Elizabeth Pirrie

The 2023 awards were launched last month with the deadline for applications set for next Monday (12 December) and the winners to be announced in March. Scottish Enterprise now joins a partnership between AccelerateHER and its existing awards programme supporters, Barclays Eagle Labs and the Scottish Government.

The AccelerateHER Awards 2023 will once again provide Scotland-focused businesswomen with an opportunity to raise their company’s profile and benefit from a package aimed at driving growth.

This year’s programme is targeting women behind companies that deliver a ‘force for good’, with four new entry categories: technology, health, environment, and culture. A ‘Rising Star’ award for the female founder with the best early-stage business idea will also be presented.

Winners will be selected for each category at the awards final event being held at the new Barclays campus in Glasgow on 16th March. The awards, now in their eighth year, are open to women who are founders or co-founders of companies which are Scottish-based or actively trading in Scotland.

Winners will benefit from a prize package that is potentially worth thousands of pounds and includes a six-month mentoring programme from Investing Women Angels, Scotland’s first all-female business angel group. Three of last year’s winners also attended this month’s AccelerateHER trade mission to California where they accessed money-can’t-buy network-building opportunities and met investors from a range of global industries. To date, more than 5,500 female founders have joined the AccelerateHER community.

AccelerateHER CEO, Elizabeth Pirrie, said: “We’re delighted to announce Scottish Enterprise as a key partner of the AccelerateHER Awards 2023. This support enables us to offer a full day of in-person coaching to all the shortlisted finalists, which will help them through the awards programme and prepare them for pitching to investors in the future.

“The involvement of Scottish Enterprise builds on our existing partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs and the Scottish Government, further underlining the strength and credibility of these awards and their positive impact on supporting female-led businesses in Scotland.”

Leah Pape, head of high growth services at Scottish Enterprise, added: “We understand that one of the keys to economic success is having a diverse and inclusive business base, so it’s great that we’ve been able to partner with AccelerateHER, a programme that helps female founders reach their full potential and with which we have a long-standing relationship.

“It’s especially pleasing that is year’s awards will focus on entrepreneurs and businesses which are a ‘force for good’, as we find today’s most innovative and high-growth companies are those providing solutions to pressing global challenges.”