Starling Bank has teamed up with Small Business Britain, the UK’s leading champion of small businesses, to launch a new year-long partnership aimed at empowering women across the UK to start and grow their own businesses.
The partnership will feature events, research, and a new free online training programme, ‘Female Founder Fundamentals: the definitive guide to starting and growing your business’, which is set to launch in early 2026. The initiative aims to provide female founders with the skills, network, and confidence to unlock their growth potential, at a time when the number of female founders in the UK has been declining.
Recent UK government research from 2024 shows that women led just 14 per cent of SME employers, a figure that has declined steadily in recent years. This is despite women making up around 30 per cent of solopreneurs, indicating a significant untapped potential for scaling up.
The partnership is rooted in the recognition that greater support is needed for the UK’s female founders. It forms part of Small Business Britain’s mission to boost the number of female entrepreneurs leading SMEs to 30 per cent by 2030. According to estimates, if women started and scaled new businesses at the same rate as men, it could add up to £250billion to the UK economy.
Free training on finance, AI, and resilience
The new ‘Female Founder Fundamentals’ programme will consist of online masterclasses and peer-learning opportunities. It is designed for women who have recently started their own businesses and will focus on building confidence, growth, and financial skills.
Established female founders will lead the masterclasses. Finance expert Faye Watts will lead a session on ‘Accessing Finance & Investment’ to help participants understand funding options, while web design expert Cheryl Laidlaw will deliver an ‘AI for Productivity’ masterclass, exploring how to use artificial intelligence to streamline operations and save time.
The programme will also support mental resilience and financial wellbeing. This follows joint research from Starling and Small Business Britain which found that 60 per cent of female founders struggle to switch off from work.
Kick-off at the Emirates
The partnership officially kicked off with a networking event for over 150 female entrepreneurs at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium on Saturday 8th November. The event, which capitalised on Starling’s partnership with Arsenal, took place ahead of the Women’s Super League match against Chelsea and celebrated women’s achievements in 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 Arsenal Emirates Stadium was the perfect way to kick off our new partnership… Together, we’re building on that momentum with a new training programme to help even more women start and grow brilliant businesses.”
Grace Graham, CEO of WorkSpa and one of the founders who attended the event, added: “It was a powerful reminder of how important it is to create spaces where women feel seen, supported, and celebrated as they overcome barriers and grow their businesses. Initiatives like this new partnership with Starling are crucial, providing the training and resources women need to grow, lead, and thrive.”
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.”
