09 Dec 2025

Nationwide Commits £25 Million In Funding For The Invest In Women Taskforce

  • Nationwide partners with Invest in Women Taskforce (IWT) and provides £25 million in funding1
  • Funding to support female-led businesses to drive economic growth in the UK and close investment gap
  • Partnership builds on Nationwide’s commitment to make banking fairer and more inclusive

Nationwide has committed £25 million of funding1 to invest in female entrepreneurs and help female-led businesses to scale and succeed as it joins the Invest in Women Taskforce (IWT).

Nationwide believes its investment will unlock economic growth in the UK by helping to close the investment gap that stops some female-led businesses from growing at the same rate as male-led equivalents.

While female-led businesses deliver, on average, 35% better returns on investment than male-led ones, they only attract 2% of venture capital investment whilst male-only businesses receive 81%.2 Barriers remain across the investment process; men are twice as likely to get to investment committee stage, which means that women have fewer opportunities to present their investment case and secure funding for their businesses2.  

Supporting female entrepreneurs aligns with Nationwide’s vision for a fairer, more inclusive financial system that supports economic growth. Partnering with the IWT will help channel funds to female-led businesses who might not have otherwise got the backing they deserve.

Dame Debbie Crosbie DBE, Group Chief Executive Officer at Nationwide, said: “Driving economic growth is one of the country’s most urgent priorities. Female-led businesses consistently deliver strong returns yet remain underrepresented in investment portfolios. We are the first large-scale mutual to offer business banking in the UK and we want to make banking fairer and more inclusive. Our new partnership with the Invest in Women Taskforce will help close the funding gap, fuel innovation and drive the economic growth that everyone benefits from.”

Hannah Bernard OBE, Co-Chair of IWT, said: “I’m delighted that Nationwide is now an anchor investor with the Invest in Women Taskforce.  Its support will unlock the potential of female-led businesses, which are core to building a growing and more balanced economy.”

Nationwide acquired Virgin Money in 2024 and became the first large-scale mutual in the UK to offer business banking. It recently confirmed the appointment of Hannah Bernard, as its Group Director of Business Banking. Hannah is the co-chair of the IWT and was the Head of Business Banking at Barclays, will join the mutual in January 2026.

Notes to editors

1Subject to agreeing final funding size and documentation

2Invest in Women Taskforce

 

About Invest in Women Taskforce

The Invest in Women Taskforce was established with the goal of making the UK the best place in the world to be a female entrepreneur. It will do this by:

  1. Delivering one of the world’s largest funding pots for female-powered businesses, to be deployed by female investors.
  2. Increasing the proportion of female angel investors, and the level of angel investment going to female-powered businesses.
  3. Support the broader ecosystem – working across Financial Services to enable more women to start and scale businesses

The Taskforce is backed by the His Majesty’s Treasury and the Department for Business and Trade.

Investors committed into the IWT funding pool are Barclays, M&G, the Visa Foundation, British Business Bank, BGF, Morgan Stanley, Aviva Ventures and Nationwide.

Bootstrap4F was selected as a Fund of Funds manager following a highly competitive selection process, for its proven investment track record and its deep commitment to gender lens investing.