LINIAN is delighted to announce that their Managing Director, Ian Arbuckle, has been selected as one of 20 ‘Business Stars’ and will start the first Unlocking Ambition Challenge to find Scotland’s next business success story. What is the Unlocking Ambition Challenge? This is a new scheme, which aims to nurture and support up to 40 budding entrepreneurs each year, backed by a £4m investment set out by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. The Scotland CAN DO Unlocking Ambition Challenge links established and successful entrepreneurs with high potential individuals who can demonstrate that their ideas can be a success, create jobs and benefit Scottish society. Unlocking Ambition aims to follow the success and impact of Scottish companies such as Brewdog and SkyScanner - businesses that have grown to an international scale and whose leaders are committed to supporting other companies reach similar achievements. The first twenty candidates to receive Unlocking Ambition support have now been announced with each member receiving support from Scottish Enterprise, a mentoring programme from Entrepreneurial Scotland, access to the GlobalScot network and help from the Scottish Investment Bank. The first 20 entrepreneurs participating in the Unlocking Ambition Challenge are:

• Alan Mahon – Brewgooder (Edinburgh)
• Calum Haggerty - Coco Chocolatier (Edinburgh)
• Celia Hodson - Hey Girls (Edinburgh)
• Deborah Wake - MyWay Digital Health (Dundee)
• Douglas Martin – MiAlgae (Edinburgh)
• Hannah Fisher - The Start-Up Drinks Lab (Glasgow)
• Iain Findlay - Aurora Sustainability Ltd (Moray)
• Ian Arbuckle - LINIAN Supply Co Ltd (Glasgow)
• Jo Halliday - Talking Medicines Limited (Glasgow)
• Joan Johnson - Bespoke Fabrics (Elgin)
• John Robertson – Drinkly (Edinburgh)
• Kenny Arthur - Kaliaaer Ltd (Strathaven)
• Lisa Thomson - Purpose HR (Edinburgh)
• Loral Quinn – Sustainably (Edinburgh)
• Paul Blackler - Drink Baotic (Glasgow)
• Scott Dickson - Phox Water (Glasgow)
• Scott Simpson – IndiNature (Edinburgh)
• Scott Weir – Pillow (Kilmarnock)
• Stephanie Terreni Brown - Clean Water Wave (Edinburgh)
• Steve Regis - ARX Maritime (Edinburgh)

So, what does this mean for LINIAN, Ian explains: ‘I’m thrilled to have been selected for this – it feels like a great honour but most importantly, it will really help me to achieve my global ambitions for LINIAN. It’s amazing to have this level of support at our finger tips and I can’t wait to get started’! More about the Unlocking Ambition Challenge The Unlocking Ambition Challenge will be delivered as part of Scotland Can Do, the programme to support Scotland becoming a world-leading entrepreneurial nation. Alongside Scottish Government agencies, partner organisations from the private sector, third sector and academia will help support the successful candidates. The cohort will receive 12 months of funding, mentoring, and incubation with one of the partner organisations. Those demonstrating the most progress will receive support for a further 12 months. The challenge comprises two parts, a mainstream programme for 20 established entrepreneurs who are ready to scale their businesses led by Scottish Enterprise, and an academic programme for 20 early-stage entrepreneurs led by The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE). The Royal Society of Edinburgh will announce the successful recipients of their group at the end of the month during an event in Edinburgh. About LINIAN LINIAN is a family owned and run pioneering business based in Scotland, a country renowned for its extraordinary heritage in innovation and invention the world over. Specialising in the manufacture and distribution of patented fire rated cable clips to make cable installations faster, safer and simpler. The result of years of advanced technical research and direct experience, the LINIAN fire rated cable clip is a unique single component design, meaning that there are no screws, nails, washers or plastic in the substrate meaning significant advantages to the installer to save time, money and lives.