Women entrepreneurs a key focus for investment.
A package of measures to help entrepreneurs start and grow their
businesses will be delivered next year with funding in the draft
Scottish Budget 2025/26.
As part of £15 million investment, at least £4 million will be
invested to expand the number of women entrepreneurs by providing
tailored support at the earliest stages of business creation.
The initiative contributes to overall spending of £34.7 million
across entrepreneurship, innovation and social enterprise – a 50%
increase on 2024/25. This includes continued investment in
Techscaler, the Scottish Government's flagship programme for tech
start-ups. There will also be a new round of the Ecosystem Fund
and a new fund to further develop clusters in sectors such as
life sciences, digital and advanced manufacturing.
Deputy first Minister visited Gut Wealth, an
Edinburgh-based start-up, to discuss founder Gemma Stuart's
experience of starting a business. Gut Wealth was a recent winner
at the Scottish Government-supported Scottish EDGE awards.
The Deputy First Minister said:
“This Budget commitment demonstrates that the Scottish Government
stands squarely behind this and future generations of business
talent. I want everyone, from every walk of life, to feel
encouraged and supported in taking the first steps on their
entrepreneurial journey.
“A growing, thriving start-up ecosystem is vital to a strong and
growing economy and I want to make Scotland the best place in the
world for founders to launch and grow a start-up business.
“Taking a close steer from Ana Stewart and and Mark Logan's
report into encouraging more women start their own businesses,
the Scottish Government and our partners are building an
end-to-end support network to ensure entrepreneurs are helped at
each stage of their journey. Gemma's success story is one that we
are can, must and will replicate.”
Founder of Gut Wealth Gemma Stuart said:
"I have big ambitions to help people suffering with digestive
ill-health to live life a bit more freely from the pain and shame
of gut troubles. I'm proud to be scaling my business in Scotland
as part of the thriving ecosystem here.
"In the last two years, I've accessed vital guidance and support
from Business Gateway, Scottish Enterprise, AccelerateHER, RBS
Accelerator and most recently Scottish EDGE to help me scale.
"I've built a strong network of founders and I'm especially
grateful for the other female founders who have helped educate me
on raising funds and shared opportunities."
Background
Gut Wealth is a Scottish
start-up which produces health supplements.
The Scottish Government is investing £42 million in the
Techscaler programme. It now has more than 2,500 members and
supported more than 500 companies in its first year of
operation Success for startups - gov.scot
(www.gov.scot)
Pathways report.
Draft Scottish Budget
Ecosystem Fund
Scottish EDGE
