Female Founder Accelerator
Are you a female founder leading a tech business that's ready to grow?
The Female Founder Accelerator is designed by Barclays Eagle Labs and AccelerateHER to support 100 female founders like you, who are beyond idea stage and poised for growth. The aim is to bring more women into entrepreneurship and level the playing field.
Over nine weeks of masterclasses, you’ll learn about marketing strategies, sales and negotiation, financial management and building a team. Plus, you’ll get access to one-to-one mentoring, accountability groups, in-person community networking, a showcase event and the ability to connect with a community of like-minded female founders.
Applications open
Tuesday 01 October, 2024
Applications close
Friday 08 November, 2024
Programme begins
Friday 10 January, 2025
Who is the programme for?
The accelerator is designed for ventures beyond the ‘idea’ stage. This means:
- You’ve created or are close to creating your minimal viable product (MVP)
- You’re ready to bring your product to market or have already
- You have ambitions to scale and raise investment in the next 12 to 18 months
- You operate within key technology and innovation sectors.
While the programme will cover elements of the investment process, it’s not aimed at businesses who are immediately ready for investment.
Your business must be:
- Registered in the UK
- Using digital technology, or innovation to operate or deliver your value proposition
- Ready to scale and starting to think about future investment.
You must be:
- A female founder or c-suite executive in a senior decision-making position within your organisation
- Based in the UK
- Committed to attending all masterclasses over the nine-week period (see dates on this page). We estimate it’ll take three hours of dedicated time each week.
About AccelerateHER?
AccelerateHER delivers support to female founders in the form of learning events, networking opportunities, mentoring, resources, and tailored support for those who wish to scale. The clue is in the name - AccelerateHER exists to amplify the growth, visibility, and backing of UK women founders, and to help their companies access investment and unlock sustainable growth.
Programme Information:
What does it include?
There are nine components to the programme – an introductory session, a midpoint Q&A session, and seven expert-led masterclasses. The programme also includes opportunities to access the following:
One-to-one mentoring from a business angel or experienced founder
Peer-to-peer support groups
Access to the Barclays Eagle Labs and AccelerateHER ecosystem
Community networking events.
You may also be selected to showcase your business at the end of the programme to an audience of potential investors, clients, and industry professionals.
What do the masterclasses cover and when are they?
Masterclasses take place online between 10am-12noon on the following dates. The order and dates of masterclasses may be subject to change. At the moment, this is the expected itinerary.
Week one (10 January): Introduction and getting started
This interactive session is an opportunity for you to get to know your fellow founders. We’ll lead introductions before setting up breakout rooms.
Week two (17 January): Scale smart: maximise marketing
A tour of key marketing strategies and considerations, key insights and practical advice to effectively market your business in the pre-investment stage and make sure you’re set up for success from the ground up.
Week three (24 January): Sales and negotiation
Learn how to sell your product or service and negotiate those all-important contracts.
Week four (31 January): Pitching for success
This pitching workshop is designed to equip you with the skills, tools, and confidence to pitch your venture to diverse audiences. Gain top tips and tools to craft a standout pitch that clearly articulates your venture's unique value proposition. Learn strategies to make your pitch memorable, engaging, and impactful. Get insights into delivery styles that captivate any audience. The session includes the chance to practice ‘speed pitching’ in a supportive environment and receive constructive feedback from peers and experienced angel investors from Investing Women Angels.
By the end, you should leave with enhanced pitching skills, valuable feedback, and the confidence to pitch to any audience.
Week five (7 February): Introduction to procurement
The procurement session, hosted by Barclays, covers how to contract with large corporates and how to prepare to do business and compete, as well as running through diversity supplier management.
Week six (14 February): Showcase information session and mid-term Q&A
Put your questions to the team and have an open discussion about everything covered in the programme up to this point. We’ll also provide you with more information about the upcoming showcase.
Week seven (21 February): Finance success: what you need to grow
There is no better way to equip your business for success, than understanding your finances. This live, interactive finance session delivered by Johnston Carmichael Chartered Accountants (and associated online learning modules) will cover a range of topics that are perfect for founders and those with no financial background.
Week eight (28 February): Growing a team
The team you surround yourself with plays a vital part in the growth of your business. This session will cover the most important factors to consider when choosing who to work with.
Week nine (7 March): How to scale your business
This masterclass will cover what happens after you launch your business in those early days of revenue generation, strategies for growing your business, and how to fund that growth.
What is the showcase day and when is it?
The Female Founder Showcase takes place in London at the end of the programme, on 25 March. It aims to bring the cohort together for a day of networking and live showcases. All founders can attend, with selected founders given the opportunity to showcase their business with a live demo.
What kind of mentoring will I receive on the programme?
Towards the end of the programme, you’ll be able to request a one-to-one session with an experienced female founder or investor from the AccelerateHER network. They will discuss next steps with you and help you figure out if you need further mentoring. If so, we’ll help you access that through the AccelerateHER and Barclays Eagle Labs network.
Do you have to be a woman to apply?
Yes. The programme is designed to bring more women into entrepreneurship and support them on their entrepreneurial journey. Our definition of “woman” is the broadest possible and includes any female-identifying, non-binary, and genderqueer founders.
How will the programme be delivered?
The Female Founder Accelerator is delivered online via virtual workshops, educational content, and virtual training and mentoring sessions. Once you’ve been accepted into the programme, we’ll share all the details of upcoming workshops and mentoring support available.
The Showcase will be held in person in London on Tuesday, 25 March 2025. We will also host some optional, in-person networking, specifically for the cohort on 6 and 12 February.
I’ve applied to the Female Founder Accelerator before. Can I apply again?
Yes, we always welcome repeat applications, and encourage previous applicants to stay in touch.
Terms and conditions
AccelerateHER and Barclays Eagle Labs are working together to deliver the Female Founder Accelerator. For this purpose, we’re acting as a joint data controller to assess the startups that would benefit most from our support, and to deliver the programme.
For more detailed information on how and why AccelerateHER or Barclays Eagle Labs use your information, including your rights in relation to your personal data, and the legal grounds for using it, please go to:
Barclays Eagle Labs Privacy Policy
To participate in the programme, you must:
(i) Be over 18 years old
(ii) Be based in the UK
(iii) Self-identify as a female founder
(iv) Have founded (either alone or with another) or be a c-suite executive within, a UK-registered technology business. One or two people from your business can participate in the programme
(v) Have been informed, in writing by Barclays, that you’ve been accepted to the programme.