Women’s Enterprise Task Force Contract Launch

In its first major initiative since it was established back in November 2006, the government’s Women’s Enterprise Task Force (WETF) has today launched Women In Enterprise Connecting Contracts (WEConnect) designed to make it easier for female business owners to secure corporate contracts.

Although 16% of UK businesses are owned by women, only 3-5% of corporate and public sector contracts are secured by women business enterprises.  As a result the WEConnect initiative will encourage large corporations to look to diversify their supply chains. 

As Pam Alexander, co-chair of WETF and chief executive of SEEDA (South East England Development Agency) says:

There are 620,000 majority women-owned businesses in the UK – that’s more than ever before – but the number of such businesses winning corporate and public sector contracts is still shockingly low.

Practical details on the initiative are sparse as is the WEConnect website which is yet to go live can be found at the WeConnect website [I was initially directed to the wrong site]. It appears, however, that  The scheme will ‘certify’ women-owned businesses and include a site visit to make sure the business is controlled by the female business owner.  The business will then be added to the WEConnect database which should make it easier for it and larger corporates to connect.

WEConnect draws on an original idea from the US – the Women’s Business Act 1988 established to support women’s enterprise development.  The Act in the US has been credited with creating  a significant increase in the number of businesses created and owned by women in that country.