Scotland is putting its faith in young minds and bold ideas, with a significant rise in funding designed to help the next generation build businesses of their own.
The Entrepreneurial Education Fund has been increased by over a third this year, making up to £1.2 million available in 2025 and 2026 to support learning programmes that put enterprise and creativity at the heart of education.
It’s an investment not just in skills, but in the confidence and imagination of young people across the country.
From primary school through to further education, last year’s fund helped embed entrepreneurship deep into Scotland’s classrooms, planting the first seeds of possibility from as early as Primary One.
This year, the scope widens even further, with applications encouraged for vocational programmes up to SCQF Levels 7 and 8, helping young people from all backgrounds discover that business ownership is not just a dream, but a real and achievable path.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes believes this work is not just important, but essential to Scotland’s future.
“Fostering and supporting entrepreneurial talent is vital for ensuring a growing, thriving economy,” she said.
“The Scottish Government continues to invest in expanding the pipeline of support available to help this and the next generation of business founders to succeed.”
Forbes also stressed the power of starting early, explaining how entrepreneurial education “builds the mindset, skills and attitudes needed to succeed” while also breaking down barriers for those who may never have seen themselves as future business leaders.
Chief Entrepreneur Ana Stewart echoed that message with real conviction, saying:
“Scotland’s future economy will be built by the bold ideas and creative minds we nurture today.”
Stewart is determined that this fund will create space for both established names and new providers to inspire young entrepreneurs and to make entrepreneurship feel like a natural choice for anyone with passion and purpose.
That idea has already begun to take shape.
One of last year’s recipients, Daydream Believers, was awarded £146,200 to develop the Dreamers and Doers Playlist, a vibrant 120-hour creative learning programme delivered in schools right across Scotland.
Its Managing Director, Helena Good MBE, described the fund as transformational.
“Funding from the Scottish Government allowed us to take Creative Thinking to the next level,” she said.
“We created a resource that’s bold, joyful, and built to last and it’s laid the foundations for a lasting legacy.”
As this new round of funding opens, the hope is clear.
By investing in young Scots today, Scotland is not just encouraging entrepreneurship.
It is declaring, with pride and intent, that our best ideas and our boldest futures are only just beginning.
