Access to funding and awards

Discover the numerous funding opportunities and awards available to you, which can really accelerate your entrepreneurial journey.

Taking your idea to market and operating and growing a business will require an injection of cash ¬ in some cases considerable sums. Be realistic in the business plan about exactly what’s needed; underestimating the funding required will just cause setbacks later. It may also be necessary to make an assessment of how time to market is dependent on the scale of funding that is raised. 

There are lots of funding programmes and awards available to support you on your startup journey. Some of these are available under the umbrella of the University, to help you generate the proof of concept, explore the market, and learn new skills before you start a company. Others will provide support after your company has formed through the initial startup phase and beyond as you scale and grow. 

The Staff Enterprise Team is dedicated to helping entrepreneurial staff access translational funding and early-stage risk capital. We are here to support the University of Edinburgh’s pipeline of innovative ideas and technologies in the journey to commercialisation and impact. By doing so, we facilitate the delivery of societal and economic benefits from new spinout companies. 

We provide access to various funds, schemes, programmes and grants depending on the stage of your idea, research or business. Find out more about each of these in our Funding and Awards section.