Calling All Female Founders: The 22nd everywoman Entrepreneur Awards Open for Nominations

The 2024 everywoman Entrepreneur Awards, in association with BGF, are open for nominations. Female entrepreneurs have until 3rd June 2024 to submit their entries to the UK’s longest-running recognition programme for women in business. In the 22nd year of this prestigious programme, everywoman continues to shine the spotlight on Britain’s most inspirational female entrepreneurs, women of all ages, backgrounds and from all corners of the UK, and to celebrate their influential role and contribution to the British economy.

The everywoman Entrepreneur Awards were launched in 2003 to uncover and amplify the diverse array of female-led businesses, telling their stories of resilience, innovation, and success, knowing those stories would inspire and encourage more women to choose to start and grow their own business venture.

In the intervening years, everywoman has been at the forefront of the drive to increase the number of female entrepreneurs, working with government, industry bodies and the corporate sector to accelerate the rate of progress and dismantle barriers that remain for women, particularly when it comes to accessing funding, growing, and scaling their businesses.

Despite making up only 1.6% of UK businesses, high-growth businesses create £160 billion in turnover (4.5% of the UK total) and employ around 775,000 people. These businesses are economically critical, and yet for every £1 of equity investment in the UK, only 2p goes to fully female-founded businesses, a figure that has not moved for the past decade.[1] The funding gap and lack of female role models has been recognised as a unique and key barrier for women starting, growing, and scaling their businesses. The UK government have an ambitious target to increase the number of female entrepreneurs by 50% by 2030, adding 600,000 businesses to the market and boosting the UK economy by a projected £250 billion.[2]

Maxine Benson MBE, Co-Founder of everywoman comments:

“Since launching everywoman 25 years ago, we have seen how impactful role models and storytelling can be. Sharing the stories of women’s journeys and how they have navigated the unique challenges they face, not least accessing finance, plays a crucial role in encouraging others to achieve success. There are far fewer female-founded high-growth businesses (18%) than male ones, and therefore fewer role models to inspire potential female high-growth entrepreneurs going forward.[3] The work of everywoman in providing a platform to showcase these business founders recognising them as innovators, job, and wealth creators, will play a crucial role in this mission and the future of UK enterprise.

This programme is supported by a strong group of female entrepreneurs and business leaders: past finalists, winners, judges, alumni who advocate and champion each other, and critically provide a business referral and support network to eliminate feelings of being marginalised and isolated. They will gather at the awards ceremony in London on 4th December where the winners will be revealed.”