DESIGNERS and businesses in Scotland are being urged to enter a leading competition by the end of this week.

The deadline for the ­Lighthouse Design Impact Award has been extended to this Friday.

The award, which comes with a £5,000 prize, is for a design that has been put into practice and can demonstrate an impact, whether it be in sales, popularity, efficiency, speed or other noticeable qualities.

The shortlist will be ­exhibited from October 9 in The Lighthouse in Glasgow and open for public vote.

This is the second Design Impact Award run by the national centre of design and architecture. It is open to businesses and designers in Scotland, or from Scotland and ­working in other parts of the world.

The award is being chaired by Ian Callum, design director of Jaguar cars.

Mr Callum, born in Dumfries, heads a judging panel including Philip Long, director of V&A Dundee, Keith Bruce, arts editor of The Herald, Ross Hunter, managing director of Graven and Ian Elder, who manages The Lighthouse.

The bi-annual award, which launched in 2012, aims to demonstrate "the huge impact that design and innovation makes to the way we live and work".

Mr Elder said only work that is completed and in use would be considered for the award - not a concept or idea that remains on the drawing board.

Last time the Glasgow-based designer Josh Reid, of Core PD Ltd, won the award for his Poolpod, a submersible platform lift that enables people with limited mobility to get in and out of swimming pools.

Mr Elder added: "We are looking any design, innovation, or process or product which had some support, is working and can demonstrate an impact.

"We are looking particularly for businesses who have done this. It does not have to be a designer or design firm which has sold an idea or been contracted to do something - businesses innovate all the time, they are constantly innovating."