Entries are now open for the Women’s Enterprise Scotland Awards 2025, providing a platform for celebrating Scotland’s women-led businesses.
Organisers are also delighted to confirm that Annie Stewart, co-founder of luxury Scottish home furnishings and architecture firm, ANTA, will be delivering the keynote address.
Founded in 2012, Women’s Enterprise Scotland works to close the gender gap in enterprise by campaigning for gender specific support across the enterprise ecosystem.
Carolyn Currie, Chief Executive at Women’s Enterprise Scotland, said; “Our Awards recognise the considerable contribution women-led businesses continue to make to Scotland’s economy. It is our opportunity to come together and celebrate their success. Despite the challenges they face, our women business leaders inspire with their resilience and determination and our Awards provide the perfect opportunity to shine a spotlight on their achievements.”
The Women’s Enterprise Scotland Awards 2025, which are now open for entries at https://www.wescotland.co.uk/awards2025, will celebrate Scotland’s women-led businesses with categories Growth Business of the Year, Outstanding Business of the Year and Sustainable Business of the Year.
Women owned businesses contribute £8.8bn Gross Value Add into the Scottish economy and have created over 230,000 jobs.[1] As a sector, women-owned businesses contribute more GVA than Sustainable Tourism (£2.5bn), Food & Drink (£5.4bn) and Creative Industries (£4.6bn).[2] Doubling women-owned businesses to 40% of SME’s would add another £8.8bn to the Scottish economy every year.
Notable highlights from last year’s Awards include Kelso based ThermaFY Eco Solutions, which took the Business Investment of the Year Award whilst space marketing specialists, AstroAgency, were named Resilient Business of the Year. Inga Elder of Image Orkney picked up the Inspiring Leader of the Year Award and Jess Hartwell of Waternish based SkyeSkyns was named Family Business Champion of the Year.
Keynote speaker Annie Stewart, co – founder of ANTA, has designed and manufactured home furnishings and accessories in Scotland for over 40 years. The business recently unveiled its new flagship store at the entrance to Rose Street in Edinburgh. She commented; “In our digital world, where sensory information is reduced to visual information scrolled at pace, the scale, texture and quality of craftsmanship is hard to detect. Long before the birth of e-commerce, ANTA shops existed in London, Glasgow and Edinburgh. The opening of our new store Edinburgh heralds the return to the high street of the full ANTA house experience.”
The deadline for entries for the Women’s Enterprise Scotland Awards 2025 is Monday 23 June, with the glittering awards ceremony taking place at the voco Grand Central Hotel Glasgow on Thursday 23 October.
Further information about the Awards and the entry process is available at https://www.wescotland.co.uk/awards2025
