Time is running out for entrepreneurs to apply for a new funding and support scheme aimed at Scotland’s innovators.

The Geovation Scotland Accelerator Programme wants to turn great ideas into potentially world-changing businesses. Successful applicants to the year-long programme will each get up to £15,000, access to land and property data, expert support, advice and free office space.

Applications to the programme being run by Registers of Scotland and Ordnance Survey must be made no later than 5pm on Monday 24 February. It is open to businesses operating in any sector, based in any part of Scotland.

Businesses accepted onto the programme will be based in a fully-equipped innovation hub at Meadowbank House, Registers of Scotland’s Edinburgh HQ. They can also tap into expert advice and business mentoring remotely.

In the five years since the Geovation programme started in London, 111 start-ups have been supported into thriving businesses, creating more than 400 jobs and attracting £61M investment.

Geovation Scotland welcomed three start-ups to the programme when it launched in October last year – forest management business Folarity, property factoring start-up AboveBoard and a treasure-hunt app called Walks and Waterfalls which will help people visit Scotland’s unique waterfalls and wild swimming areas.

Commenting on his experience of being part of Geovation Scotland’s first cohort, Martin Warne, founder of Folarity, said:

“I decided to apply because as a technical founder I lacked sales, marketing and PR skills which you need to be a successful start-up. By getting on to this programme, you get that support through workshops and experts in the field coming in and teaching you.

“Start-ups should apply [to Geovation Scotland] because it’s not like other accelerators – it is focussed on amazing data sets and finding the companies that are going to take advantage of them and push them out to the public.”

More information on the application process and how to apply