Small Business Britain and Starling Bank join forces to boost female entrepreneurship

Small Business Britain has partnered with Starling Bank to launch a year-long national campaign aimed at empowering more women across the UK to start and grow successful businesses.

The collaboration comes as the number of female founders continues to fall, despite estimates that up to £250 billion could be added to the UK economy if women launched and scaled businesses at the same rate as men.

Launching in early 2026, the partnership will centre around a comprehensive free training programme, Female Founder Fundamentals: the definitive guide to starting and growing your business. The initiative will feature online masterclasses, peer-learning sessions and skills development workshops covering confidence-building, financial capability, business growth, mental resilience and community connection.

The programme builds on previous joint research that revealed 60% of female founders struggle to switch off from work, highlighting the need for stronger wellbeing and peer-support frameworks in entrepreneurship.

The partnership was officially launched at a major networking event at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium on Saturday 8 November, leveraging Starling’s partnership with the football club. More than 150 female entrepreneurs from across the UK attended the event ahead of Arsenal’s WSL match against Chelsea, celebrating women’s achievements across both business and sport.

“There’s such incredible energy when women come together to celebrate success and support one another, whether in business or on the pitch,” said Michelle Ovens CBE, CEO and Founder of Small Business Britain.

“This event with Starling at Emirates Stadium was the perfect way to kick off our new partnership and spotlight the confidence, community and ambition that drive female founders forward. Together, we’re building on that momentum with a new training programme to help even more women start and grow brilliant businesses.”

A series of expert-led sessions will form the backbone of the initiative, targeting women at the early stages of their entrepreneurial journey:

Finance expert Faye Watts will deliver Accessing Finance & Investment, guiding founders through funding options and strategies for sustainable growth.
Web design specialist Cheryl Laidlaw will lead AI for Productivity, demonstrating how artificial intelligence tools can streamline workflows, save time and accelerate growth.

The partnership is underpinned by an urgent need to reverse declining levels of female entrepreneurship. Government figures show that women led just 14% of SME employers in 2024, a share that has steadily dropped in recent years. Women account for around 30% of the UK’s solopreneurs, suggesting substantial untapped potential for scaling.

Small Business Britain aims to increase the proportion of female-led SMEs to 30% by 2030, with the Starling partnership forming a cornerstone of this mission.

Michele Rousseau, Chief Marketing Officer at Starling, said: “Starling is proud to be a female-founded bank.

“We stand behind female founders who are driving innovation and growth across the UK. This partnership with Small Business Britain reflects our commitment to helping people be good with money, whether that’s through financial tools, skills development, or simply celebrating their achievements.”

With 5.6 million small businesses forming the backbone of the UK economy, both organisations emphasise that supporting women to start and scale enterprises is crucial for long-term growth and innovation.