Women’s sport in the UK is set for a massive boost as the Government announces a scheme to drive investment in elite clubs and leagues across the country, as part of a new pledge to make the UK the world’s top destination for women’s sport investment.
The scheme will prioritise development, commercial growth and financial sustainability. Sponsorship and investment are key to increasing visibility and inspiring young female athletes to ensure greater talent pathways are created, and to develop their careers in sport.
Investment Minister Poppy Gustafsson will today [Wednesday 23 October] launch the 2024-25 Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator scheme, which will bring over 20 elite leagues, competitions and teams across nine different sports, such as the Barclays Women’s Super League and England Women’s Cricket, together with investors and industry experts to help them secure transformational investment and sponsorships.
It will provide them with comprehensive market insights, seminars, connections and networking opportunities over a series of sessions, led by the Department for Business and Trade in collaboration with Deloitte, which will give them the tools and expert insight to help them attract investment and grow their business.
Investment Minister Poppy Gustafsson will launch the scheme at a sport investment conference at Rothschild & Co today, involving leaders from major UK sports and some of the world’s most prominent investors.
Minister for Investment Poppy Gustafsson said:
The UK is already an elite home of women’s sport, and my goal is to make us the top destination for women’s sport investment.
The launch of this scheme, a week after our record-breaking International Investment Summit, shows the UK is truly the best place to do business in this fast-growing industry.
Off the back of the latest figures showing the industry could be worth over £1 billion this year, I’m looking forward to speaking to investors and clubs, leagues and teams today about how the Accelerator can drive this growth even further.
The scheme will capitalise on the rapid growth of the women’s sport industry, which is expected to be worth over £1 billion by the end of the year according to Deloitte, marking a 300 percent increase since 2021.
By supporting women’s sport to attract new private investment into the UK it will help deliver on the Government’s central Growth Mission, building on existing support for growing women’s sport including the £30 million Lionesses Future Fund and over £12 million to grow women’s rugby.
It follows a successful pilot of the scheme in 2023-24 which supported leagues, teams and competitions across football, cricket, rugby and more to secure game-changing investment and sponsorship deals.
Now, with two new sports and a range of new competitions and teams signed up, the scheme will provide even more dedicated advice and support to attract investment and offer more connections with investors.
The launch also comes after major recent UK women’s sport investment successes, including a £45 million sponsorship deal for the Barclays Women’s Super League, Michelle Kang’s acquisition of the London City Lionesses, and the England & Wales Cricket Board launching the process to secure private investment into The Hundred early next year.
Minister for Sport Stephanie Peacock said:
Women’s sport has been growing rapidly in recent years and we are committed to supporting its expansion, from the grassroots to elite level.
Last year, we welcomed Karen Carney OBE’s Review of Women’s Football which addressed the importance of growing investment in women’s sport.
As Sports Minister, I want to see as many women and girls as possible enjoy sport and physical activity, and this scheme will be instrumental in securing investment to grow the sector even further.
England & Wales Cricket Board Director of the Women’s Professional Game Beth Barrett-Wild said:
The first edition of the Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator scheme provided an engine to help power conversations and connections between rights holders, investors, and commercial partners, with expert insight from Deloitte helping to deepen understanding for all about the landscape and opportunities.
I’m really looking forward to the launch of year two, and the chance to take this discussion to the next level, as we all work together to unlock the full potential of women’s sport.
Deloitte Sports Business Group Lead Partner Tim Bridge said:
We’re witnessing a surge in investment opportunities within women’s sport. The rise of dedicated funds and brand sponsorships for women’s and girls’ clubs, leagues and competitions signals a powerful shift. The Accelerator programme has been built to connect investors and brands with these opportunities, showcasing the strength and remarkable growth potential of women’s sport. This influx of investment will be instrumental in driving professionalisation and boosting participation across the UK, creating a lasting impact for women’s sport at all levels while delivering significant economic returns.
Lisa O’Keefe MBE, Secretary General of the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport said:
I am delighted IWG is continuing to support the Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator following a successful pilot year.
The investment potential of women’s sport is clear, and this programme will continue to support clubs and leagues to put themselves in the best positions to realise that investment potential.
The UK Government’s commitment to growing women’s sport is commendable and we look forward to continuing to assist that ambition, bringing knowledge and insights from across our global network, and sharing the learnings from this programme at the IWG Global Summit in Birmingham 2026.
The Government’s pledge to make the UK the top destination for women’s sport investment comes after the record-breaking International Investment Summit held just last week, which secured £63 billion of private investment into the UK which will create over 38,000 new jobs across the country.
Full list of the elite sports represented in the 2024-25 Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator:
