ENTREPRENEURS and startup businesses in Stirling are being urged to enter the search for Scotland’s startup Business of the Year.

Virgin Startup10: Scotland is open to startup businesses and entrepreneurs, the competition will offer ‘startup can’t buy prizes’ including mentoring and support from a leading Scottish law firm.

The top ten finalists will be shortlisted in February and recognised as Virgin StartUp’s 10 Scottish ambassadors. The overall winner will be revealed at an awards ceremony in March and will receive a mentoring session from an all-star judging panel of leading Scottish entrepreneurs.

Paul Wheelhouse, Scottish Government Minister for Business Innovation and Energy, who has thrown his support behind the competition, said: “Scotland has a proud tradition of entrepreneurship, and today we have the highest number of registered businesses recorded in Scotland since records began – an impressive achievement which is largely driven by the success of our small business start-ups.

“This is a trend that we would like to see continue and I am delighted that Virgin Start Up continue to contribute so positively to entrepreneurship in Scotland - identifying best practice among start-ups helps communicate that practice to other new businesses, helping to ensure they survive and thrive.

Judging the process is four of Scotland’s most renowned entrepreneurs, who will also mentor the overall winner as part of the ‘money can’t buy’ prizes on offer to all ten finalists. They are:

•Jackie Waring – the founder & CEO of Investing Women and leader of Scotland’s only all-female business angel group

•Leah Hutcheon - the founder and CEO of Appointedd, an Edinburgh-based tech company revolutionising the way bookings are made online

•Bob Kieller CBE - Chairman of Scottish Enterprise

•Cally Russell, Founder and CEO of Mallzee, the UK’s leading multi-retailer shopping app

To find out more and submit an entry, visit www.virginstartup.org/10-scotland . The closing date for entries is 8th January 2018.