Please note:
- This Call for Evidence is designed to be answered by people/organisations with experience and/or expertise in this policy area.
- Answers will form the basis for a report that will be published later in the year by the APPG for Entrepreneurship.
- The aim of the report is to inform and influence policymakers.
- This work is sponsored by Octopus. The research and writing of this publication is independent and will be undertaken by The Entrepreneurs Network.
- Please don't feel compelled to answer all the questions. We would much prefer a detailed answer to one part of one question, rather than brief answers to all the questions.
- Download a PDF of the questions here.
- The deadline for submissions is 28h February 2018. Please send though answers and any queries to philip@tenentrepreneurs.org.
1. Challenges
a) What are the biggest challenges women face as business owners? How do these differ to men?
b) What can we learn from other countries about overcoming the challenges women face in the UK?
2. Rates of female entrepreneurship
a) How do we compare to other countries in terms of women starting and scaling businesses?
b) Why do some countries have better rates and outcomes for female business owners and what can we learn from them?
c) What can the Government specifically do to improve female entrepreneurship in the UK?
3. Funding Gap
a) What evidence is there of a funding gap for women business owners and where is it most acute in the lifecycle of their business?
b)What evidence is there for any funding gaps and what international and/or historical evidence is there for closing them?
a) Is there anything we can learn outside of entrepreneurship – for example, larger companies, the public sector in terms of best practice that would help improve entrepreneurship in the UK?
b. Is there any further evidence that we should be aware of?