4 Small Business Grants for Women in the UK 2026

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Accessing funds can have a huge influence on business success, but’s much more difficult for female founders to secure small business grants compared to their male counterparts.

Despite 19.1% of active companies in the UK being run by women, only 2p of every £1 invested in venture capital funding goes to female-founded businesses.

However, initiatives are being taken to get female founders the funding they deserve.

For example, NatWest exceeded its target of lending £2m to female-led businesses by the end of last year, delivering over 55,900 business loans for women — a true testament to its commitment to support female entrepreneurs in the UK.

So while the gender funding gap is still alive and kicking, there are ways to kick it to the curb. Read on to discover the six women-only business funds and awards for 2026.

💡Key takeaways

The highest amount of funding you can get from a women’s business grant on this list is $100,000 from the Cartier Women’s Initiative Award.
As well as up to £75,000 in funding, the Women in Innovation Award also offers access to bespoke business support, training, and networking.
To get access to funding from HATCH, you will first need to complete one of their enterprise programmes.
To improve your chances of getting a grant, your pitch deck should align with the grant’s mission, demonstrate traction, and have a clear explanation of fund allocation.
Applying for non-matching grants, using vague language, and presenting unrealistic financial projections can lead to rejection.

Small business grants for women: a comparison

Grant	Maximum award amount	Next deadline
Female Founders Grant Competition (Northern Ireland only)	Up to £35,000	27 January 2026, 17:00 pm (GMT)
Innovate UK (Women in Innovation)	£75,000	4 February 2026, 11:00 am (GMT)
Cartier Women’s Initiative	Up to $100,000	16 June 2026 (applications open from 16 April)
HATCH	Varies	TBA

1. Female Founders Grant Competition

The Female Founders Grant Competition is a funding initiative run by Techstart Ventures in partnership with Women in Business NI.

The competition is part of the Proof of Concept (PoC) Plus fund. Its goal is to help female entrepreneurs take an idea or a very early-stage prototype and turn it into a validated business. If your application is successful, you can receive a grant of up to £35,000.

To apply for the grant, you will have to create an account with Techstart. Applications are only open for Northern Ireland-based businesses.

Registration with Techstart is required before submitting your application (source: Startups.co.uk)

Female Founders Grant Competition: 2026 deadlines to be aware of

Applications for the Female Founders Grant Competition will close on 27th January 2026 at 17:00pm (GMT).

2. Innovate UK (Women in Innovation)

Innovate UK holds several awards, some specifically for female founders to win a cash prize to help accelerate their business and bridge the gender gap in entrepreneurship.

As one of the most significant sources of female business grants in the UK, the Women in Innovation Award offers at least 20 awards annually to help female entrepreneurs across the country accelerate their growth.

The award offers up to 60 women founders and co-founders with funding of up to £75,000, as well as tailored business support, training, and networking opportunities.

You can apply for the award through the government website by filling out a form. Your business must also be registered with Companies House, so that it can find your organisation’s details and tell you what to do next.

Enter your company name or registration number to find your business (source: Startups.co.uk)

Women in Innovation: 2026 deadlines to be aware of

Applications for the Women in Innovation award will close on 4th February 2026 at 11:00 am (GMT).

3. Cartier Women’s Initiative

The Cartier Women’s Initiative is an annual programme that supports women-led businesses by offering the opportunity to apply for one of its business grants.

The initiative chooses 30 fellows each year across two main categories — the Regional Awards (North America, Latin America, Europe, etc.) and the Science & Technology Pioneer Award.

Winners of this award receive up to $100,000 in funding, while second and third-place finalists receive $60,000 and $30,000, respectively.

Cartier Women’s Initiative 2026 deadlines to be aware of

Applications for next year’s initiative will be open from 16 April
to 16 June 2026. You can find out more about the awards through the Cartier Women’s Initiative website.

4. HATCH support programmes

HATCH is an online and in-person UK business community that supports entrepreneurs looking to grow or scale their existing businesses, including 81% of female founders.

For example, the Hatch Accelerator Programme is designed to help female-led businesses grow 10x over 10 years using coaching, mentoring and training.

If you’re in the early stages of launching your business, The Launchpad Programme helps you develop skills in business modelling, finance, communications and marketing.

Once you’ve completed a programme, you may be eligible to apply for a business grant through the Hatch Grant Fund.

HATCH 2026 deadlines to be aware of

Currently, HATCH has not yet launched its programmes for this year, so applications are not yet open. However, you can sign up for the waiting list to be notified when the programmes become available.

Is it difficult to get small business grants for women?

It can be quite difficult for female founders to get business grants, but it isn’t impossible.

Business grants are often competitive and selective, and success depends on the specific grant, your business stage and sector, and how well you prepare your application.

What can influence success?

Success doesn’t purely depend on having a “perfect” business, but more about how well your business aligns with a grant’s goals, how you tell your story, and demonstrating realistic user of funds. Factors that can influence success are:

Fitting the grant’s mission: you’re more likely to win if your business clearly aligns with what the funder cares about (such as innovation or tech, social impact, sustainability, etc.)
A good story: a strong application should explain the problem clearly, show how the business solves it, and prove there is a demand.
Traction: you don’t need massive revenue, but evidence of things like first customers, pre-orders, pilot results, partnerships, or testimonials can show serious momentum.
Financial realism: this should be understanding your numbers, knowing exactly how the money will be used, and that the business can survive without relying heavily on grants.

Common pitfalls that hurt applications

On the other hand, there are certain things you’ll want to avoid that can hurt your chances of getting a business grant. For example:

Applying for everything: if the grant isn’t a strong match, your chances will drop fast, and your time gets wasted.
Being too vague: common red flags include phrases like “we want to grow”, “this will help our business expand”, or “this funding will support operations”.
Overcomplicated language: long, jargon-heavy answers show weak thinking — plain and direct explanations always win.
Weak financials: this includes unrealistic revenue projections, no breakdown or grant usage, or missing documents.

Useful articles on fundraising

For more advice on fundraising as a woman in business, check out our guides on:

Top 4 small business grants for women to combat the gender funding gap