Expanded support to close the gender gap and attract the
next generation of entrepreneurs.
Up to £2.6 million is being invested in initiatives to make it
easier for women and people from all backgrounds to start a
business.
They include a pilot programme, launching initially in the South
of Scotland, which will fund specialist enterprise coaches to
provide a range of tailored advice and guidance to help
individuals - particularly women and other under-represented
groups - kick-start their business ideas.
Grants of up to £1,000 will be available to give practical help
to turning business concepts into a reality.
The pilot will be delivered by South of Scotland Enterprise
(SOSE) and run alongside a new Scottish Government-administered
Pathways Fund to support entrepreneurial activity across
Scotland. This builds on last year's successful Pathways
Pre-Start Fund and will provide support, mentoring and advice
services for people starting a company or seeking to expand
a fledging business. Groups currently under-represented in the
start-up community, including women, will be particularly
targeted.
The two projects are to receive a total of up to £2.6 million
funding this financial year and form part of the Scottish
Government's ongoing commitment to delivering the recommendations
of the Pathways report on under-representation of women in
entrepreneurship.
Deputy First Minister said:
“Economic growth is one of the key priorities of the Scottish
Government. Scotland has all the ingredients to be one of
Europe's fastest-growing start-up economies: an economy that is
strong, successful and dynamic.
“Entrepreneurship is at the heart of a healthy, vibrant and
growing economy. I am clear that the Scottish Government will
play a prominent role in helping build the end-to-end support our
start-up business community has to develop and grow.
“This expanded package of support for entrepreneurs at the start
of their journey continues our drive to ensure everyone, from
every walk of life, is given the right support and encouragement
to make their business idea a reality.”
Chief Executive of SOSE Jane Morrison-Ross said:
“We are absolutely delighted to be delivering the Pathways
Pre-Start pilot across the South of Scotland. It is a region of
entrepreneurs and the Pathways pilot will be key to
delivering our vision for a wellbeing and inclusive economy and
accelerating the fantastic entrepreneurial pathway work our
Innovation and Entrepreneurship team are already doing.
“This work can now be supercharged and will be critical for
economic growth, as we will be able to tap into the potential the
South of Scotland has to become a rural economic powerhouse.
“During the pilot, our new enterprise coaches will focus on
pre-start up stage, and support individuals to realise their
entrepreneurial potential and guide them to the next stages of
business whilst helping with the development of an
entrepreneurial mindset. We would urge all budding entrepreneurs
who want to be part of the programme to watch this space.”
Entrepreneur and Investor Ana Stewart, author of the Pathways
report on under-representation of women in entrepreneurship,
said:
“If Scotland is really serious about building a richer,
deeper and healthier entrepreneurial economy, we must widen the
funnel beyond existing routes to encourage more people to set up
and scale their businesses, as opposed to sticking with existing
structures and systems; systems we know are not currently
reaching a large majority of the population.
“Whilst there is still much more to do to achieve equal access to
entrepreneurship, it's encouraging to see the launch of the SOSE
pre-start pilot in tandem with the creation of the
light-touch, micro-grant funding, giving would-be founders the
best chance of successfully navigating their very first steps
into entrepreneurship.”
Background
More information on the Scottish Government's
Pathways Fund is available on the Scottish Government
website.
The Scottish Government confirmed in June 2023 that it would take
forward all the recommendations of Ana Stewart's Pathways report
on under-representation of women in entrepreneurship as part of a
multi-million funding package being delivered this year to help
establish Scotland as one of Europe's leading start-up economies.
The Scottish Government's full
response to Pathways: A New Approach
for Women in Entrepreneurship is available on the Scottish
Government website.
