Newcastle board renews push for fairer funding

A Newcastle-based business growth initiative is ramping up support for women-led scale-ups amid stark and persistent funding disparities.

The Whole Point, formerly The Lifted Project, is a Government-aligned programme dedicated to increasing investment into women-led firms. 

Operating through regional boards in Edinburgh, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and Newcastle, the initiative uses data-driven insight to evidence the economic case for backing female founders and to challenge structural imbalances in access to capital.

The scale of the gap is significant. 

Over the past five years, 71 per cent of funded Newcastle companies were male led, compared with just 12 per cent led by women.

Nationally, only 2 per cent of UK funding reaches women-led businesses, with more than half of that concentrated in London.

Co-founded by Zandra Moore MBE, The Whole Point has already delivered more than 4000 hours of targeted support to 350 women-led businesses and secured Lloyds Banking Group as a founding national sponsor. 

It is also working with the Government’s Invest in Women Taskforce on a national data taxonomy project, aiming to establish a consistent definition of women-led enterprises across funders, lenders and government to improve transparency and comparability.

Zandra said: “Without standardised data, thousands of female founders across our regions are missing out on vital funding that could propel their businesses to the next stage. 

“We know that in the UK, only two per cent of funding goes to women-led businesses – and more than half of that doesn’t leave London. 

“Billions of pounds are being left on the table while businesses are navigating years of political instability in our economy.

“The Whole Point is committed to driving change in 2026; we need data, not gestures, to prove that when you back women, economies grow. 

“It’s this standardised approach to data that will help increase funding for businesses that are poised for growth.”

She added: “The UK already matches the rest of Europe for women-led companies valued at over $1 billion, so we need to fix the one-sided system that currently only serves the south. 

“Then, the UK doesn’t just recover, we lead.”

In Newcastle, the regional board is chaired by Debra Leeves and vice-chaired by Nina Walton. 

Its focus is on accelerating investment readiness for scale-ups seeking between £500,000 and £5 million in growth capital, alongside mentoring, wealth planning and exit strategy guidance.

The initiative is also launching finance-focused Money Talks roundtables and developing a live regional data index to spotlight high-potential women-led businesses and strengthen the wider funding ecosystem.

Debra added: “Newcastle is home to a vibrant and diverse business community, spanning innovative SMEs, major corporates, and a wide range of public service organisations across education, healthcare, life sciences and real estate. 

“Within this dynamic ecosystem, a growing number of women-led scale-up businesses are calling for more coordinated and cohesive support across the region.

“As a board, we are committed to working alongside these women, as well as with regional organisations specialising in finance, legal advisory and other professional services. 

“Our goal is to ensure we complement one another’s expertise rather than compete, creating a connected support network that delivers the full spectrum of guidance and resources women-led businesses need to scale successfully.

“The Newcastle board brings together an accomplished group of professional women, including CEOs, lawyers, venture capital partners, founders, business owners and entrepreneurs, united by a shared commitment to accelerating the growth of women-led businesses.’’

To find out more about The Whole Point and opportunities to support, visit thewholepoint.co.uk

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