Community wealth building

Community Wealth Building seeks to transform our local and regional economic systems to enable local communities and people to own, have a greater stake in, access and benefit from the wealth our economy generates. In harnessing the economic leverage of local ‘anchor’ organisations (such as local councils, health boards and colleges), Community Wealth Building has the potential to:

  • create jobs
  • reduce supply chains
  • strengthen local and regional economies

This approach works by encouraging action that stimulate new opportunities for local businesses access public procurement opportunities, support the flows of new investment finance, and offer businesses, including social enterprises, employee-owned firms and co-operatives the opportunity to start up and grow.

Community Wealth Building acts as a framework for place-focused activity across five interlinked pillars:

Spending

Through procurement. commissioning and wider investment, develop local businesses, support the creation of employment opportunities, develop shorter supply chains and maximising community benefit.

Workforce

Increasing fair work and developing local labour markets that support the strength, cohesiveness and resilience of communities.

Land and property

Growing social, ecological, financial and economic value that local communities gain from land and property assets.

Inclusive ownership

Developing more local enterprises which generate community wealth, including social enterprises, employee owned firms and cooperatives.

Finance

Ensuring that flows of investment and financial institutions work for local people, communities and businesses.

Community Wealth Building in Scotland

There has been significant progress in implementing Community Wealth Building in Scotland in recent years. Much of this has been led by local authorities, often in partnership with their community planning partners.

Key to this success has been the collaboration across public, third, and private sectors to drive implementation of Community Wealth Building  and enable ‘anchors’ to take progressive actions to realise the benefits of this approach.

Legislation

In line with the 2024 to 2025 Programme for Government commitment the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill was introduced to Parliament in March 2025.

The provisions in the Bill will:

  • seek to ensure consistent implementation of the CWB model of economic development across Scotland
  • address economic and wealth inequality by supporting the generation, circulation and retention of more wealth in local and regional economies
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