Women-led high-growth enterprise taskforce

The purpose of the taskforce is to increase the number of women-led high-growth businesses, with a particular focus on regions outside of London.

The taskforce will use its convening power to influence high-growth investors and the wider business community, and to raise the aspirations of the next generation of female entrepreneurs.

The taskforce will collaborate with the Rose Review, with which it shares common ambitions. It will also work with organisations across the UK to support the government’s overall target of increasing the number of female entrepreneurs by half by 2030 (equivalent to nearly 600,000 more female entrepreneurs) with a particular focus on driving change in the area of growth capital.

The taskforce will raise the profile of high-growth entrepreneurship, identify the main barriers in accessing high-growth capital, and suggest areas to stimulate regional opportunities based on robust data and engagement.

For the purposes of the terms of reference, the taskforce will use the OECD’s definition of high-growth enterprises: Enterprises with an average annualised growth greater than 20% per year, over a 3-year period, and with 10 or more employees at the beginning of the observation period. Growth can be measured by the number of employees or by turnover. (Eurostat-OECD Manual on Business Demography Statistics, 2007).

Members

Chair: Anne Boden MBE

Meetings

The work of the taskforce will last for 18 months. The taskforce will meet every 3 months. The secretariat will be coordinated between the Government Equalities Office and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, in collaboration with the chair’s support team.

You can see the taskforce meeting minutes.

Terms of reference

The taskforce will work to achieve the following:

  • influence venture capitalists, the wider investment community and the media to recognise the value of women’s innovation and impact

  • help to strengthen the data and evidence base, including building a better international picture, to develop a more comprehensive and robust understanding of women-led high-growth enterprise

  • map activity by important stakeholders and create a pipeline blueprint for where interventions are most effective starting from early years, through to university and beyond

  • galvanise action from professional services firms, financial institutions, support networks, and educators to increase accessibility to advice, guidance and financial support for women-led high-growth enterprises

  • share best practice across private, public and third sectors, to ensure that women are able to access the support needed to start a high-growth enterprise

  • work to influence regional organisations and consider geographical opportunities to deliver solutions that work for regions across the UK

  • use their profile and their credibility to encourage more girls and young women to see starting a business, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), as a valid career option with high-growth potential

  • use the media to promote case studies and inspirational role models

  • campaign to challenge and remove negative gender stereotypes attached to ‘traditional entrepreneurs’, including by building on Starling Bank’s initiative and research

  • campaign to challenge the status quo culture of high-growth companies, which is traditionally dominated by men

  • act as an ‘innovation catalyst’ providing strategic direction and advice, and championing a clear vision of women-led high-growth enterprises

  • bring together diverse stakeholders to facilitate cooperation between the various initiatives across regional, local and national bodies, including combined authority mayors

  • engage with and make representations to national, regional and local decision makers (such as local councils, combined authority mayors or the government), in support of high-growth women-led enterprises

  • join up, complement efforts and increase the impact from existing initiatives such as the Rose Review

  • showcase sustainable solutions which support women from all regions to start a high-growth enterprise, including utilising the expertise and support of business incubators

Contact details

womeninhighgrowth@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

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