Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the level of the barriers faced by disabled people in accessing start up funding; and what steps he plans to take to reduce them.

The Department's work through the Lilac Review with Small Business Britain has supported research into the barriers faced by disabled people in accessing start up finance.

In response to this the Disability Finance Code for Entrepreneurship (DFCE) was launched in December 2024 to improve access to finance and resources for disabled entrepreneurs. Its July 2026 Progress Report highlighted progress by founding signatories Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest.

The Department will continue to work with the wider financial sector to expand the Code’s reach, strengthen its impact, and help reduce financial barriers for disabled entrepreneurs across the UK.