Entrepreneurs in Scotland will be able to compete for a £30,000 prize pot. Live final will be held at the official opening of the Bank’s new Edinburgh Accelerator Hub building.
Royal Bank of Scotland Accelerator Pitch terms and conditions
1. The Royal Bank of Scotland Pitch competition is exclusively open to entrepreneurs who are part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Accelerator Community and registered on the NatWest Accelerator App. Entrants must be aged 18 or over, be UK residents, and operate a Limited Company registered in Scotland. Eligible businesses must have been incorporated for up to five years (between January 2021 and January 2026) and have an annual turnover of up to £1 million.
2. If you have been a Finalist or have won a prize in another NatWest Accelerator Pitch Competition you are not eligible to participate in this or any future competitions.
3. To be eligible entrants must submit a 60-second ‘video pitch’ and email it to enterprise@rbs.co.uk and include details of Business name and Company Registration number.
4. One entry per business is allowed. Entries must be submitted to Royal Bank of Scotland Accelerator mailbox and email submission must include Business name, Company Registration number. All entries, including the video, and the copyright for them, become the property of the Promoter and entrants agree to execute such further documents, and do any act that may be necessary or desirable, to ensure ownership of such copyright vests in the Promoter.
5. Entries must be received by 5pm on Thursday 26th March 2026. Entries not submitted in accordance with these rules, or that are delayed, damaged, incomplete, altered or illegible will be disqualified. No responsibility is accepted for entries lost or delayed. Proof of sending by email or upload to website will not be accepted as proof of entry.
6. A short list of 12 businesses will be put forward to be judged by a panel who will select 6 businesses to proceed to a pitching competition live final which will take place in Edinburgh on the 24th April 2026.
7. Applicants selected for the live final (finalists) will be those who, in the view of the judges present the strongest illustration of how the funding will help their business to grow.
8. Decisions regarding who is selected as a Finalist will be made by 9th April and Finalists will be notified of their nomination by email least two weeks before the live final.
9. Live final: The live final will take place on 24th April 2026 at the Royal Bank of Scotland Accelerator 10th Anniversary event at 142 Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4EQ. Each Finalist will deliver a 60 second pitch to the audience and judging panel followed by up to 3 minute Q&A. The judges’ decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
10. Winning criteria Winners at the live final will be those who, in the view of the judges: a) Present the strongest illustration of how the funding will help their business grow; and b) Deliver the most compelling pitch performance. Royal Bank of Scotland Accelerator Pitch terms and conditions.
11. Prize fund A total prize pot of £30,000 will be awarded as follows: 1st place: £15,000 2nd place: £10,000 3rd Place: £5,000 Prizes will be awarded to businesses presenting at the live final, based on the judging criteria above. The judges’ decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into. Winners will be announced at the event. Prize amount is not transferable.
12. Finalists may be asked to: Take part in networking opportunities at the Royal Bank of Scotland Accelerator Hub, with details to be discussed and agreed between Royal Bank and the Finalists prior to any networking events taking place.
13. Winners will be expected to: The first and second place winners agree to participate in promotional activities related to this competition, acknowledging that their entries may be used by the Promoter for marketing purposes, which may include, but are not limited to, online platforms and the Promoter’s social media channels. Additionally, they may be featured in content created by the NatWest Group marketing team and its affiliates, encompassing videography and photography. Winners will need to commit a total of no more than 4 hours to PR & Marketing initiatives until the end of 2027.
14. The promoter reserves the right to publish or make available such information as is necessary to demonstrate that a valid award took place including, if appropriate, the name and business name of the winner(s) and copies of the winning entries.
15. If a prize is unclaimed after reasonable efforts have been made to contact the winner[s] the Promoter will be entitled to dispose of the prize as it sees fit without any liability to the winner[s] for having done so.
16. The promoter reserves the right to alter, amend or foreclose the promotion without prior notice.
17. The promoter is not liable for covering travel expenses or any related costs associated with attending the semi-finals, live final, events or experiences associated with the competition.
18. How we’ll use your information: National Westminster Bank Plc is a data controller in respect of personal information that we process in connection with our business (including the products and services we provide). We are a member of NatWest Group plc. For more information about NatWest group and its brands please visit NatWestGroup.com.
19. We collect and process various categories of personal and confidential information at the start of and throughout your relationship with us and beyond to allow us to provide our products and services and to run our business. You can find more information at Royal Bank of Scotland Privacy.
The Promoter is Royal Bank of Scotland a business name of National Westminster Bank plc, 250 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4AA.
The information contained in our press releases is intended solely for journalists and media and should not be used by consumers to make financial decisions. Terms and conditions apply to any products or services mentioned in our press releases.
