UK Government Backs First All-Female Brand Scotland Trade Mission

• Scottish women entrepreneurs will get direct access to UK Government's global trade assets. Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill is spearheading the effort
• She is inviting women business leaders to participate in the first-ever all-female Brand Scotland trade mission

Scottish women business leaders will have direct access to the UK Government's international trade expertise, as Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill invited women business leaders to accompany her on the UK's first all-female Brand Scotland international trade mission.

To kick-start the initiative, the Scotland Office hosted a roundtable in Edinburgh on 1 May that gathered women business leaders from all sectors including technology, sustainability, clean energy, and beauty. Leading organisations including Scottish Chambers of Commerce, Confederation of British Industry, and Women's Enterprise Scotland were also represented by women. Three challenges that women-owned enterprises are exposed to that were discussed are access to investment and finance, export difficulties, and market access.

The minister emphasized hearing directly from businesswomen in order to understand their problems and respond accordingly. She highlighted how by utilizing resources from the Scotland Office, Foreign Office, and Department for Business and Trade, the UK Government can unlock great potential for female entrepreneurs.  

Responses from this session will inform the future trade mission to Madrid in June, which will see Kirsty meet the Spanish business community and utilize diplomatic efforts to open up new markets for Scottish exporters. This mission is also part of the wider Brand Scotland initiative, aimed at promoting Scotland's strengths on the global stage, enhancing exports, and attracting inward investment, supporting the creation of jobs.  

The UK Budget has allocated a further £750,000 to expand the Brand Scotland programme, already including trade visits to destinations like Norway, Southeast Asia, and the US. The first official trade visit of Kirsty to Madrid would be under this scheme.