British Business Bank partners with UKBAA on launch of Diverse Angel Syndicate
The British Business Bank has announced a new partnership with the UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA) to support the launch of its Diverse Angel Syndicate (DAS)
programme, an initiative designed to broaden participation in angel investing and increase the flow of capital to underrepresented business founders.
The programme will provide specialist financial and non-financial support for operational growth and development, including up to £400,000 of grant funding per syndicate over a four-year programme period.
The funds will be used to help diversity-focused angel syndicates recruit, train and activate investors; strengthen their operations; and build sustainable long-term models. It will focus primarily on tackling underrepresentation among women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds in angel investing.
Through the DAS, successful syndicates will receive support to raise awareness of angel investing as an asset class; onboard a mix of novice and experienced investors; provide high-quality investor education; develop stronger operational infrastructure; and connect with peer syndicates, early-stage investors and co-investment partners.
Overall, the programme aims to broaden participation in angel investing, support increased investment into diverse founders, and strengthen the capabilityof angel syndicates operating outside of London.
UKBAA will act as strategic programme partner, providing specialist support to help syndicates develop the structures, processes and capabilities needed to operate and run effectively, while helping the opportunity reach relevant syndicates through its established national network.
The programme builds on the Bank’s DAS pilot, established in 2023, to support a cohort of five female-led syndicates. By 30 June 2026, participating syndicates had recruited 277 angel investors, including 265 women and 232 novice investors, and completed 74 deals with a total round value of £58.7m, including £2.3m invested directly by the syndicates.
By June 2026, 169 investors had made their first angel investment through participating syndicates. More than half (59 per cent) of the active investors have gone on to make repeat investments.
Susan Nightingale, senior director, local growth team at the British Business Bank said: “We want to work with ambitious angel syndicates, whether emerging or established, that share our passion for tackling evidenced disparities in angel investing. Through the DAS programme, we want to support and accelerate that change, helping syndicates attract and activate a broader range of investors while building the professional foundations they need to grow.
“Ultimately, our ambition is to see diverse syndicates develop into commercially viable, self-sustaining organisations that continue to bring new investors into the market and unlock more capital for entrepreneurs across the UK.”
Jenny Tooth OBE, executive chair of UKBAA said: “Building a more diverse angel-investment ecosystem across the UK is vital and we need to enable many more women and those from wider diverse backgrounds with the capacity to invest to become part of angel investment syndicates.
“Through this valuable new programme, we look forward to working directly with a curated cohort of angel syndicates.
"By providing them with new skills, knowledge and connections, we aim to strengthen their role and capacity to mobilise many more diverse investors into their angel groups.
Applications for the DAS programme open on 11 November.
Photography: Watt Media, of Susan Nightingale, senior director, local growth team at the British Business Bank
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