Volleyball among those seeking to boost women's sport investment and visibility

The Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator, launched by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), will run for a year and bring together UK-based sports rightsholders – such as leagues, teams, competitions and events – who are seeking investment together with industry experts and sports investors. 

Volleyball England joined representatives from the FA Women’s Super League, England Rugby, England Netball, England and Wales Cricket Board and more. 

Investment in women’s sport is growing rapidly, and the industry is expected to be worth £1 billion a year by 2030. 

“It’s fantastic to see this scheme get off the mark as we aim to make the UK the world’s number one destination for women’s sport investment,” said The Government’s Industry Minister, Nusrat Ghani. 

“We’ve had so many brilliant women’s sport success stories this year. I’m excited to see the overwhelming appetite from leagues, teams and competitions from right across the breadth of women’s sports, and am proud to back this fast-growing sector as it pushes boundaries and grows to the next level.” 

In association with Deloitte’s Sports Business Group and supported by the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport, the scheme is providing a series of sessions offering market insights, connections and networking events alongside comprehensive mentoring for rightsholders who are looking for investment. 

This week marked the first of three flagship sessions of the scheme – the next of which takes place in January – with DBT also providing dedicated workshops for rightsholders on specific areas, such as growing broadcast revenues, unlocking new audiences and best practice for working with investors. 

Rob Payne, Volleyball England’s Strategic Manager (An Ace Service), said: “I’m delighted to participate in the Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator programme on behalf of Volleyball England. 

“The prospect of attracting new investment is a key priority in our ambitions to professionalise the Women’s game, and this programme will be an important stepping stone in achieving them. 

“A fundamental part of our organisational strategy is focused on raising the profile of the MAAREE Women’s Super League, and the opportunity to receive dedicated mentoring, network with world-leading organisations and build my knowledge through insights from industry experts will be hugely valuable to transform our sport.” 

The application process for the Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator is open to rightsholders of any UK-based women’s sports leagues, teams, competitions or events aiming to attract investment and boost their growth. 

The scheme is also being made available at no cost to taxpayers, with all speakers and mentors providing their time and expertise on a pro bono basis and the scheme being delivered through DBT’s collaboration with Deloitte, who are providing event space and facilitating several of the scheme sessions.