The Ventures Lab is a programme led by The Challenges Group, bringing over 25 years of experience in supporting impact-driven enterprises across 80 countries. Through The Ventures Lab, we apply this expertise to Scotland, building a pipeline of ventures that drive economic and social impact at scale.

Our Impact Venture Builder Programme provides a structured, hands-on approach to venture-building, offering: Tailored business support to strengthen enterprises and their ecosystems. Learning and leadership development to build entrepreneurial capability. Access to finance through patient capital and investment readiness support. Workspace and a collaborative ecosystem to nurture ideas and innovation. A strong business network connecting founders to mentors, partners, and market opportunities.

Market research Manager:

We’re looking for an exceptional Market Research Manager to play a pivotal role in shaping the success of ventures at The Ventures Lab.

This role goes beyond conducting research, it’s about equipping ventures with the tools, frameworks, and methodologies they need to understand and apply market insights effectively. You’ll provide practical, hands-on support, helping ventures navigate market trends, identify opportunities, and make informed, strategic decisions about their business models and growth

As a Market Research Manager, you will:

• Conduct in-depth market research to assess industry trends, customer needs, and competitive landscapes for ventures in the Builder Programme.
• Support ventures in market segmentation, including defining each target market, its wants and needs, and how the venture will address them.
• Analyse market size and challenges, assessing potential demand and barriers to entry.
• Provide insights on market outlook, identifying emerging trends and long-term growth potential.
• Assist ventures in defining their target market
• Guide ventures through competitive analysis, identifying key competitors and highlighting key differences between their businesses and the venture’s offering.
• Assess competitive advantages and positioning within the market.
• Conduct customer validation through surveys, focus groups, and interviews.
• Provide data-driven recommendations to refine business models, value propositions, and go-to-market strategies.
• Work collaboratively with entrepreneurs, mentors, and advisors within The Ventures Lab to integrate research findings into business planning.

This is more than just a role, it’s an opportunity to be at the heart of Scotland’s social enterprise movement, helping ventures reach £1m+ in revenue within 3-5 years and driving real, measurable change.

Tiree Community Development Trust (known as “Urras Thiriodh”) are seeking a Head of Comms and Gaelic to take on a lead role in delivering our ambitious ongoing community development work for the beautiful and vibrant Inner Hebridean island of Tiree.

The newly created role combines management and direct project delivery work and would suit a candidate with relevant experience, strong Scots Gaelic language skills, and a pro-active approach looking to take on a challenge in a unique, bustling and diverse community development environment. You’d join a strong established team with a track record of delivering ambitious projects and vital community services, with the goal of ensuring the sustainable development of a small island community, making Tiree the best possible place to live, work and grow. The role involves working across our company group to support communications with key stakeholders, and with a key focus on embedding the use of Gaelic across our work and ensuring ongoing efforts to retain Gaelic as a living community language.

The role will play a key part in the ongoing delivery of our Community Development Plan – tireetrust.org.uk/the-development-plan.

Fauldhouse and Breich Valley Community Development Trust are looking for an experienced and qualified Development Worker to lead, develop and implement (with support) our Mental Health and Wellbeing Project. The successful candidate would work with the F&BV CDT team to address a range of issues which have an impact on the mental health and wellbeing of people living within our communities. The post holder would provide support, advice and encourage local people to participate in (supported) 1:1 sessions, self-help groups, projects and initiatives.

The Development Worker will take a lead role. Using a person-centred approach to support individuals on a journey of self-help to improve their mental health and wellbeing. To enable people to achieve the outcomes they want, rather than outcomes defined or prescribed by others. It will be important for the Development Worker to encourage the inclusion of local people, local volunteers, who have lived experience to support the project.

The post holder will be supported (by the team, Trustees) to ensure that meaningful partnership working, networking, sign-posting services are enhanced and further developed locally. The successful candidate would need to understand the impact of health inequalities and have demonstrable skills in working with people to achieve their health and wellbeing goals. They will be confident in working with individuals, communities to understand local needs, issues.

F&BV CDT would welcome applications from individuals who are passionate, enthusiastic, and innovative. Who can recognise the exciting potential the mental health and wellbeing project offers the right candidate. Among other things, it is an exciting opportunity for the right candidate to develop a range of support, activities, local resources and services for those who may be feeling lonely, isolated, who may be living in poverty, or be excluded from community life.

The successful applicant will be a compassionate and motivated individual, with the ability to connect quickly with the people F&BV supporting, advising, signposting, and developing services and resources locally. It is important that all people are treated respectfully and with dignity.

If you feel that you are the right person for the post, we will welcome your application.