In addition to its new savings products launched ahead of the holiday season, Nationwide is positioning itself as a financial institution committed to inclusivity and systemic change. Its partnership with the Invest in Women Taskforce is the latest move in an ongoing effort to support underserved business communities and redefine traditional banking priorities.
Funding Aims to Close Long-Standing Gender Investment Gap
Nationwide’s £25 million funding initiative is designed to address an entrenched imbalance in the UK’s investment landscape. Female-led businesses, despite delivering on average 35% better returns on investment than male-led ones, attract only 2% of venture capital funding. In contrast, male-only businesses currently receive 81% of that capital, according to data cited by Nationwide.
The building society’s leadership under Dame Debbie Crosbie DBE described this disparity as a pressing concern. “Female-led businesses consistently deliver strong returns yet remain underrepresented in investment portfolios,” she stated. The partnership with the Invest in Women Taskforce is intended to help female founders secure the backing they often miss out on, due to structural hurdles in the investment process.
Nationwide highlighted that men are twice as likely to reach the investment committee stage of funding processes. This reduces opportunities for women to present their business cases and acquire financial support. By investing directly in female-led ventures, Nationwide aims to remove one of the major obstacles standing in the way of equitable business development in the UK.
According to Hannah Bernard OBE, Co-Chair of the Taskforce, the new partnership marks a significant step toward unlocking the potential of female entrepreneurship: “Its support will unlock the potential of female-led businesses, which are core to building a growing and more balanced economy.”
Building Society Combines Inclusion Efforts with New Product Offerings
Alongside its investment initiative, Nationwide also introduced two new savings products, 1-Year Triple Access ISA and 1-Year Triple Access Saver, which are now available to open both online and in branch. The interest rate for both accounts remains steady at 3.50%, as confirmed by Richard Stocker, Head of Retail Savings at Nationwide.
The timing of these products, launched just before the Christmas season, reflects Nationwide’s strategy to offer more choice and flexibility to customers while maintaining stability in savings returns. “We know our customers value choice in how they bank,” Stocker commented. “That’s why we are pleased to be able to offer our 1-year Triple Access ISA and 1-Year Triple Access Saver to open and manage in the branch and online.”
According to Nationwide, this dual focus, supporting entrepreneurs while maintaining competitive retail products, demonstrates its ongoing commitment to fair and inclusive banking. By becoming the first large-scale mutual to offer business banking in the UK, the organisation is extending its mission to include broader economic goals that prioritise impact over profit.
