Natwest launches Expert in Residence programme with BEIS and LEP

By Joy Dumasia

NatWest has launched its Expert in Residence programme across the UK, dedicating 28 roles based in branches and communities to help female entrepreneurs realise their growth ambitions, following a successful two-year pilot of the Solent and South-East programme regions of England.

The initiative is launched in conjunction with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Expert in Residence is the latest action taken by the bank following the Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship, which was launched in 2019 and co-authored by NatWest’s CEO, Alison Rose. The review demonstrated that up to £250 billion of new value (equivalent to 1 SME million businesses) could be added to the UK economy if women started and scaled new companies at the same rate as UK men.

Expert in Residence aims to offer that enabler and provide improved access to finance to allow female entrepreneurs to grow their business further. In addition to the Experts in Residence, NatWest also has over 800 Women in Business specialists amongst their frontline teams, accredited by the Chartered Banker Institute and certified by Everywoman. These specialists offered bespoke mentoring, networking and professional business advice to women-led and owned SMEs.

Alison Rose, the CEO, NatWest Group, said: “Since the launch of the Rose Review in 2019, strong progress has been made in breaking down barriers facing female entrepreneurs, with considerable commitment and action across financial services and the wider business landscape. Yet there is more to do and, post-pandemic, support which is practical, face-to-face, and tailored to local communities, will be critical in enabling entrepreneurs to rebuild and thrive.”

Recently, IBS Intelligence reported that NatWest has announced introducing a new carbon footprint tracking feature for its mobile app to help customers reduce the climate impact of their spending.