibility for funding...
Matched on
terms: funding, innovation
PHSO casework decision
55match
P-001277 - UK Research and Innovation
Mr B complained that Innovate UK, which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), failed to properly assess and score his submission for grant funding. He also complained they did not address comments he made in his complaint response
Matched on
terms: funding, innovation
Committee recommendation
53match
#5 - Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact
Women are traditionally under-represented in sectors that have been singled out for Government investment, such as science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and construction. More must be done to tackle gender inequalities in representation and career progression in these male-dominated sectors so that women do not lose out in the recovery.
Matched on
terms: gender
Committee recommendation
49match
#26 - Establish a large-scale nationwide programme supporting female founders to sustain and scale businesses.
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 capital. It should seek to connect female founders...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
49match
#21 - Significant gap in support for female entrepreneurs scaling businesses due to lack of capital.
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...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
49match
#17 - Awareness and take-up of SEIS/EIS tax incentives remain low among women investors.
Tax incentives such as SEIS and EIS have proven effective in stimulating investment. Yet awareness, accessibility and take-up remain lower among women investors and outside of the South East. To achieve meaningful change, government and industry must work together to raise awareness of the benefits of tax incentives, build inclusive investment communities, and ensure that female entrepreneurs have...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
49match
#13 - Set a 10% target for public contracts awarded to female-led businesses by Parliament end.
The Government should set itself a target for the proportion of public contracts awarded to female-led businesses similar to initiatives in Canada, the US and Nordic countries. Given the low base we suggest a target of at least 10% by the end of this Parliament. The proposed new Office should have responsibility for driving this reform and provide...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
49match
#11 - Require Government to develop and publish an ambitious strategy for advancing female entrepreneurship.
The Government should develop and publish an ambitious strategy for advancing female entrepreneurship to sit alongside and complement the existing Industrial Strategy and SME Strategy. This strategy should be published within 12 months. It should be developed in consultation with stakeholders across the investment landscape but particularly female entrepreneurs. It should include a focus on sectors of the...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
49match
#10 - Government Industrial and SME Strategies failed to include specific support for female-led businesses.
The Industrial Strategy and SME Strategy were ideal opportunities for the Government to launch the systemic change required to unlock the enormous potential that female-led businesses can offer. It is deeply disappointing that neither strategy contained any specific measures to support female-led businesses. (Conclusion, Paragraph 54)
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
49match
#2 - Require significant state intervention to increase access to finance for female founders.
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 that this will not happen organically, and, as...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
48match
#2 - Fifth Report - Diversity and Inclusion in STEM
The benefits of raising levels of diversity and inclusion in STEM education, research settings and workplaces were highlighted by many contributors to our inquiry. The Government, UKRI, other research funders, industry and the education sector have led and participated in many worthy inquiries, reports and initiatives. Yet progress has been limited at best. The status quo must not...
Matched on
terms: innovation
PHSO casework decision
47match
P-001923 - UK Research and Innovation
Dr A applied to UKRI for funding for her research proposal. UKRI did not grant funding and Dr A complains this was because it refused to invalidate one of the three peer reviews of her research proposal.
Matched on
terms: funding, innovation
Committee recommendation
45match
#27 - Develop a programme promoting targeted, female-focused accelerators in underrepresented high-growth sectors.
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)
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
45match
#3 - British Business Bank initiatives for women in venture capital are welcome but insufficient.
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, we believe there is scope for the Bank...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
45match
#1 - Require venture capital firms to increase the proportion of women on investment committees.
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 by increasing the proportion of women on investment...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
44match
#29 - Launch a national campaign highlighting female role models and promoting the Invest in Women Hub.
Alongside a strategy on female entrepreneurship, the Government should launch a national campaign highlighting female role models at all stages of the entrepreneurial journey. It also needs to better promote the Invest in Women Hub. (Recommendation, Paragraph 113) Caregiving and maternity
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
44match
#11 - Eighth Report - Covid-19 in developing countries: secondary impacts
We are concerned by the likely increase in gender inequality following the outbreak of covid-19 and its potential impact upon programmes promoting gender equality. In its response to this report, the FCDO should set out how they have implemented Covid-19 in developing countries: secondary impacts 39 their “Smart Rules”, their operating framework for better and gendered programme delivery....
Matched on
terms: gender
Committee recommendation
44match
#18 - 12th Report – Menstrual health of girls and young women
The Government should set out in the renewed Women’s Health Strategy a rigorous approach to tackling the risks from ineffective, unsafe and exploitative for-profit FemTech apps. To combat demand for these apps the Government must increase resourcing of the NHS’s Innovation, Research and Life Sciences team, to drive forward NHS provision of digital tools. The strategy should set...
Matched on
terms: innovation
NAO recommendation
42match
Investigation into how government is addressing antimicrobial resistance
The government should consider how maximum beneficial impact can be achieved from the classification of AMR as a chronic risk and whether there is value in publishing the government?s full list of chronic risks so that universities, funding bodies, businesses and other institutions can better understand the public sector?s priorities for research and innovation.
Matched on
terms: funding, innovation
Committee recommendation
41match
#47 - Research into women's reproductive health conditions remains insufficient due to inadequate prioritisation and incentives.
Finding the causes of women’s reproductive health conditions and new and better diagnostic tools and treatments for them cannot happen without sufficient research, which includes all groups of women and others affected, at different life stages. Yet research remains lacking because it is not adequately prioritised by funders or commissioners and is not incentivised enough in clinical academia....
Matched on
classifier match
PHSO casework decision
39match
P-002828 - Innovate UK
Mr U complains that Innovate UK rejected his applications for research funding. He complains about its communication and its review process. Mr U complains UKRI’s complaints process is too limited. He complains both organisations are not meeting their responsibilities under modern slavery legislation because they allow UK government funding to be given to industries that use child and...
Matched on
terms: funding
Committee recommendation
36match
#25 - Regional mentorship programmes for founders are too small-scale to drive national growth.
We received compelling evidence on the value of tailored mentorship programmes and support both for investors and founders. More regional initiatives are being developed but, while these are extremely welcome, 56 we are concerned that they are too small in scale to deliver the growth the country needs. A coordinated, state-backed national programme is required. (Conclusion, Paragraph 109)
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
36match
#23 - Require Government update on steps to secure investor support for the Invest in Women Taskforce.
The Government should update us in its response to this Report on the steps it is taking through its convening powers to get those investors, particularly the signatories of the Mansion House Accord, to support the Taskforce. (Recommendation, Paragraph 88) Networks and support
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
36match
#12 - Establish a dedicated Minister and Office in DBT to oversee women's business strategy.
The strategy should be overseen by a dedicated Minister and Office within the Department for Business and Trade akin to the US Office of Women’s Business Ownership, with an assigned budget and responsibility for driving implementation of the strategy, and ensuring accountability and transparency through data collection. (Recommendation, Paragraph 56)
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
36match
#14 - Develop an evidence-led plan to increase diversity within the transport manufacturing sector.
Skills England should by the end of 2026 set out an evidence-led plan, commissioning research necessary to fill gaps in knowledge on what has worked best in the manufacturing sector, detailing how it will support the Government’s target to increase diversity in the manufacturing sectors. The plan should include commitments to: • assess the long-term effectiveness of manufacturing...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
36match
#13 - Significant challenge persists in increasing diversity within the transport manufacturing sector.
There is a significant and complex challenge to be overcome in increasing diversity in the transport manufacturing sector. We welcome the Department for Transport’s commitment to work with industry to change outdated perceptions of manufacturing and strongly endorse the Government’s target to increase women’s representation in the advanced manufacturing sector to 35 per cent of the workforce by...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
36match
#10 - Woeful venture capital diversity record presents strong case for specific diversity-focused funds.
The British Business Bank has active funds designed to target specific market failures in venture capital, such as its regional funds. Representatives from the BBB have suggested that diversity-focused funds could theoretically be used in the same way, if there were provision set aside for them. The woeful diversity record of venture capital, which is failing to invest...
Matched on
classifier match