The Hunter Foundation’s ScaleUpScotland 2.0 programme is seeking its second cohort of ambitious entrepreneurs.

The aim of the programme is to address and provide strategic support to businesses with high-growth potential, helping to grow their turnover to over £100 million.

Interested firms must be headquartered in Scotland, with current revenues in excess of £10m—as well as a record of strong year-on-year growth. Further, firms must have the potential to achieve further growth within the next five years.

However, the likes of biotech companies and others with high valuations but low or no revenue will be considered.

The programme is available to the CEOs and executive leadership teams of up to 12 companies, with the bosses gaining access to quarterly residential retreats at the Hunter Foundation’s headquarters of Blair Estate.

Applications close on 4 October, and the programme itself starts in January.

WEConnect Energy’s CEO, Richard Madden, was a participant of the ScaleUp 2.0 programme last year. Speaking on the experience, he said: “Being part of ScaleUp Scotland 2023 was a pivotal moment for our company.”

“The inspiring speakers, leaders and connections with other CEOs offered us expert guidance, reigniting our leadership team’s ambition and making the whole journey highly beneficial.”

Laura Davidson, the CEO of Tag Digital and who participated in both the ScaleUp core programme and then the 2.0 programme, also commented: “We went into ScaleUp in 2018 as a £2m business and by the end of 2.0 will almost have 10x growth.

“I love to see success in others and feel so proud when seeing the cohorts doing well and making big moves – it can be lonely and having people that really understand where you are is powerful.”

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Sir Tom Hunter himself, the entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of The Hunter Foundation (THF), said: “To date our ScaleUp cohorts have added over £1 billion of turnover and created 5,000 plus new jobs and whilst we play a very small part in that growth we do believe it’s a pivotal role.

“Crucially, the peer-to-peer support the programme enables is fundamental to a money can’t buy support network for our entrepreneurs.

“Combine that with brilliant speakers who have been there and done it, and it’s compelling we believe and utterly necessary for Scotland’s economic growth.”