High-growth potential businesses across Scotland have two weeks to apply for the chance to compete for the largest single prize ever offered by a Scottish business pitching competition.

The new £200,000 Accelerator EDGE Award has been introduced as part of Scottish EDGE Round 28, following a £1 million investment from Royal Bank of Scotland to support the programme over the next three years.

The award complements Royal Bank of Scotland’s Accelerator Programme, which currently supports 1,000 businesses through its Accelerator Hubs in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Designed to back ambitious businesses with the potential to scale through innovation, it will sit alongside the existing £100,000 Scottish Enterprise-supported Future EDGE Award. The expanded award suite will also include a new £100,000 Scaling Innovation Award supported by Scottish Enterprise.

Royal Bank of Scotland’s investment has already supported the introduction of a top Young EDGE award backed by Mettle in the previous round, as well as a £50,000 Winner of Winners award within the competition’s regional programme.

Dr Evelyn McDonald, CEO of Scottish EDGE, said: “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.”

Paul Thwaite, CEO, NatWest Group, said: “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.”

The Wild Card EDGE category, aimed at innovative pre-trading companies, sole traders and partnerships, meanwhile welcomes The Ventures Lab as a top award sponsor, amplifying a shared commitment to supporting ambitious businesses to start and grow, alongside existing Young EDGE sponsors Mettle and Techscaler.

Applicants have until 2pm on 2nd September to fill out the online form and submit a three- minute pitch video. A collective prize pot of £1.5 million across all awards in Round 28 will be awarded at the celebratory Awards Dinner on 26th November.

A range of categories is open to applicants, including the main Scottish EDGE award for early-stage businesses across all sectors, with funding of up to £100,000, as well as a dedicated category for social enterprises. The competition also features several sector-specific awards, backed by partners with relevant industry expertise.

Applications for Round 28 can be made through the Scottish EDGE website at scottishedge.com.