First national baseline measurement through a gender lens
It Code-V Data Report is a first. Never before has data on financing been collected, analysed and shared on this scale in the Netherlands with an explicit focus on gender. A total of €28.1 billion of SME financing provided was examined. This accounts for about 80% of the total in 2024. The data was provided by 41 financiers, including banks, investors and alternative financiers committed to the Code-V covenant. ROM InWest is proud to be one of 107 signatories of this covenant to actively contribute to this important first step towards transparency and inclusion.
Striking differences between men and women
What emerges? Women submit funding applications less often, and when they do, they ask for lower amounts on average. Yet the success rate of female applications is actually higher than that of their male counterparts. At banks, 74% of women's applications are approved, compared to 68% for men or others. At non-bank financiers, it is 24% as against 19%. But despite these higher approvals, actual awards lag behind. On average, at banks, women get over €126,000 less than their male counterparts. With alternative funders, that difference is around €20,000. And with investors? There, women on average apply for €205,000 less and receive less than half that amount.
Awareness is good, action is better
The figures show: it is not because of the quality of applications. Women are approved more often but still receive less. These barriers are now more visible. Time to remove them together. Code-V therefore calls for targeted action. Funders can better align their review processes and communications with inclusive practice. Funders can additionally scrutinise their funding processes and products and, if necessary, sharpen them. Policymakers can also make a difference. With better data registration and monitoring, targeted incentives and accessible networks. Women entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply more often and for higher amounts, and to make optimal use of knowledge and networks.
Why this is important to ROM InWest
At ROM InWest, we are committed every day to helping entrepreneurs grow. Equal access to finance is essential to this. This report offers concrete tools to make finance more inclusive - and shows where we can make a difference together. Because if all entrepreneurs can grow, our economy grows with them.
In doing so, ROM InWest is launching partner of Code-V, this initiative that helps female entrepreneurs with knowledge, network and capital. Within Code-V, more than 100 public and private parties in the Netherlands work together to support and accelerate female entrepreneurship. Want to know more? https://rominwest.nl/voor-vrouwen-die-ondernemen-met-lef/
