The following are the questions you will be required to answer when completing your online application to Scottish EDGE.

Value Proposition - Part 1 (max 500 words)

• Tell us about your Product/Service offering, the market, and competitive landscape

• Please clearly outline what your product or service offering is

• What stage is your business at, i.e. are you currently trading or are you still developing your product?

• What was the inspiration behind starting this business?

• Tell us about the competitive landscape in your proposed market as you look to grow the business?

Value Proposition - Part 2 (max 200 words)

• Tell us about the Point of Difference in your product/service offering or business model

• What is your unique selling point?

• Tell us about any innovation within your product offering

• Do you own or have in progress any IP relating to your product or service?

• Is the IP attributed to your Scottish-based company/business leader?

• What makes your product/service more appealing to customers rather than other similar type offerings?

Value Proposition - Part 3 (max 200 words)

• Technology Readiness Level - If applicable, what Technology Readiness Level (TRL) stage is your product at?

Value Proposition - Part 4 (max 200 words)

• IP Ownership - Where appropriate, please provide clear detail around the current ownership of any IP and any future plans for IP ownership?

Value Proposition - Part 5 (max 200 words)

• What are the main risks and obstacles to overcome as you look to embark on your entrepreneurial growth journey?

• What plans have you put in place to minimise the impact of any potential risks?

Value Proposition - Part 6 (max 200 words)

• What impact has COVID-19 had on your plans and how have they changed as a result of it?

• What opportunities or risks has the Covid-19 crisis presented to you?

• How have you responded to these?

Value Proposition - Part 7 (max 200 words)

• What have been the key highlights for the business over the last 3 months

Entrepreneurial Spirit (max 500 words)

• Tell us about the people aspect of the business?

• Provide details of the Business Leader(s) (including yourself). What are their key skills and experience?

• Who else is in the business team. What skills do they bring to the team?

• Tell us about any key mentors or advisers who add value to your business?

• Who in the team or within your wider support network has the Commercial skills to develop a robust Go-To-Market / Commercial strategy?

• Do you currently engage with any Business Support Agencies? If so, how do they add value to your business?

Business Growth Potential (max 500 words)

• Provide your 3-year projections (table provided on application form)

• Provide a detailed summary of the planning, strategy and validation behind your 3 year projections

• Tell us where will your sales come from for each of the 3 projected years?

• If trading, what sales have you made in the current financial year to date, are you on track to meet your year-end projection?

• What are your revenue models?

• Dependant on the stage of your business, briefly outline your Go-To-Market or Commercial strategy?

• How many product/service sales do you require to make each year to achieve the projected turnover levels?

• How will you achieve the projected sales: B to C, B to B, distributors etc.?

• When will your business start generating a profit?

• Provide a clear indication of the main costs relating to your sales i.e. production costs, staff, marketing etc.

Customer Focus (max 500 words)

• Tell us about your Customer Engagement

• Who Are Your Customers? Is there a demand for your product or service?

• How are you engaging with your target market?

• Do you have confirmed interest from buyers to purchase your product/service?

• Please outline the stage of your customer validation, i.e. are you at early-stage discussion or do you have a sales contract in place?

• If pre-trading, who will be your first customer segment to target?

• If trading, who is currently buying your product/service and who is your next target market?

• Do you have plans to sell your product or service beyond the local market?

Utilisation of Funding (max 200 words)

• Tell us how a Scottish EDGE award will help accelerate business growth?

• Please outline the positive effect a Scottish EDGE award will have on the growth journey of the business?

• What key business objectives will the award allow you to achieve?

• Describe how you would use the Scottish EDGE award, providing a cost breakdown for all specific activities and detail how a Scottish EDGE award will accelerate growth (table provided)

Impact - Part 1 (max 500 words)

• Tell us about any Social or Economic impacts, or other Responsible Business Practices, your enterprise will deliver, or intends to deliver?

• What core values and culture have been integrated into the business strategy

• Will the business create any new sustainable Scottish jobs in the next 12 months?

• What responsible business practices has your enterprise implemented, or intends to implement (for example Living Wage, Fair Work, Workplace Diversity, Rural Community, Supplier screening, Social / Local / Fairtrade supply chain)?

• How does / will your business ensure diverse customers are able to access your products and services?

• How does your business engage with its local community and / or charitable activities?

• Give examples of the social benefits your business offers to people or communities you support.

Impact - Part 2 - Environment (max 200 words)

• How does, or will your business ensure minimal negative impacts on the environment?

• What policies, procedures and activities exist to minimise the business impact on the environment?

• Does your core business activity progress action against climate change?

Impact - Part 3 - USDGs (max 200 words)

• Does the business focus on positively impacting on any of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals?

• If so, please tell us which goal the business will primarily impact?

• In which SDG will your business make the biggest difference through your core business activities?

Impact - Part 4 - Measuring and Improvement (max 200 words)

• How does / will the business measure the Impact being delivered to support people and the environment?

• Has the business set any specific goals around the purpose-driven activities?

• Which purpose-driven activities would the business like to strengthen in the future?

Scoring Range

• 1 (Poor) - little or no evidence of the criterion being satisfied, and lack of clarity in the information/evidence presented

•  2 (Weak) - some evidence of the criterion being satisfied and some relevant information presented, however insufficient information/evidence is broad and lacking sufficient detail

• 3 (Satisfactory) - adequate evidence of the criterion being satisfied and some information presented appears robust, however some deficiencies exist in the areas assessed

•  4 (Good) - clear evidence of the criterion being satisfied and information/evidence presented is coherent, consistent and is justified

•  5 (Excellent) - strong evidence of the criterion being satisfied and information/evidence presented is of a very high level: coherent, consistent, justified, but also demonstrating advanced development or comprehensive strength