Scottish EDGE is Scotland's biggest business funding competition. It offers grants and loans of £10,000 up to £100,000 to help early-stage companies, social enterprises and charities to grow.

Scottish EDGE is actually made up of 4 main competitions:

• Scottish EDGE – funding of up to £100,000 for early-stage companies and social enterprises across all sectors, offered as a combination of 70% grant and 30% loan
• Young EDGE – a grant of up to £15,000 for companies where all directors are under the age of 30 
• Wild Card EDGE – a grant of up to £15,000 for pre-trading companies, sole-traders and partnerships
• Social Enterprise EDGE – funding of up to £75,000 for social enterprises, offered as a combination of 70% grant and 30% loan

You may only apply for one of the 4 competitions.

For the first stage of the application, you'll need to submit a Scottish EDGE online application form and a 3-minute video presentation.

All applications must be submitted through the online application portal on the Scottish EDGE website by Wednesday 10 September 2025 at 2pm.

These applications will then be assessed and results sent out by 1 October 2025.

If your initial application is successful, you'll be invited to an in-person semi-final presentation in late October 2025. You'll need to do a 3-minute presentation and participate in a 13-minute question and answer session.

If you pass the semi-final stage, you'll be invited to an in-person final, with another presentation and question and answer session. The finals will be held in November 2025.

You're eligible if your business:

• is a limited company, social enterprise or charity
• has been incorporated at Companies House or the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator
• has been in operation for less than 5 years
• is headquartered in Scotland
• is not in administration or liquidation
• has a current annual turnover of £1 million or less
• has not received external investment of £500,000 or more
• is at least 50% owned by directors who actively work in the business day-to-day
• has not previously received a main Scottish EDGE award

Your business should also have the potential:

• to achieve new or increased sales of £200,000 over the next 3 years
• to create new, sustainable Scottish jobs over the next 3 years

At least 50% of your organisation's key business leaders must be resident in Scotland. You'll need to provide visa details, including status and expiration dates, for founders that are non-UK passport holders.

Your directors and key principals must not have been prosecuted for fraud or disqualified from becoming a business director.

Sole traders can only apply for Young EDGE or Wild Card EDGE.

Previous Young EDGE or Wild Card EDGE winners can apply for the main Scottish EDGE competition.

You can read the full eligibility criteria for each competition on the Scottish EDGE website. 

It is free to apply for this fund.

For the Scottish EDGE and Social Enterprise EDGE competitions, 70% of the total award will be paid in the form of a grant, and the remaining 30% provided as a loan. 

You'll need to repay the loan portion at a 5% interest rate. 

Scotland-based early stage companies, social enterprises and charities looking to grow.

The entire competition process will take approximately 3 months.

The deadline to submit your initial application is Wednesday 10 September 2025 at 2pm.

The applications will be assessed during the week of 15 September 2025, and results sent out by Wednesday 1 October 2025.

The dates for the semi-finals and finals will be: 

• Scottish EDGE semi-finals:
  • Thursday 23 October 2025
  • Friday 24 October 2025
  • Tuesday 28 October 2025
  • Wednesday 29 October 2025
  • Thursday 30 October 2025
• Young EDGE finals:
  • Wednesday 5 November 2025
  • Thursday 6 November 2025
• Wild EDGE final: Thursday 13 November 2025
• Social Enterprise EDGE final: Wednesday 19 November 2025
• Scottish EDGE final: Thursday 27 November 2025

The exact dates you'll attend will be agreed during the application process.

An awards dinner will be held the evening of Thursday 4 December 2025.

The deadline to submit your initial application is Wednesday 10 September 2025 at 2pm.

Visit the Scottish EDGE website for more information on the assessment and eligibility criteria and to apply.