The government will work with industry to develop two voluntary standards aimed at improving opportunities for women in the technology sector, under measures announced in Chancellor John Healey's Autumn Budget on 28 October 2026. The standards will be developed with the Women in Tech Taskforce and industry ambassadors including BT, Revolut, Sage, Balderton Capital and Octopus Ventures. The Budget report suggests that increasing the number of women in the sector could add up to £4 billion a year to UK GDP, a claim presented as the report's estimate rather than a measured outcome.

The first standard, Tech Forward, is intended to help firms tackle barriers in workplace culture. According to the Budget coverage, it may include improved guidance on culture, trusted routes for reporting harassment, and better practice on hiring, retention and career progression. Digital Inclusion Minister Vicky Foxcroft, co-chair of the Women in Tech Taskforce, has said too many talented women leave tech or never get the chance to build a career in it.

Investment access and scale-up support

The second standard, the Inclusive Investment Standard, is aimed at fairer access to funding for female entrepreneurs. It will begin by tracking female-led businesses from conception through pitch to funding, to identify where the largest barriers arise, alongside commitments to broaden deal-sourcing channels. A women's scale-up programme is due to launch in 2027, run jointly by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Business and Trade, to support high-growth, women-led businesses seeking investment.

Both standards are voluntary, so they do not create a new legal duty for employers or investors, and no grant application is opened by this announcement.