Coaches appointed to help unlock South of Scotland's entrepreneurial talent
A range of specialist enterprise coaches have been appointed to take forward our pathways pilot to help women and under-represented groups to start a business.
A total of nine coaches are now in place, covering ten areas across the whole of the South of Scotland, and we are now inviting budding entrepreneurs to get in touch to join the programme.
What will the programme provide?
The coaches will be in place until 31 March 2025, and will provide tailored advice and guidance to help individuals – particularly women and other underrepresented groups – to help kick-start their business ideas.
The pilot is part of a Scottish Government investment of up to £2.6million announced in July this year.
Coaches
Dumfries & Galloway
• Sarah Hanson (Interactifs)
• Holly Young (Interactifs)
• Victoria Lane (Solway Blankets)
• Martina McKinnell (Enterprise Coaching Services)
• Karen Riddick
Scottish Borders
• Ann Carter
• Sharday Hislop (Happy.Mind.Life)
• Lorna Jackson-Hall/Sian Downes (Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce/Strawberry Lemonade events)
How do I join the Pathways programme?
If you would like to join the pathways programme and work with the SOSE enterprise coach for your area, please click here.
Scottish Government support
Alongside the SOSE pilot, there will be 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 Scottish Government will also offer grants of up to £1,000 available to give practical help to turning business concepts into a reality.
The projects are to receive a total of up to £2.6million 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.
Chief Executive of SOSE Jane Morrison-Ross said:
“Our newly appointed enterprise coaches will support people in the South of Scotland to realise their entrepreneurial potential.
“There is a huge amount of talent, ambition and determination in the South of Scotland and we are working hard to support and ignite that.
“Awakening entrepreneurial talent is one of our six key priorities, highlighted by our annual report published this month which showed we engaged with almost 500 women and over 800 young people in 2023/24.
“We are even more ambitious than this for the South of Scotland and believe this Scottish Government-supported pilot can help us ignite the spark and accelerate how we work with our existing and new entrepreneurs.”
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said:
“Economic growth is a Scottish Government priority and Scotland has all the ingredients to be one of Europe’s fastest-growing start-up economies.
“Supporting this pilot operated by South of Scotland Enterprise to increase the number of women and under-represented groups starting and scaling businesses is a key Programme for Government commitment.
“It is also part of our continued work to implement Ana Stewart and Mark Logan’s Pathways report and to widen participation in entrepreneurship.
“We want to ensure everyone, from every walk of life, is given the right support and encouragement to make their business idea a reality.”