Pathways to Scale programme – now closed

Applications for the 2025-26 Pathways to Scale (PTS) programme are now closed. 

The programme is designed to support female founders or women-led growth businesses who looking to secure investment to scale up.

About the programme

Pathways to Scale is an entrepreneurial leadership programme for women. It focuses on building the key executive skills needed to scale a business and secure investment, to help you transition from founder to company leader.

The 2025-2026 programme has space for a total of 24 participants. You'll be assigned to one of two cohorts consisting of 10 to 12 participants each for the duration of the programme.

The programme offers:

• Executive skills training in areas such as leadership, sales, financial strategy, and advanced pitching
• Access to grant funding of up to £20,000
• A supportive peer cohort and community building
• Business and investor network building
• Strategic business growth and investment support
• An investment showcase opportunity

The stats around investment in female-led companies aren't good enough. We want to change that. PTS is a ‘whole person’ executive education experience. It focuses on the unique challenges women may face in business and aims to equip them with the confidence, skills, and opportunities to secure investment and scale.

It'll take you on a journey to help boost your confidence, ambition, network, and capabilities. The programme will also significantly enhance your financial management skills to help your company become investment-ready.

Eligibility

PTS is open to female company founders and co-founders of established start-up businesses that have been operating for one to five years.

Your business will need to be headquartered in Scotland and have some commercial traction (or show progress toward initial sales).

You'll need to be able to show that your business has ambition to scale. For example, it should: 

• Likely have a turnover of around £100,000 or more
• Aim to raise investment of £500,000 or more in the next 18 to 24 months – this should include plans to make capital investments to increase productivity
• Likely have 2 to 10 full-time employees – so, be the very early stages of growth, but beyond the initial start-up phase
• Have international ambition, with clearly identified market opportunities and rationale for regions targeted for exports, or be looking to grow your current exports by 100% in the next 6 to 12 months
• Have an innovative, scalable product or service, with a focus on key and future industries – examples include digital and tech, data and AI, energy, life sciences, quantum photonics, radio and semi-conductors, fintech, space, and industrial biotech, as well as the broader clean energy industries

Full details 

The programme has three main elements, plus a final investor showcase and networking event. There are different learning outcomes for each element of the programme.

Element 1 – ‘From founder to leader’ retreat

This is a fully-funded, two-day immersive retreat with an overnight stay and a networking dinner.

You'll learn: 

• Leadership skills for scaling up
• How to prepare yourself and your team to scale
• How to get the most out of your team
• How to build effective and productive relationships

Element 2 – executive education

Through a series of in-person workshops and masterclasses, you'll learn:

• Strategic sales strategies
• Advanced pitching skills, with one-to-one follow up sessions
• Strategic finance for scaling up

Element 3 – advice and specialist support

As part of Element 3, you'll be able to access: 

• One-to-one financial and investment readiness support
• Specialist Scottish Enterprise support in areas such as sustainability, digital, innovation, international, and market research

Investment showcase and networking event

The programme will conclude with an investment showcase to highlight the participating businesses and celebrate their success. 

The event will provide exhibition, PR, pitching and networking opportunities. You'll be able to consolidate your learning, present your business, gain valuable constructive feedback, and make even more connections in the business and investment community – all helping to propel your businesses into the next stage of your scale-up journey.