Scottish charity facing closure with more than 30 jobs at risk

Young Enterprise Scotland, a national charity that has delivered enterprise education to schools and colleges for more than 30 years, is at risk of closing.

It says this is due to the Scottish Government’s failure to honour funding assurances and last-minute changes to funding methods.

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The organisation said it has lost its full Scottish Government grant, which accounts for the majority of its overall income.

Chief executive Emma Soanes commented: “We are absolutely devastated that the future of Young Enterprise Scotland now seems untenable with the loss of our major income source.

“Not only will this have a huge detrimental impact on our dedicated staff team, who now face redundancy, but given our extensive reach across Scotland it will also impact massive yon the national education landscape and the education of young people in Scotland of which our work played such a crucial role.

“Failing to support this crucial stage of the entrepreneurial pipeline is entirely at odds with strategic priorities reflected in the Government’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation and the key recommendations of the Entrepreneurial Campus report.”

The organisation said it will be forced to close if no emergency funding can be sources and that this could mean thousands of hours of learning to primary and secondary students in the circular economy, teamwork, communication, financial planning and more would be wiped off the school week.

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The charity helped to support around 18,000 students through its enterprise programmes last year.

For both the financial years 2022/23 and 23/24, the charity said the Scottish Government grant was delayed resulting in late submission of its accounts which subsequently impacted its ability to apply for additional funding.

Young Enterprise Scotland said it was informed in July this year that the grant process would cease with immediate effect and be replaced with a competitive process.

The charity also said no consideration had been given to work which was already under way or any costs incurred up to that point.

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A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “This year’s round of funding through the Entrepreneurial Education Pathways Fund is being awarded on a competitive basis for the first time.

“This is in alignment with wider entrepreneurial funding. All applications were assessed fairly against the criteria of the fund.

“The Scottish Government is currently in discussions with Young Enterprise Scotland.”