Wine tech company Wine Owners, Lay & Wheeler, IG Wines and the Gérard Basset Foundation have created a Golden Vines scholarship for a BAME and/or BIPOC entrepreneur that wants to break into the wine trade.

The Wine Owners Golden Vines Off-Trade Startup Scholarship will support a candidate who wishes to start a wine merchant, retailer, wine importer or distributor. Alternatively, the judges will consider an entrepreneur who has recently started trading (up to 12 months before the launch of the scholarship).

The scholarship will comprise a three-month paid internship with Lay & Wheeler followed by a one-month paid internship with IG Wines, who will provide them with hands-on experience using Wine Owners’ Wine Hub software.

Following completion of these internships, the scholar will receive Wine Owners’ Hub Pro as well as integrated e-commerce, free, together with mentorship, for one year.

The judging panel includes Nick Martin representing Wine Owners, Katy Keating representing Lay & Wheeler, Magnavai Janjo of MJ Wine Cellars and Sasha Lushnikov representing Liquid Icons & the Gérard Basset Foundation.

Applications can be made until March 6. 

Nick Martin, founder of Wine Owners, said: “We feel privileged to be able to sponsor a diversity scholarship award for a qualifying, dynamic individual with a well thought through plan who may have been looking to start up their own wine company for some time, but have found access to capital and business support to be limited.

“Having worked with many wine startups over the last couple of years, we are attuned to their needs and the factors that underpin success. We’ll make sure the award winner gets exactly what they need in terms of technology, support and mentorship to establish and grow a brilliant wine business, which this scholarship award will make possible.”