THE Scottish Government has allocated hundreds of thousands of pounds of funding to help train the “next generation of business founders”.
Announced by Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes on Friday, the new Entrepreneurial Education Pathways Fund is intended to “engage young people in entrepreneurship,” and offers public and private sector organisations grants of up to £250,000 to deliver new and innovative courses and projects to young people.
In total, £885,000 has been allocated to the fund which aims to “inspire the next generation of business owners” by educating under-18s. Applications are open until September 9.
It comes after a Scottish Government commitment, made in June 2023 to implement recommendations in a report co-authored by its chief entrepreneur, Mark Logan, formerly chief operating officer of Skyscanner, on under-representation of women in business as part of a multimillion-pound funding package being delivered this year.
The Scottish Government plans to “establish a world-class entrepreneurial nation,” and Deputy First Minister and Economy Secretary Forbes said she hopes to create a “more diverse talent pool” encompassing a wide range of backgrounds, to encourage under-18s to choose business ownership as a career path.
Forbes said: “Entrepreneurship is key to a productive and growing economy. Tapping into a more diverse talent pool to drive the creation and growth of new businesses is an ethical and economic imperative.
“Scotland has the potential to be one of Europe’s fastest-growing start-up economies: strong, successful and dynamic.
“The Scottish Government will continue to play its part to make this a reality, which starts with establishing a culture that encourages, promotes and celebrates entrepreneurial learning from an early age.
“We want every young person to have the opportunity to experience entrepreneurial learning and this funding will help offer the next generation of business founders new and exciting ways to take the first crucial steps.”
Logan said: “This is an essential investment in the future of our country. It is our children and young people who will create the jobs and opportunities in tomorrow’s economy.
“The more we can capture their interest in entrepreneurship now, the stronger that economy will be.”
On Friday, the Scottish Government also announced funding totalling £272,000 would be allocated to eight projects through the Climate Engagement Fund.
Community workshops, podcasts, and green festivals are amongst the activities which will be supported from the latest round of the funding, aimed at increasing people’s understanding of climate change and encouraging individuals to take action.
Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero Gillian Martin said: “The race to net zero is one that we must all win, and we know that public support is crucial in order to successfully achieve the transformational societal change required to achieve it.
“As such, it is vital that everyone in our society understands the nature and scale of the climate emergency and has the opportunity to participate and shape decisions about our national approach to tackling it.
“We need as many credible voices communicating about climate change as possible and by supporting grassroots action, the Climate Engagement Fund will help enable individuals and communities to directly contribute to tackling climate change and support Scotland in meeting its target of net zero emissions by 2045.”
