Three women innovators from Scotland have been backed by the UK Government, as part of a group of 40 of the UK's most visionary female entrepreneurs, to drive forward their novel innovations and business ideas to help the UK build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic and meet its climate change ambitions.
Announced today (Monday 8 March 2021) by UK Government Science Minister Amanda Solloway to mark International Women's Day, the Women in Innovation Award winners will receive a cash injection of £50,000 each to scale up and bring to market their disruptive business ideas, many of which have been born out in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
UK Government Science Minister Amanda Solloway said:
As we build back better, it's a priority of mine that we continue equipping our brightest female innovators with the tools they need to succeed, while encouraging a new generation of women to come forward and pursue their ambitions.
I'm delighted we are supporting 40 of our most trailblazing female entrepreneurs, helping them to turn their innovative ideas and aspirations into a reality, creating the products and services that will help improve all our lives, while powering up the UK's economic recovery.
Among the winners is Alison Wood, founder of Edinburgh-based sustainable sanitary pad company Lilypads. The company's reusable pads have a carbon footprint 90% lower than disposable equivalents and are among the cheapest reusable pads on the market. Their charitable arm, supported by pad sales, works to reduce gender inequality and period exploitation around the world.
Alison said:
This programme is providing development funding to further reduce the environmental impact of our period pad. We're delighted to be a part of it and can't wait to meet and learn from other women running sustainable businesses.
Joan D'Arcy, co-founder of Plastic
