Entry Criteria

This competition has received numerous entries from those who believe their idea has significant development and commercial potential.

The competition has sought to encourage all SMEs and research organisations in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland to consider pushing forward with their R&D aspirations.

Within their applications, research organisations had to be able to:

demonstrate a commitment to forming a relationship with an existing SME in the Highlands and Islands to commercially exploit the R&D work; or,
show that they would create a spin-off SME to commercially exploit the work carried out in the R&D project.

The research undertaken by, or for, award winners will take place in the Highlands and Islands where it is feasible to do so. Similarly, any subsequent commercial exploitation should also be undertaken in this area.

SMEs, small to medium sized enterprises, are those which:

Have fewer than 250 employees, and either

An annual turnover of less than EUR 40 million, or

An annual balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 27 million, and

Which conform to the criterion of independence as follows - "independent enterprises are those which are not owned as to 25% or more of the capital or the voting rights by one enterprise, or jointly by several enterprises, falling outside the definitions of an SME".