Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has announced a £3.6 million contribution is to be made to the country’s biggest business funding competition over the next three years.

Ms Forbes unveiled the funding on a visit at the headquarters of Ooni Ltd in Edinburgh, creator of the at-home pizza oven category and a past recipient of Scottish EDGE awards funding.

Since being established in 2012, the Scottish EDGE awards have given in excess of £29 million to more than 700 businesses.

EDGE offers grants and loans from £10,000 to £150,000 to help grow start-ups, social enterprises or charities.

The multi-year pledge is above 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.

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.

“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.”

Scottish EDGE chief executive officer 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.”

Ooni co-founder and co-chief executive officer 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.”

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