With less than two weeks until the application deadline, Scottish EDGE’s 28th round is now well underway — the first to feature the new £200,000 Accelerator EDGE Award, the largest single prize ever offered by the competition. (EDGE – Encouraging Dynamic Growth Entrepreneurs)
Applications for Round 28 opened on 5 August 2026 and close at 2pm on 2 September. Winners across all categories will share a collective prize pot of £1.5 million, to be awarded at the Awards Dinner on 26 November.
The new £200,000 award
The Accelerator EDGE Award is funded through Royal Bank of Scotland’s fresh £1 million investment in Scottish EDGE over the next three years. According to the Scottish EDGE launch statement, the award “complements Royal Bank of Scotland’s Accelerator Programme, which currently supports 1,000 businesses through its Accelerator Hubs in Edinburgh and Glasgow”.
RBS’s investment has already backed a top Young EDGE award (sponsored by Mettle) in the previous round, plus a £50,000 Winner of Winners award in the regional programme.
New Scaling Innovation Award
Round 28 also introduces a new £100,000 Scaling Innovation Award, supported by Scottish Enterprise. It sits alongside the existing £100,000 Future EDGE Award, also backed by Scottish Enterprise.
The Wild Card EDGE category — for pre-trading companies, sole traders and partnerships — welcomes The Ventures Lab as a top award sponsor. Young EDGE continues to be sponsored by Mettle and Techscaler.
Main categories still open
Alongside the sector-specific and partner-backed awards, applicants can enter:
- The main Scottish EDGE award for early-stage businesses across all sectors, funding up to £100,000 (30% grant / 70% loan split).
- A dedicated Social Enterprise EDGE category.
- Young EDGE for companies where all directors are under 30.
- Wild Card EDGE for pre-trading applicants.
Applicants may enter only one category per round. Submissions require an online form and a three-minute pitch video via the Scottish EDGE application portal.
Quotes
Paul Thwaite, CEO, NatWest Group:
“Scotland has a proud entrepreneurial spirit and innovative businesses that will play a vital role in driving future economic growth. Through the Royal Bank of Scotland’s long-standing partnership with Scottish EDGE, we have helped thousands of entrepreneurs access the funding, support, and connections they need to turn ambitious ideas into successful businesses. The introduction of the £200,000 Royal Bank Accelerator EDGE Award, the largest prize ever offered through the competition, reflects our commitment to backing founders with the ambition and potential to scale. By combining significant funding with the expertise and support available through our Accelerator community, we can help more businesses grow, create jobs and make a lasting contribution to Scotland’s economy.”
Dr Evelyn McDonald, CEO of Scottish EDGE:
“As a founding partner of Scottish EDGE, Royal Bank of Scotland has played a vital role in supporting ambitious founders across Scotland. The introduction of the £200,000 award, made possible by the bank’s renewed commitment, is a landmark addition to the competition and will help even more entrepreneurs turn bold ideas into thriving businesses with the potential to make a real impact on Scotland’s economy.
“The addition of the Scaling Innovation Award, alongside the existing Future EDGE Award, also reflects Scottish Enterprise’s continued commitment to backing innovative businesses with the ambition and potential to grow.”
Round 28 key dates
- 5 August 2026 — Applications opened (9am)
- 2 September 2026 — Application deadline (2pm)
- 7–18 September — 1st Stage Assessments
- 23 September — 1st Stage results issued
- 15, 16, 20, 21, 22 October — Scottish EDGE Semi-Finals (approx. 55 semi-finalists, 11 pitches per day)
- 28–29 October — Young EDGE Finals (20 finalists, 10 winners)
- 4–5 November — Wild Card Final days (20 finalists, 10 winners)
- 10 November — Social Enterprise EDGE Final
- 19 November — Scottish Live EDGE Final
- 26 November — Awards Dinner
Full eligibility criteria and the online application portal are available on the Scottish EDGE website.
