The Hunter Foundation is on the lookout for the next wave of growth-oriented businesses to join its fifth cohort representing the Scale Up Scotland initiative.

Across the initial four cohorts, businesses under the initiative’s umbrella have collectively generated £500 million in incremental revenue, added 3,000 jobs to the market, while securing £300 million in funding. Sir Tom Hunter, the founder of the foundation, emphasised that the programme is designed by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, tailored to meet their unique needs and shepherd them through accelerated growth.

Speaking on the impact of the programme, Sir Tom Hunter stated: “With a little bit of help from us and our amazing ‘entrepreneurs in residence,’ these businesses have taken on significant challenges and grown exponentially. Fundamentally, the peer-to-peer support across the cohorts, coupled with knowledge and insight from entrepreneurs who have ‘been there and done it,’ we think makes a significant contribution to supporting businesses scale.”

The 18-month core programme is geared towards ambitious entrepreneurs with the potential to drive sales beyond £20 million to £30 million. It covers a wide array of topics, including business transformation, strategic people planning, leadership development, effective communication skills, customer insight, operations management, risk and incident management, fundraising, internationalisation, sales negotiation, building effective teams, and decision-making.

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Participants commit to 10 residential one and a half-day events, operating from the Hunter Foundation’s headquarters at Blair Estate. The programme is open to firms headquartered in Scotland with a minimum turnover of £1 million, showcasing year-on-year growth and an ambition to build a global business.

The Scale Up Scotland programme is subsidised by the Hunter Foundation, with participants contributing a fee of £6,000 plus VAT, covering accommodation and meals for the residential events at Blair Estate. The application deadline for the next cohort is 29 February, with the programme scheduled to kick off on 25 April.