Energy Skills Passport information: EIR release

Information requested

Information pertaining to the uptake and usage and funding of the Energy Skills Passport.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested which can be found in the attached document and in the answers to your questions below.

1. The total number of individuals who have signed up to the Energy Skills Passport platform from its public launch in January 2025 to the date this request is processed, presented as a table showing calendar-month breakdowns and a total sum.

As of 17 March 2026, data received from the lead bodies for the Energy Skills Passport, Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) and Renewable UK (RUK), indicates that the total number of accounts created on the Passport system since its launch in January 2025 is 688. While this data was received by the Scottish Government outwith the timeframe of your EIR request (which was received 11 March 2026), we have supplied it in the interest of answering your question with the most up to date possible information.

Regarding your request for a table showing calendar month breakdowns of sign-ups, regulation 10(4) (a): ‘Information not held’ applies. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. Therefore we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs. The Passport is an industry-led project and detailed questions regarding uptake and usage are best directed to the industry lead bodies (OEUK and RUK).

2. Any data held by the Scottish Government on user engagement with the Energy Skills Passport platform during this period, such as (but not limited to) numbers of active users, completed skills assessments, or other usage metrics.

AND

3. Any reports, briefings, dashboards, updates, or monitoring information held by the Scottish Government since January 2025 relating to uptake or usage of the Energy Skills Passport platform.

Please refer to the released documents enclosed with this response. An exception under regulation 11(2): ‘Personal information’ of the EIRs applies to some of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.

This exception is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception.

Some of the information you have requested is already published on the Scottish Government website as part of a previous EIR release, via pages 1-6 of this document. Under regulation 6(1)(b): ‘Information already publicly available’ of the EIRs, we do not have to provide you information which is already publicly available and easily accessible to you in another form or format. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed below, then please contact me again and I will send a paper copy.

4. The total Scottish Government, UK Government, and private-sector funding allocated to and spent on the Energy Skills Passport programme or platform between January 2022 and January 2026, presented as a table with yearly breakdowns and a total sum.

In relation to Scottish Government funding to the development phase of the Energy Skills Passport, which was provided through the Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray as a grant to OPITO, the initial grant allocation was £4,996,100. The table below provides the requested information on the actual amounts spent:

Time period (financial years)	2022-23	2023-24	Total
Grant expenditure	£1,871,967.88	£1,831,641.69	£3,703,609.57

In relation to UK Government funding to the Energy Skills Passport, please refer to the documents enclosed with this response. Regulation 10 (4)(e): internal communications applies to some of this information. The exception allows a Scottish public authority to withhold internal communications. This exception is subject to the 'public interest test' and, taking into account all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. Whilst we recognise there is some public interest in the UK Government’s funding of the Passport, the information that has been withheld relates to internal Scottish Government communications on such matters. Given the nature of this part of your request, you may wish to consider also contacting the UK Government directly.

In relation to private sector funding to the Energy Skills Passport, Regulation 10(4)(a): ‘information not held’ applies. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. Therefore we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs. The Passport is an industry-led project and questions regarding private sector funding arrangements are best directed to the industry lead bodies (OEUK and RUK).

5. If some of this information is held by OPITO, Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), and Renewables UK (RUK) rather than the Scottish Government, please confirm whether the Scottish Government receives reporting or monitoring information from OPITO, Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), and Renewables UK (RUK) on these metrics and provide any such information that is held, including summaries, dashboards, briefings, or correspondence.

As noted above, the Energy Skills Passport is an industry-led project and as such detailed questions regarding uptake, usage and monitoring are best directed to the current industry lead bodies (OEUK and RUK).

All documents held by Scottish Government and within the scope of this part of your request have been included in this EIR response in response to its earlier parts, as set out above.
You may wish to be aware that at the most recent meeting of the Steering Group for the Energy Skills Passport (17 March 2026) it was indicated by the industry lead bodies that monitoring updates would be provided to members of that Group, which includes Scottish Government officials, on a quarterly basis going forward.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

EIR 2002600510500 - Information Released - Annex

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