Scottish EDGE Returns for Round 27 with a £1.5m Prize Pot!

Last year, Scottish EDGE awarded 66 early-stage businesses with prize funding of £3 million. Now, we’re back with even more funding on offer for EDGE27!

Application Close: 25th March 2026 (2pm)

Scottish EDGE is Scotland’s largest funding competition for early-stage businesses and social enterprises. Its mission is to “give entrepreneurs the EDGE” by discovering, investing in and nurturing ideas that strengthen the Scottish economy.

Backed by the Hunter Foundation, Royal Bank of Scotland, the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise, it runs twice per year and offers a mix of grants and loans of up to £150,000 in the main category, £15, 000 for young founders or unregistered businesses, and £75,000 for social enterprises. Applicants must be pre-trading or under five years trading, have turnover below £1 million and be based in Scotland. Alongside funding, winners receive mentoring and access to a support network, making Scottish EDGE a key pillar of the national start‑up ecosystem.

The Scottish EDGE suite of awards now includes:

 ·      Scottish EDGE (Up to £100k grant/loan split)

·      Social Enterprise EDGE (Up to £75k grant/loan split, supported by Postcode Innovation Trust)

·      Young EDGE (Up to £15k grant funding for founders under 30)

·      Wild Card EDGE (Up to £15k grant funding fpr pre-trading businesses)

Specialist category awards include:

·      Future EDGE (formerly Missions EDGE) (Up to £150k grant/loan, supported by Scottish Enterprise)

·      Circular Economy EDGE (Up to £100k grant/loan, supported by Zero Waste Scotland)

·      STV Growth EDGE (£75k ad spend on top of an EDGE win, supported by STV)

·      Creative EDGE (Up to £100k grant/loan, supported by Creative UK)

·      Pathways EDGE (Up to £100k grant/loan, supported by Scottish Government)

The competition invites applications from businesses across all sectors, whether pre-trading or up to five years in trading. Winners will receive a share of a £1.5m prize pot, along with access to a network of industry experts and support opportunities.

Find out more about the awards on offer and apply HERE.