Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on support to improve the investment readiness of (a) women and (b) BAME entrepreneurs.

The government backed Invest in Women Taskforce aims to make the UK the best place in the world to be a female entrepreneur. To improve investment readiness, it seeks to break down barriers such as lack of mentorship, resource and networks for aspiring women-led businesses. In 2024, our Venture Capital Unit launched a Female Founders Cohort initiative to support women-led businesses raise funds from international venture capital investors.

In February 2025, a roundtable discussion was held with ethnic minority businesses (EMB) and the financial services sector to discuss challenges in accessing finance, as well as how we can better engage and support EMB founders.

We have also launched a Call for Evidence on Small Business Access to Finance to help inform government policy and initiatives, which includes a specific focus on underserved entrepreneurs.