Register for this scheme
With the growing rise of female-led companies, women in business are making significant strides toward greater equity. The Female Founders programme celebrates and supports this momentum by equipping female entrepreneurs with essential skills and the confidence to scale their businesses successfully.
By fostering a vibrant and diverse network of female business leaders across regions, this initiative provides a unique platform for screen-based businesses led by women to achieve extraordinary growth and realise their full potential.
Who is it for?
The programme is for companies led by women or those who identify as women, working in moving image for storytelling, spanning film and television, games and technology*. Companies should be registered and trading in the England, have some proven success and be ready to take their business to the next level.
*Creative Enterprise can support applicants working in branded content, if the company retain the IP rights of the content they produce, or are actively looking to move away from commercial work and form a creative arm of the business.
They are aiming for a balanced regional representation across England with at least 80% of businesses coming from the regions outside of London.
What is involved?
Female Founders programme will deliver a series of intense workshops and holistic business coaching sessions with proven industry leaders over six months where companies taking part in the programme will:
- Create and complete a comprehensive plan to grow and scale their businesses
- Get expert advice on business planning, funding and finance, taking their businesses to market, decision making and how to structure teams and hire the right talent
- Gain a greater understanding of revenue models, profitability and IP monetisation
- Learn directly from and build their network with proven industry leaders
- Receive one to one business coaching throughout the programme
- Be part of the annual Female Founders annual conference bringing together the past 4 years of cohorts.
Eligibility & Fees
The Female Founders programme is only available to female led screen businesses based in England working in or with narrative storytelling.
You will need to show that your business has the potential and ambition to scale up. To be considered for the programme, companies must:
- Be a female founder (or co-founder) of a screen based narrative business working in storytelling for the moving image (this can include film/TV, games, immersive, createch)
- Be registered and trading in England
- Have successfully created a revenue generating product, reached a market/audience of scale or launched a new platform/ tech service that has enabled storytelling through moving image.
- You must have employed a minimum of 2 people (including yourself) at some point in the last 5 years (Covid years excluded)
- Have generated consistent sales revenue in the last 3 years in addition to any funding secured via grants, investment etc.
- Be committed to the long term development of your company
Deadline for Applications is Friday 13 January 2025.
The fee for participation in the programme is £250 + VAT per company.
Creative Enterprise is a BFI Lottery funded programme – overall, the support including group learning sessions, coaching and personalised mentoring you receive during the Female Founders programme is valued at over £5,000 per person. There is also a bursary (contribution towards travel and accommodation) available for in-person sessions if needed.
If you feel like this fee is a significant barrier to your participation in the programme, please speak to Creative Enterprise team to discuss options.