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REGIONAL EDGE

UP TO £50K FUNDING FOR BUSINESSES IN TAYSIDE, ABERDEEN, HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS, AND SOUTH OF SCOTLAND

The application window for this year is closed, it will open again in January 2027

 
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What is Regional EDGE?

now closed

Regional EDGE 2026 is now closed, but if you would like to attend the Live Pitching Final in your region, please scroll down for dates, venues and booking links.

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.

A key component of this initiative is to strengthen and deepen our relationships with regional partners who are embedded within their communities and possess invaluable local expertise. The programme is backed by £400,000 of Scottish Government funding, and will be split across four regions.

The funds will be allocated via a competitive Scottish EDGE process delivered by region specific delivery partners, namely – Opportunity North East (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire), Elevator & GrowBiz (Perth & Kinross, Dundee & Angus), and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE).  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).


Assessment Process & Criteria

If you meet the eligibility criteria listed below (see further down this page), you can apply to Regional EDGE by submitting an application through the application portal, which is accessible via the ‘APPLY HERE’ buttons above and below.

When your application has been submitted, it will be assessed by a panel of experts, and if successful, you will be invited to pitch at a live final in March 2026 (see Key Dates below for region-specific dates).

Whilst the competition standard and level of expectation can increase as you progress through the competition, the assessment criteria remains consistent across the 1st Stage assessments and the Live Final.

Each application will be judged by assessing the strengths of the following areas of your business proposal.

  • Value Proposition

  • Team

  • Impact

  • Customer Focus

  • Business Growth

  • Utilisation of Funding

Expanded definitions of each critera can be found by clicking here.

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Regional EDGE Application Workshop (Virtual)

 

Recorded -20th January 2026

If you have any issues playing the video, watch on YouTube HERE

 
 

Application and Video Presentation Support Workshop:

This workshop, delivered by EDGE COO Kevin Walls, details the entire Regional EDGE process, from what makes for a strong application, what the judging panel look for when assessing your application and how to deliver a 3-minute video presentation. It also explains the various processes and stages of the competition and what is expected of you at each stage.

 

REGIONAL EDGE LIVE FINAL DATES

 

The following Live Pitching and Awards dates are free to attend but you must book a ticket in advance

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Eligibility Criteria

What are the eligibility criteria for applying?

  • Ltd Co’s / Social Enterprises / Charities - Your business has been Incorporated at Companies House / OSCR

  • Ltd Co’s only - A minimum of 50% of the business ownership is attributed to Directors actively working in the business on a day-today basis

  • Sole Trader businesses can only apply for one of the grant awards (£15,000 or £10,000) and are not eligible to apply for the top award of £50,000 as this contains a loan.

  • Please note that Scottish EDGE funding cannot be used for Founders/Current Directors’ salaries. Funding can be used to cover salaries for new additional members of staff to help grow the team.

  • Your business must be headquartered within the region to which you are applying, either Tayside (Dundee & Angus / Perth & Kinross), North East, Highlands and Islands, or South of Scotland

  • Your business has been in operation for less than 5 years, as at Regional EDGE application window closing date

  • Your business is head-quartered in Scotland and key business leaders must be resident in Scotland (min 50%)

  • Key business leaders have not won a main Scottish EDGE (Loan + Grant) award in a previous round with the same business (Previous Young EDGE or Wild Card EDGE winners can apply)

  • With support, your business has the potential to achieve new/increased cumulative sales of £200,000 over the next 3 years.

  • Current annual turnover does not exceed £1m and/or the business has not received external investment of £500,000 or more

  • Over the next 3 years, with support, your business should be capable of creating new, sustainable Scottish jobs

  • Your business is not in administration or liquidation, and your business’s directors or key principals have never been prosecuted for fraud or disqualified from becoming a business director

  • For All Non-UK Passport Holders – evidence of your visa status and visa expiry date is required

  • For full Loan and State Aid terms, click HERE.

 

3-min Video Pitch

The video should be to the standard of that taken on a hand held mobile recording device or better – it is not necessary to pay for an external party to produce a professional video solely for this competition unless you really wish to do so. It is the content of the pitch which matters. We would encourage applicants to show their product or service in the 3 minute video as this often helps bring your offering to life for the judging panel during the assessment process.

YouTube is the preferred option for uploading video content and we would encourage applicants to amend their video to the unlisted option when uploading a video to YouTube (link below). The time limit for videos is 3 minutes maximum. Any video content beyond 3 minutes will not be viewed during assessments.

How to change video to Unlisted.

Once the video content has been uploaded to YouTube (or another preferred format i.e. Vimeo) then you must provide the full URL link on your Scottish EDGE Application where requested.

 

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Enquiry Form

If you have any questions about your application, our categories, your eligibility or anything else, please use the contact form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Alternatively, email us directly at:
info@scottishedge.com

Office Hours:
Mon-Fri: 9am - 5pm

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