Annual running costs associated with www.scotland.org: FOI release

FOI reference: FOI/18/00522
Date received: 15 February 2018
Date responded: 15 March 2018

Information requested

The annual running costs and all annual costs associated with https://www.scotland.org/ in 2015, 16 and 17; the annual traffic by unique users for the same years; for the business case for the website and for a list of all external contractors involved in creating content for the website for each of the aforementioned years and if possible for what they were paid and what they did.

Response

The answers to your questions are:

1. Annual costs associated with running www.scotland.org:

• 2015/2016: £75,267.83 (inc non-refundable VAT)

• 2016/2017: £116,824.85 (inc non-refundable VAT)

• 2017/2018:, £116,600.98 (inc non-refundable VAT)

2. Annual traffic by unique users:

• 2015: 1,509,879

• 2016: 1,484,449

• 2017: 1,226,581

3. Business Case for website:

Some iteration of www.scotland.org has been in existence since 1998. This pre-dates electronic filing which would house an original business case for the website.

However, as set out in Scotland's International Framework, one of the our key strategic objectives is to build our reputation and attractiveness internationally and to influence the world around us on the issues that matter most in helping Scotland flourish.

Scotland.org means we can use our overseas presence to promote and celebrate our culture, education, values, heritage, landscape and economic strengths to build the Scottish brand and support greater exports, inward visitors, international students and investment in Scotland. We can promote Scotland as a place to live, work, study and invest to boost economic growth to priority audiences in USA, Canada, China, India, Pakistan, Europe and Japan.

4. External contractors creating content.

In addition to what is set out below, we regularly engage with a large group of stakeholders to request news and features for the site which is at zero cost to them or us.

2015/16

Supplier	Inc Non Refundable VAT	Notes
Whitespace	£15,792	copywriting, content population, digital design creation, photography

2016/17

Supplier	Inc Non Refundable VAT	Notes
Whitespace	£17,542.20	map design, content population, landing page template creation

2017/18

Supplier	Inc Non Refundable VAT	Notes
Whitespace	£43,550.98	new website design, build and population

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