Strengthening support for start-ups in Scotland

A £3.6 million contribution to the Scottish EDGE Awards is to be made over the next three years, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has announced.

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. The funding will be matched pound-for-pound by the private sector over the same period.

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.

To announce the funding, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes visited the headquarters of Ooni Ltd in Edinburgh. 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.

The Deputy First Minister 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.

“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."

Co-Founder Co-CEO of Ooni Darina Garland said:

“Since 2012, Ooni has grown from a tiny yet ambitious start-up to the global innovative home cookware company we are today. Like any business, our journey hasn't been without its challenges, and the support of Scottish EDGE was fantastic in our early years - both the funding we won which helped us kick off our IP journey and the mentorship we received which played a role in our early development, enabling us to innovate and expand rapidly.

“It's been a pleasure to support Scottish EDGE as a judge and pass on our knowledge and experience to support other entrepreneurs. This multi-year funding pledge will undoubtedly help many more ambitious Scottish entrepreneurs achieve their potential and contribute to the economy.”

Background

The Scottish Government established the Scottish EDGE (Encouraging Dynamic Growth Entrepreneurs) Fund in 2012 to boost jobs and growth in the Scottish economy. Originally established in Scottish Enterprise, Scottish EDGE was spun out to a private sector led social enterprise in late 2014.

Scottish EDGE supports some of Scotland's most innovative, high-growth potential early-stage businesses, offering loan and grant support of up to £100,000 alongside relationship management, peer to peer networking opportunities and professional support to all award winners

The NatWest Group Start Up Index 2025 has indicated a 17.9% increase in Scottish start-up businesses in the first half of 2025.

The Young Company Finance Scotland Newcomer Investors Report 2024indicates a 12% increase in the number of investors making their first investment in Scotland, signalling growing international engagement with Scotland's early stage market.

TechNation's 2025 report Unlocking the UK's growth potential shows Scotland recorded the second highest growth in investment in the UK, with investment into Scottish tech startups going up by 120% from 2020 to 2024

According to Beauhurst's The State of UK Investment H1 2025 report, the number of investment deals in Scotland grew by 24% in H1 2025 compared to H2 of 2024