Scottish EDGE Application FAQs

Scottish EDGE is a competition supporting innovative, high-growth-potential businesses in Scotland. Delivered twice annually, this funding competition is supported by the Hunter Foundation, the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise, and private donors. Since inception in 2012, it has championed 881 early-stage Scottish businesses by providing over £32m in award funding.

Round 28 opens at 9:00am on Wednesday 5th August 2026 and applications close at 2:00pm on Wednesday 2nd September 2026. First-stage assessments take place from 7th–18th September, with first-stage results issued by 23rd September.

Scottish EDGE semi-finals take place on 15th, 16th, 20th, 21st and 22nd October 2026. Young EDGE finals are 28th–29th October, Wild Card EDGE finals are 4th–5th November, the Social Enterprise EDGE final is 10th November and the Scottish EDGE live final is 19th November. The Awards Dinner is 26th November 2026.

Applications must be made through the Scottish EDGE online application portal at the ‘Our Competitions’ section of our website. You select your preferred competition category, complete the relevant application questions and submit the required material online. Paper and email applications are not accepted. The application portal is only accessible when the application window is open.

Previous winners report spending anything from half a day to several days preparing their written answers and video. You should allow enough time to provide comprehensive evidence, as only the application form and video pitch are considered during first-stage assessment.

We are not able to accept applications received after the application deadline. Our application portal closes automatically at each round’s stated time, and application eligibility checks begin immediately. It is not possible to open the portal to new application submissions after this time.

Applicants who still have questions can use the Contact Us form on the Scottish EDGE website or email info@scottishedge.com.

For the main Scottish EDGE category, the business must be registered (Ltd), headquartered in Scotland, have been trading for less than five years*, meet the turnover/investment thresholds and demonstrate potential for significant sales growth and sustainable Scottish job creation. There are also requirements relating to business ownership, previous EDGE awards and the status of directors/key principals.

Full eligibility requirements can be found Here [https://www.scottishedge.com/eligibility-criteria]

Yes. The business must be headquartered in Scotland, and at least 50% of its key business leaders must be resident in Scotland. Address verification is undertaken later in the competition process.

Generally, the business must have been operating for less than five years at the application closing date. Companies House information is used as evidence. Where a company was incorporated more than five years ago but has traded for less than five years, an HMRC or accountant's letter can be used to demonstrate trading history.

Annual turnover must not exceed £1 million and/or the business must not have received external investment of £500,000 or more.

Yes. With support, the business should have the potential to generate at least £200,000 of new/increased cumulative sales over the next three years.

Applicants should be capable of creating new, sustainable Scottish jobs over the next three years with support.

Sole traders and partnerships can apply to Young EDGE and Wild Card EDGE, but cannot apply for the main Scottish EDGE or special sector awards.

Yes, subject to the applicable eligibility criteria. Social Enterprise EDGE is specifically for asset-locked social enterprises and charities and includes additional requirements relating to social mission, asset protection and reinvestment of profits.

No. You do not need one to apply, but you must have a business bank account if you win because EDGE awards are paid into a business account.

Yes. Previous applicants may apply to Scottish EDGE again.

Previous Young EDGE or Wild Card EDGE winners may apply for further Scottish EDGE support provided they have not won another Scottish EDGE award. Previous main Scottish EDGE or special-award winners are not eligible for further Scottish EDGE funding, whether applying with the same or another business.

Yes. If a business has secured more than £250,000 from private-sector sources, it is eligible only for the loan portion and not the grant portion of an award. A business that has received £500,000 or more of private investment is not eligible. The £500,000 rule continues to apply through the competition process until winners are announced.

Eligible companies applying to Scottish EDGE are assessed for the main competition, while additional criteria determine eligibility for the specialist categories.

Young EDGE is for businesses where all directors are aged 18–30, excluding non-executive directors and investors. ID is required as evidence. Eligible sole traders and partnerships can also apply. Awards are grant-only prizes of £10,000 or £15,000.

Wild Card EDGE is designed for pre-trading businesses with a highly innovative product, service, team or business model. Limited companies, sole traders and partnerships can apply. Judges look for an innovative “wow factor”, and prizes are grant-only awards of £10,000 or £15,000.

Social Enterprise EDGE is for asset-locked social enterprises and charities that combine strong business foundations and sustainable growth with a clear social purpose. The social mission must be embedded in the organisation's articles, assets must be protected from private gain and profits must be reinvested in the business or community.

Up to £75,000, split 70% grant / 30% loan.

Six special accolade awards exist within the main competition, and you are given the option to indicate which you are eligible for when applying. The special awards are not available to Wild Card, Young EDGE, or Social Enterprise EDGE applicants:

• Accelerator EDGE – for a strong scale-focused business; previous-year turnover must be at least £100,000; potential award up to £200,000.
• Future EDGE – for businesses in specified future-industry sectors including space, life sciences, industrial biotechnology, fintech, critical technologies, robotics and AI; up to £100,000.
• Scaling Innovation EDGE – supports ambitious businesses capable of scaling through innovation; up to £100,000.
• STV Growth EDGE – for a consumer-based product business, providing £75,000 of STV advertising airtime in addition to the Scottish EDGE award.
• Circular Economy EDGE – for a leading circular business idea; up to £100,000.
• Pathways EDGE – for the top female-led business in the competition; up to £100,000.

The monetary special awards described above use the main competition's 30% grant / 70% loan structure where stated.

The application comprises the appropriate online application form and a three-minute video presentation.

No. A video recorded to the standard of a handheld mobile device is sufficient. Production quality does not determine selection so long as the video can be seen and heard clearly. The content is what matters.

A maximum of three minutes. Any content beyond the three-minute limit will not be viewed during assessment.

YouTube is the preferred method, with the video set to Unlisted. Other suitable formats can also be used so long as the assessors can access the video without having to request permission. You then provide the full video URL in your Scottish EDGE application where indicated.

Use the video to showcase the business leader, team and product or service. It can include a product demonstration, customer testimonials or footage of the team rather than simply having the business leader speak to camera for the full three minutes.

A recommended structure for the video is: introduction/hook → problem → solution → market size & revenue model → competition/risk → team → traction → ask. This is guidance rather than a mandatory format.

Yes. Example EDGE pitch videos can be viewed at the ‘Our Competitions’ section of our website.

No. If you meet the eligibility requirements of more than one category, you must decide which best suits your business at this time. You can only submit one application to one category per round.

If you have submitted your application and need to edit it before the deadline, you can email us at info@scottishedge.com and we’ll switch it back to draft. It is not possible to edit an application after the application deadline.

Members of the Scottish EDGE team are contractually bound by confidentiality. The limited number of people external to the EDGE team who will have access to your application for the purposes listed below are required to sign a Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA).

• We may share relevant personal information where necessary with:
• Scottish EDGE staff involved in administering the competition;
• judges, assessors and others involved in evaluating applications;
• technology and service providers who support our CRM system;
• organisations carrying out verification, compliance or due-diligence checks; and
• public authorities or other organisations where disclosure is required by law.

Where you are successful, we may also provide limited business contact information to partner organisations that provide services or benefits included in the Scottish EDGE winner package.

After the application window closes, applications are checked for eligibility and scored against the Scottish EDGE assessment criteria. The assessment is based solely on evidence in the application form and video. Successful applicants progress to a semi-final or relevant category final.

For the main Scottish EDGE competition there are three stages:

1. First-stage assessment of the written application and video.
2. A live semi-final (online, private)
3. A live final (in-person, public)

The main semi-final involves a three-minute presentation followed by a 13-minute Q&A, while the main final uses a three-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute Q&A.

For Young EDGE and Wild Card EDGE, there are two stages:

1. First-stage assessment of the written application and video.
2. A live final (online, private)

For Social Enterprise EDGE, there are two stages:

1. First-stage assessment of the written application and video.
2. A live final (in-person, private)

The key assessment areas are:

Value Proposition, Team, Impact, Customer Focus, Business Growth, and Utilisation of Funding.

Judges look for evidence rather than broad claims, for example; customer validation, credible growth assumptions, an appropriate team, awareness of competitors and risk, positive impact, and a well-researched use of the proposed award.

No. The criteria remain consistent from first-stage assessment through the semi-final and final, although expectations can increase as applicants progress. Young EDGE and Wild Card EDGE use the same scoring process, while Social Enterprise EDGE places a stronger emphasis on social purpose and positive impact.

Panels can include representatives from Scottish EDGE partner organisations, business experts, entrepreneurs, investors and previous Scottish EDGE winners. Different judging panels are used at different competition stages. The judging panels do see feedback from any previous stage panels.

Yes. Applicants receive selected key feedback points following assessment stages. The feedback reflects the panel's consensus and is intended to support both business development and future EDGE applications.

The live pitch is three minutes, followed by a Q&A. The Q&A lasts approximately 10–13 minutes depending on the competition stage/category.

Yes. There is no formal limit on the number of presenters, but presenters must be directors or key business principals. However, we recommend no more than two presenters, and we expect the majority shareholder to be among the business representatives.

Yes. Applicants can bring a product, brochure, laptop or tablet to demonstrate the offering. When presenting virtually, screen sharing can be used. Demonstration time forms part of the overall presentation/Q&A allocation.

Yes. Online semi-finalists and finalists will have the option to screen share when presenting, and in-person finalists will have access to a stage screen.

These finals and semi-finals take place online, similar to a Zoom call. You will be given a designated time slot to join the call, and you will present your 3 minute pitch, followed by 13 minute Q&A to the panel of four judges.

This is an in person pitching event, normally taking place at the Royal Bank of Scotland Conference Centre in Edinburgh. The event is open to the public and in addition to live pitching, it involves networking, exhibitors, and keynote talks.

It is not possible to pitch remotely in the live final, it is an in-person event.

For the main Scottish EDGE competition, including special sector awards, funding can be up to £100,000, or up to £200,000 for Accelerator EDGE. Social Enterprise EDGE can award up to £75,000. Young EDGE and Wild Card EDGE award either £10,000 or £15,000.

Main Scottish EDGE awards are 70% loan / 30% grant. Applicants cannot apply for a main Scottish EDGE grant-only award.

No. Young EDGE and Wild Card EDGE awards are grant-only prizes of either £10,000 or £15,000.

• 5% fixed flat-rate interest, approximately 9.5–9.7% APR;
• a maximum five-year repayment term;
• monthly repayments beginning the month after drawdown;
• repayments on the 28th of each month;
• interest only accruing until repayment; and
• no personal guarantees or other security.

Loans are provided by Scottish EDGE C.I.C.

The award can be used for legal forward-planning purposes that advance the business. It cannot be used to contribute to salaries of existing directors, founders or key existing staff, although it may fund new recruits. It also cannot be used to repay director loans.

For most awards, 50% is paid when the award is granted and the winner's contract is signed. For Young EDGE and Wild Card EDGE, 75% is paid initially. The remaining funding is linked to agreed business milestones and evidence of progress/spend.

Scottish EDGE recognises that early-stage businesses change. Winners should discuss proposed changes to their agreed expenditure with their EDGE Relationship Manager as early as possible.

Winners receive dedicated relationship management and access to a broader support package. They are also enrolled in the EDGE Alumni programme, providing events, peer-to-peer learning, training and networking opportunities.

Winners will be allocated a dedicated Relationship Manager to whom they will report financial performance and jobs created, as well as receive guidance, support, and introductions to extended support where required.

The grant element is classed as Minimal Financial Assistance Subsidy and cannot be used as match funding against another public-sector grant. The loan element is not state aid and can be used as match funding.

Scottish EDGE grants are taxable for trading businesses and non-taxable for pre-trading businesses, we recommend obtaining professional advice on the tax implications for your business.

The purpose of Regional EDGE is to broaden the reach of Scottish EDGE support and ensure that businesses across Scotland, particularly those in regions that may not have previously engaged with EDGE, feel encouraged to participate.

The funds are allocated via a competitive Scottish EDGE process delivered by four region specific delivery partners, which vary each round. Each region will deliver its own ‘finals’, all individually resulting in five winners.

Awards in each region will consist of one £50,000 top award (70/30 loan/grant split), two £15,000 (grant only), and two £10,000 awards (grant only).

Regional EDGE runs once per year, with the application window opening in February, and the pitching finals and awards taking place in March.

To be eligible, the business must be either pre-trading or up to 5 years trading. Ltd companies, sole-traders, and partnerships can apply for the grant awards (£10k or £15k). The £50k award is only open to Ltd companies due to the loan element, which is 70% loan / 30% grant.

Yes, Regional EDGE and Scottish EDGE are separate competitions. However, if you win the £50k award, you can only apply for a maximum of £50k in Scottish EDGE.

When the application window opens in February, you submit your application in the same manner as you would a Scottish EDGE application. The assessment process is the same. You can only apply to Regional EDGE if your business is headquartered in a participating region.