The Scottish Government has announced it will make a £3.6 million contribution over three years to Scotland’s biggest business funding competition.
The Scottish EDGE Awards will receive the funds that will be matched ‘pound-for-pound’ by the private sector to help entrepreneurs and founders grow their businesses.
The multi-year pledge goes beyond a Programme for Government 2025-26 commitment to provide £1.2 million this year by committing to deliver the funding level for the next three years.
Since being established in 2012 the Scottish EDGE awards have awarded more than £29 million to more than 700 businesses – with the platform helping many to establish national and international business operations.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes visited the headquarters of Ooni Ltd in Edinburgh to make the announcement. Ooni, creator and leader of the at-home pizza oven category, is a past recipient of Scottish EDGE funding and now operates globally, having sold over 2.5 million award-winning pizza ovens worldwide.
She said: “I have been consistently clear that entrepreneurs and start-up companies are the backbone of our economy – but they need the right support at the right time to ensure they can develop, grow and prosper.
“Since being established by the Scottish Government more than a decade ago the Scottish EDGE awards have become an integral part of the support network for Scottish start-ups, helping and supporting incredible success stories like Ooni on their journey.”
She added: “The Scottish Government is investing record funding into Entrepreneurism this year and it is incredibly encouraging to see multiple independent sources indicating our start-up community is thriving. but, However, recognising the importance that consistent support means for the start-up community and its backers, I’m delighted to extend our support for the awards not just for this year, but through to 2028.”
CEO of Scottish EDGE Evelyn McDonald said: “As a founding funder of Scottish EDGE, the Scottish Government has played a pivotal role in the delivery and success of the competition from the outset. The accomplishments and global growth of businesses like Ooni, who were relatively early winners, is testament to the wide-reaching impact funding can have on a business in those crucial early stages. Ooni are also an alumnus of Scale Up Scotland demonstrating how our programmes integrate to build world class businesses at scale in the ecosystem.
“We are confident that the benefits to the economy of the Scottish Government’s commitment over the next three years will be felt for a long time to come – not least in helping leverage further, private sector investment in the growth of Scottish businesses, with the likes of RBS and ongoing support from The Sir Tom Hunter Foundation.”
Chief Entrepreneur Ana Stewart said: “Whether starting out or scaling up, every founder needs the right environment to succeed and keep growing. Fostering a thriving, inclusive and vibrant start-up community is a critical component of a creating healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“Now a well-established initiative for identifying and supporting early stage Scottish companies across a broad range of sectors, this longer-term backing for the Scottish EDGE awards enables a more strategic approach to delivering the programme and illustrates public and private sector commitment to driving closer alignment, collaboration and investment in our entrepreneurs.”