Tag: networking

Scottish entrepreneurs invited to apply for free business accelerator

Royal Bank of Scotland is inviting ambitious entrepreneurs and business owners to apply for a place on its Entrepreneur Accelerator Hub. 

The bank is currently accepting applications to its fully funded support programme for Scottish businesses looking to scale and succeed. 

Successful applicants will benefit from full use of the Hub’s modern coworking spaces in the city centres of Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as access to a calendar of networking events and one-to-one coaching.   

Since its launch, the programme has empowered over 1,000 businesses in Scotland and also includes a Digital Accelerator which offers a virtual programme of support to entrepreneurs based across the country.  

Karen Robinson, founder of oat milk brand, Three Robins, has been a member of the Accelerator Hub since 2021. The busy mum of three started the business after noticing a gap in the market for a high-quality, healthy alternative to traditional dairy products when her son developed a lactose intolerance.  

The product range was officially launched to the market in May 2022 and has proven an immediate hit with children and adults alike, particularly appealing to families looking for a milk-alternative that doesn’t compromise on nutritional value.  

Talking of her experience on the Hub, Karen said: “Prior to starting Three Robins, my background was in international development, and I spent over 20 years working in women’s rights. This involved a lot of travelling to war impacted areas and after a while, it just wasn’t working with family life.  

“The idea for Three Robins came about when my son, Christopher, developed a lactose intolerance. We’d be buying several different milk products to suit everyone’s needs and tastes and I remember thinking, it shouldn’t be this complicated to find a product that suits everyone – so I decided to make one. 

“Since launching the business, we’ve grown from strength to strength and the support we’ve received from the Edinburgh Accelerator Hub has been invaluable. Having access to a group of like-minded business owners gives you a sounding board to bounce ideas off, and the one-to-one mentoring has given me insight I wouldn’t have otherwise had having not come from a business background. 

“We were recently awarded funding from Scottish Edge to fuel our next chapter of the business and were also able to exhibit our products alongside the Bank at this year’s Royal Highland Show. This allowed us to introduce our range to an entirely new audience and I’m excited to keep working alongside Royal Bank of Scotland as we continue to grow.” 

Mandy Bailey, Regional Eco-System Manager at Royal Bank of Scotland added: “We are champions of Scotland’s entrepreneurial talent and want to give all business owners the tools they need to scale and succeed.  

“Entrepreneur Accelerator is currently accepting applications for its next cohort, and we’re excited to welcome the best and brightest businesses into our Edinburgh and Glasgow Hubs as well as our virtual community.” 

The Royal Bank Accelerator programme supports and empowers entrepreneurs across Scotland to scale their businesses to the next level, offering one-to-one coaching, a calendar of thought leadership and events, access to a network of like-minded peers, and full-time use of a modern coworking space.  

Based out of the bank’s state-of-the-art city centre offices in Edinburgh’s St Andrew Square and Glasgow’s Queen Street, the programme is currently accepting applicants for its next intake.

Ambitious business owners are invited to apply here before applications close on 18th August.  

Edinburgh sees a surge in Living Wage sign ups

A record number of employers have signed up for living wage accreditation in Edinburgh following the Capital’s commitment to be a Living Wage City.

In November 2021 a new partnership of city employers and the Council launched a plan to more than double the number of living wage accredited employers in Edinburgh. By helping to tackle low pay and insecure work, this is an important part of work needed to meet the city’s goal to end poverty in Edinburgh by 2030.

Since then, a record 58 organisations have now made a commitment to pay the Real Living Wage in Edinburgh with 42 employers accredited during the first five months of this year. This is the most successful period ever for new sign ups in Edinburgh and will result in more than 300 employees receiving a direct uplift in pay as a result of their employer’s commitment to the Real Living Wage.

The new sign ups – which include George Watson’s College, the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC), drinks company Glenmorangie and charity Age Scotland – join a movement of 541 Edinburgh based businesses voluntarily paying their staff a minimum hourly wage of £9.90 per hour. 

To support even more employers to become accredited, interested organisations are invited attend an interactive networking event on Thursday 16 June.

Hosted by Dr Ishbel McWha-Hermann at the University of Edinburgh Business School, the business breakfast will be held in partnership with Living Wage Scotland, the Council and University of Glasgow with tickets free to reserve on Eventbrite.

Councillor Jane Meagher, Convener of Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Tackling poverty in Edinburgh remains one of the Council’s key priorities. We want to make sure everyone can take advantage of everything the Capital has to offer and is paid a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work. 

“It’s really positive that so many employers have been inspired by our new Living Wage City status. We’ve already doubled the number of organisations signing up, directly responding to our call to join us in making Edinburgh fairer. We want to see this trend continue.

“We all have a part to play in making sure Edinburgh’s economic recovery from Covid results in a fairer society. We have a commitment to end poverty in Edinburgh by the year 2030, but face challenges with the cost-of-living crisis and rising energy costs. By signing up to be a Living Wage employer, employers can show how much they value their workers and the financial security they deserve.”

Christine McCaig, Living Wage Projects Coordinator at Living Wage Scotland, said: “Nobody should experience in-work poverty and the Living Wage is a welcome step towards stamping out unfair working practices.

“The ‘City Status’ Edinburgh received last year is a sign of how much the Capital values workers and the Council’s commitment to becoming a fairer society. Being a living wage accredited employer has benefits for organisations, too. It shows care and commitment and can lead to greater retainment of skilled employees.

“It’s great to see such a surge in sign-ups and we should continue to aim high. Let’s work towards seeing every Edinburgh organisation accredited to help end poverty in our city.”

With Watson’s recent accreditation, Principal, Melvyn Roffe said: “At Watson’s we have long tried to ensure that everyone is properly paid for their work, but now is the right time to make the public commitment as a Scottish Living Wage employer.

“Poverty wages disrespect the contribution of individuals, put families under strain and undermine our communities. We should all do our bit to put a stop to them.”

Newly accredited employers in Edinburgh include:

  • George Watson’s College
  • Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC)
  • Age Scotland
  • Water Witness International
  • Health in Mind
  • Jump Research Ltd
  • Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance
  • The Glenmorangie Company
  • EALA Impacts CIC
  • Moonwake Beer Co.
  • The Pantry and Pantry Events
  • Richard Murphy Architects Ltd
  • Union Direct Limited
  • The Lane Agency Ltd
  • Mackinnon Slater
  • Chamomile Sanctuary
  • The Corner Shop PR (Scotland) Ltd
  • Create Business Properties
  • Sequoia Information Services Group
  • Stockbridge Decorators Ltd
  • Greenside Venues LTD
  • ProjectChange
  • Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council (EVOC)
  • Go Forth
  • Genoa Black Ventures LLP
  • Helen Lucas Architects Ltd.

SHE Scotland to hold Funders & Partners event

We are looking for like minded business, community groups, school leaders and charity owners to join us for our funders and partners night so we can work together to provide more opportunities for girls and young women.

This evening is a great opportunity for networking and explore potential synergies with other local groups.

The evening will be held on Thursday 26th May from 6-8pm in our space at 525 Ferry Road, EH5 2FF and will include talks from our members at SHE Scotland so you can find out more about what we do and how you can help us provide more opportunities for girls and young women.

This is a great opportunity for networking and we would love to see like minded business, community groups, school leaders and charity owners attend so please do spread this invite far and wide!

If you would like to come along, please do RSVP via the link below! We hope to see you there!

shescotland@outlook.com

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Edinburgh hosts Barbados investment event

A touch of the Caribbean came to Edinburgh on Tuesday evening as it hosted a diplomatic and business event at Norton House Hotel, bringing together Scottish business leaders.

The event showcased investment opportunities on the Caribbean Island of Barbados and signals another return to normalcy as Scotland emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The reception was hosted by Invest Barbados, the economic development agency of the government of Barbados and Business Friends of Barbados (Scotland). 

Speakers included the Barbados High Commissioner to the UK, Milton Innis; CEO of Invest Barbados, Kaye-Anne Brathwaite and Chairman of Business Friends of Barbados, Ian Gittens.

Famed as a popular tourism destination, attendees heard how Barbados offers a warm and welcoming investment climate. The island boasts ambitions to become a “digitally enabled nation” and is well on track to achieving the goal of 100 per cent renewable energy generation by 2030, delivering a carbon-net-neutral target. The opportunity is ideal for those looking for more information and greater links with Scotland.

Attendees heard how investment opportunities for exploration include niche manufacturing, global banking, information, and computer technology (ICT), global education, food and drink, wealth management, insurance, renewable energy, and medical tourism among others.

The investment event comes hot on the heels of the recent announcement of Scotland’s only direct route to the Caribbean, with Virgin Atlantic launching a connection from Edinburgh to Bridgetown, Barbados, set to launch on 5th December.

It also comes as a precursor to a trade mission to the island from Scotland, which will take place from 22-27 November 2021, the first in-person mission to Barbados since the start of Covid in early 2020.

Of additional interest is an innovative and highly successful ‘Welcome Stamp’ (introduced at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic), which enables individuals to stay and work remotely on the island without changing their tax residency. 

It also has the lowest structure of income tax rates and some of the most competitive personal income taxes. Additionally, Barbados is a gateway to investment in the wider Caribbean and Latin America.

The island has historic links with Scotland, with strong Scottish immigration as well as having its own Scotland District on the east coast of the island, named due to its physical similarities with Scotland, located appropriately within the Saint Andrew Parish.

Barbados also hosts an annual Celtic Festival which takes place each spring (Covid permitting); this includes pipers, dancers, choirs, a haggis night, and a rugby tournament. The island also boasts its own tartan – the first Caribbean tartan to be registered in Scotland.

Barbados’ educational system is also renowned globally, with a literacy rate of 99.7 per cent, one of the highest in the world, delivering a highly talented workforce.

CEO of Invest Barbados, Kaye-Anne Brathwaite (above) , said: “We were delighted to host this event. Scotland has long and well-established links with Barbados and will become even more connected with the commencement of direct flights from Edinburgh in December.

“Barbados remains an incredibly desirable place to do business and is a stable political and economic jurisdiction. Our welcoming investment climate compliments the enviable quality of life that we offer.

“Our novel Welcome Stamp has also proven globally popular, enabling individuals to stay and work remotely on the island without changing their tax residency.

“Barbados is a long-established hub for global business and you’re invited to grow your business here.”

Winning SMEs to take the stage at national innovation summit

  • Three of Scotland’s most innovative SMEs secure a global audience at the CAN DO Innovation Summit with #SMEstage competition win
  • Further details of the Summit are released

Scotland’s CAN DO Innovation Summit takes place tomorrow and there’s still time to book your seat at the virtual event. The national event for innovation in business will be live from 8am on Wednesday 3 February.

The three winners of the competition, open to all small and medium sized Scottish businesses, were chosen from high-quality entrants who were asked to submit a short video demonstrating how they are building innovation into their daily practices.

The winners are rising stars from across Scotland – Edinburgh-based Scene Connect, Aberdeen-based Recycl8 and Edinburgh-based Space Intelligence. Getting a spot on the Summit’s SME stage gives the businesses exposure to a global online audience of over 800 investors, academics, entrepreneurs and innovators. 

The winners will also benefit from two days of support from an Innovation Specialist at Scottish Enterprise.

This year’s CAN DO Innovation Summit, a headline event of the VentureFest Scotland festival of innovation, has been carefully crafted to support Scottish SMEs to build innovation-led recovery, resilience and sustainable growth after recent national and global challenges. It will feature a speaker line-up of over 40 multi-sector SMEs and a range of innovation support agencies across 12 industry-led panel sessions. 

Panel discussions and live Q&A sessions will run throughout the day covering the following themes: Journey to a Sustainable Future; Recovery & Resilience; Workplace Culture; Advance manufacturing & Digitisation; MedTech/Health Innovation.

Speaker highlights on the day will include world class keynotes: Lolita Jackson, Special Advisor for Climate Policy and Programs, in New York City’s Mayor’s Office; Ivan McKee, the Scottish Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation; Craig Foster, Art Director at Pixar Animation Studios; Chloe Demrovsky, the youngest and first female chief executive to oversee and expand the Disaster Recovery Institute’s international network; Dyan Finkhousen, founder and CEO of Shoshin Works in the US and John Reid, CEO of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS).

It has never been more important for business to be agile and creative – and over 800 delegates have already signed up to this year’s event, from Scotland, the UK and beyond. They have given a range of reasons for getting involved, including aiming to make new connections; wanting to learn about progressive workplace practices and hoping to learn how new technologies can help them tackle business challenges. 

Enabling connections is a key objective of the Summit, at a time when networking can be difficult in a virtual world. With multiple opportunities to connect with new people, share knowledge and ideas and explore opportunities for partnership, the Summit makes it easier than ever to spark new connections online.

Delegates can meet innovation leaders, support agencies, investors, entrepreneurs and academics through live Q&As, speed networking, 1:1s in the Delegate Hub, drop-in sessions and the Summit’s virtual Support Village.

Dr Laura Bell of the CAN DO Innovation Summit, said: “Recent events have created huge challenges for SMEs, who will now be critical to tackling the economic and societal challenges we are facing. This year’s Summit has been carefully crafted to help SMEs explore opportunities to develop new and better business models and to drive sustainable competitive advantage. 

“Our virtual focal point for business will help SMEs adopt new technologies, build progressive working cultures and access the right support for innovation-led recovery and growth. We have a wide selection of world-leading experts and local talent lined up to speak at the event, as well as interactive sessions which can benefit SMEs across all sectors.

“I’d also like to thank our panel of judges for selecting three excellent winners to take their well-earned place in the spotlight at the Summit on the #SMEstage. We look forward to welcoming many more SMEs on 3 February.”

The #SMEstage competition winners were selected by an independent panel of judges made up of senior representatives from Scottish EDGE, Innovate UK and Scottish Enterprise.

The winners will have their moment in the spotlight at the Summit at 3.45pm when they will showcase how they are building innovation into their daily practices.

Evelyn McDonald said: “Judging the #SMEstage competition was a great way to start the year as it reminded us all that despite the challenges we are currently facing there are a wealth of entrepreneurs and businesses in Scotland creating new technologies to enable innovation led recovery and growth. 

“Winning the competition will give the businesses access to a wide audience which will hopefully bring useful connections and support as well as linking them into invaluable support from Scottish Enterprise.”

This is the second Summit, following a successful inaugural event in Glasgow, and is the first time it has been held virtually.

For more information on the event please visit: www.candoinnovation.scot

Delegates can register for free here: 

https://www.registerforevent.co.uk/candoinnovationsummit/

Networking event to highlight benefits of coordinated fundraising and marketing approach 

Professionals working in Scotland’s arts and heritage sectors are being invited to explore the benefits of a coordinated approach to marketing and fundraising at a special training event taking place at the Surgeon’s Hall in Edinburgh this month. Continue reading Networking event to highlight benefits of coordinated fundraising and marketing approach