The application must be submitted by a small to medium-sized company based within the Glasgow City Council boundary and registered with Companies House. Businesses must have a significant base within the Glasgow City Council Area. Where the company address listed on Companies House is not within the Glasgow City Boundary, alternative proof of eligibility must be provided.   

The applicant must be a Glasgow-city based company with ambitions for growth that develops tangible products and is seeking to accelerate the development of new or improved products from prototype to production. The new or improved product must be innovative.  

In addition to the above, eligible businesses must also:  

  • Provide us with information to enable us to conduct checks on whether you can receive support.  
  • Commit to providing reports and attending project management meetings as set out by the GCID Project Manager.  
  • Be committed to fair working practices. Fair work is work that offers individuals an effective voice, opportunity, security, fulfilment and respect. It also includes paying employees at least the real living wage. You can find out more and access free resources using the Fair Work Employer Support Tool.  
  • Not engage in any activities such as gambling or other industries that could be deemed unethical. 
  • Not possess undischarged bankruptcies, subject to insolvency proceedings or an individual who has entered into an arrangement with his/her creditors (including a trust deed).   
  • Where the company is based out with the Glasgow City boundary.
  • Where the company is not actively developing a new product/service.
  • Products that have no clear route to market/no clear commercial or economic impact. 

The assessment panel will review the application and then may invite applicants to interview to confirm the details within the application. Factors that will be considered will include: 

  • Is the applicant a Glasgow City boundary registered SME?
  • How well the application meets the programme objectives.
  • How innovative the company is.
  • How ambitious the company is
  • Potential for Glasgow economic impact.
  • Demonstrated need for the support. 

All participants will be expected to be present in person in Glasgow for the initial workshops, likely in December 2025, and provide flexibility for attendance. In addition, participants are expected to assign suitable time to engage fully in the programme to ensure delivery by March 2026.  All participants must engage fully with the reporting requirements for the programme as set out by the GCID Project Manager. In addition, participants will be required to collect and provide data on the outcomes and impact that the grant has had on the applicant and the client's business.   

The final grant will be subject to the terms and conditions set out in the individual award letter.   

  • The programme is sector agnostic, with a key criteria being that companies are Innovation Driven Enterprises seeking to develop their product offerings.
  • The programme is fully funded therefore no financial payment is required from participating companies. No monies will be transferred to applicant companies directly. GCID will agree the final allocation of funding up to the value of the Makers Voucher to support organisations.  
  • Applicants should be aware that any support or funding awarded by GCID (University of Strathclyde) is a Minimum Financial Assistance (“MFA”) subsidy which is funded through the Shared Prosperity Fund.  The Subsidy Control Act 2022 (the “Act”) allows the grant of awards of up to £315,000 to recipients without needing to comply with the majority of the subsidy control requirements in the Act, provided that receipt of the grant does not cause the recipient's £315,000 MFA threshold to be exceeded over:
    • the elapsed part of the current financial year (i.e., from 1 April); and
    • the two financial years immediately preceding the current financial year.
  • The MFA threshold is calculated at group level. It is the applicant’s responsibility to check whether funds received are MFA or comparable types of subsidy that contribute towards their MFA threshold (see section 42(8) of the Act). If in doubt, please check with the funding sources.
  • Applicants are required to keep a written record of the amount of any MFA it receives. The written record must be kept for at least three years beginning with the date on which the MFA is given. This will enable you to respond to future requests from public authorities on how much MFA you have received and whether you have reached the cumulative threshold.