What is Buy Women Built and how does your business apply?

The rise in women-led ventures has been phenomenal, but the business landscape in the UK is still very much male-dominated. 

While there are specific business grants for women, female entrepreneurs still struggle to get their businesses noticed. They also face other issues like gender bias, unequal access to funding, and prejudice in investment decisions.

Understanding these struggles, entrepreneur Sahar Hashemi OBE created the Buy Women Built movement in 2022, encouraging consumers to support businesses founded and led by women and to increase equality in the business world.

Since its inception, the BWB logo has been stamped across many promising female startups in the UK. If you’re a business owner who wants the community the logo represents for your brand, we’ll explain everything you need to know about the BWB movement and how you can submit your business. 

What is the Buy Women Built campaign?

Buy Women Built is a movement that celebrates and empowers female entrepreneurs and women-led businesses. The campaign was started by Sahar Hashemi OBE, co-founder of Coffee Republic.

The campaign’s origin began when Hashemi spotted a post on X (formerly Twitter) by Jacqueline de Rojas CBE, president of techUK. The tweet read: “Not everyone can invest in female founders. Not everyone can mentor female founders, but we can all buy from them.”

This simply-worded tweet sparked inspiration for Hashemi, who realised that people wanted to buy from female businesses but struggled to find them. So, along with her business partner, Barny Macaulay, Hashemi officially launched BWB in April 2022.

Visibility is a significant issue for female-led businesses. In 2024, only 19.1% of active businesses in the UK were led by women, and just 10.6% of these qualified as fast-growing, compared to 73.6% of male-led ventures.

These figures suggest that even with a strong business idea, women founders are simply having trouble being seen. That’s where BWB steps in by promoting female-led brands to help them reach a wider audience.

Speaking exclusively with Startups, Hashemi said: “For too long, women-built brands have been hidden in plain sight. And the result? We underestimate what women are building and what’s possible. Buy Women Built changes that. Our kitemark makes it unmistakable: a woman built this.”

And Hashemi’s work hasn’t gone unnoticed either. Today, BWB represents over 1,900 brands, and is partnered with major household names, including NatWest and Ocado.

“Our Ocado aisle puts over 130 women-built brands generating more than £1 billion in revenue right in front of consumers,” she added. “That visibility rewires belief. Not just for shoppers, but for retailers, investors, future founders, and young girls watching and thinking, ‘Maybe I could do that too.’” 

How do I get a Buy Women Built logo?

If you want to get a Buy Women Built logo for your brand, there are several requirements that you’ll need to meet before you can submit your business.

First, you must be based in the UK, have been operating for at least 18 months, and have a fully functioning business website. You must also be either the business owner or co-founder of the company, be involved in its everyday operations and management, and have control over the strategic direction of the business.

It’s also important to note that BWB currently only accepts submissions from consumer (B2C) brands. However, they are planning to accept B2B ventures in the future. 

Once you’ve submitted your brand, a member of the BWB team will get in touch via email to discuss ways they can help promote your business. 

They also advise that you use the #buywomenbuilt hashtag on your social media profiles to help get the word out and get promoted further.

When we asked Hashemi about the impact of the BWB logo, she said: “[A NielsenIQ report] found that purchasing intent doubles when consumers see a brand marked Buy Women Built. That was a big wake-up call: this isn’t just about visibility for visibility’s sake it’s commercial.

“[Consumers] want to know who built the brand, and when they do, they buy. And that visibility does something else, too. It lights a spark in our founders. I’ve seen women who once felt like outsiders now stand tall, proudly helping others, passing on their wisdom like seasoned pros.”

How do I submit my brand to Buy Women Built?

You can submit your business to Buy Women Built through their web form. Here’s a rundown of how the submission process works, step-by-step:

1. Confirm that you meet the criteria

On the first page, you will need to confirm that your business meets the previously mentioned criteria. 

Once you’ve ticked all the boxes, you will need to provide information about yourself, including your full name, email, ethnicity, and date of birth. You’ll also have to specify if your business is a side hustle, whether you’re the sole founder or co-founder, and the total female ownership stake in the business.

2. Provide info on your co-founder (if applicable)

The next page will ask you for information on your co-founder, so feel free to skip this step if you’re doing it solo. However, if you have more than two co-founders on the team, you’ll need to reach out to BWB through their support email (info@buywomenbuilt.com).

3. Tell BWB about your business

Now it’s time to talk about the business itself, including your business name, whether you are a limited company, and when your business started. Additionally, you must specify how many employees you have (if any), what your business offers (e.g. products, services, etc.), your industry, and where you are based.

4. Share your socials

Next, you’ll need to share your social media profiles, namely, your Instagram and LinkedIn profiles. Here, you’ll be asked for your Instagram handle and personal LinkedIn profile (if you have one) and the number of followers you have for both platforms.

5. Give the extra details

This stage is where you’ll need to dive a little deeper into your business. Specifically, you’ll be asked about your annual turnover for last year, whether you’ve secured business funding (e.g. angel investors, friends/family, crowdfunding, venture capital, etc.) and whether you are a certified B-Corp. 

You’ll also need to state whether your products are sold at retail stores (if applicable), if you have your own retail premises, or if you export your products internationally.

6. Talk about the challenges

Finally, you just need to tick the boxes of what specific business challenges are affecting you, such as fundraising, recruitment/talent acquisition, supply chain, or marketing. Additionally, you’ll need to provide a question that you would ask BWB if your application is successful. 

Once this information is filled out, simply confirm that you’ve read the information on BWB’s requirements, agree to their privacy policy, and you’re ready to submit!

We also asked Hashemi if she had any advice for women founders who want to start a business or apply for BWB, but may not have the confidence to do so. Here’s what she advised: 

“Don’t wait to feel ready. No one ever really does. Buy Women Built isn’t about how big you are. It’s about the fact that you had the courage to start. That alone makes you part of something powerful. If you’ve put something real into the world, no matter what stage you’re at, you belong here.”

Who are the Buy Women Built brands?

Buy Women Built represents thousands of women-led brands in the UK, some of which have been featured in the Startups 100 Index. From sustainable fashion to eco-friendly household products, here are the most notable women-led brands from the Startups 100 to achieve BWB representation:

• Asan Cup: With a mission to tackle global period poverty, Asan provides a reusable, anti-stain menstrual cup with a removal ring designed for long-term use.
• Cult Mia: A luxury fashion marketplace where users can discover unique and sustainable fashion pieces from upcoming designers.
• Seep: Seeking to eliminate disposable plastics in kitchen cleaning tools, Seep offers a range of eco-friendly alternatives, such as plastic-free sponges, scourers, rubber gloves, and wash cloths.
• Cheeky Panda: It sets out to help consumers make sustainable shopping choices through its eco-friendly bamboo products, including biodegradable period pads, double-length toilet paper, and antibacterial wipes.
• Bold Bean: Shortlisted for the Startups 100 Marketing Award in 2024, Bold Bean uses quality heirloom ingredients to create healthy and premium bean products sold in recyclable glass jars.
• Bio&Me: Offering affordable and gut-friendly porridges, cereals, yoghurts and oat bars, Bio&Me was founded by Dr Megan Rossi, aka “the gut doctor”.

“There’s a lot of talk, and we all know how hard it is out there, but at the end of the day, one of the best investors a business can have is its customers. Growing organically through your customer base is the most sustainable way to scale,” Hashemi concluded. 

“And that’s what we love about Buy Women Built: it connects women-built brands with consumers who are actively looking to buy with purpose. So many of these products were created to solve a problem the founder herself had, and chances are, if she had that problem, so does the customer. That’s where the magic is: it’s a connection built on truth and need. We’re here to harness that power.”

Conclusion

Being a female entrepreneur in a male-dominated landscape is never a walk in the park. Among the issues of gender bias, stereotyping, and limited access to funding, gaining visibility and brand awareness is proving to be a challenge for female entrepreneurs in the UK.

That’s why the Buy Women Built movement is here to help promote and empower female-led businesses, giving them the recognition they deserve. In just three years, BWB has showcased thousands of promising businesses, from innovative startups to household names, all proudly carrying the BWB mark.

The movement not only helps female founders gain visibility but also inspires the next generation of women to see entrepreneurship as a real and achievable path.