New Deal for Business Group: final progress report

Annex 1 Subgroups and Delivery of Outcomes

Subgroup 1 Regulation and Subgroup 2 Partnership

Delivering outcomes 1, 2 and 3

Subgroup 1 Regulation comprised of, for simplicity, the existing Joint Taskforce on Business. The Taskforce in late 2022, had brought had together business, regulators and government to consider regulatory burdens on business, as action taken to address the energy cost crisis, so was an excellent platform on which to build.

The Subgroup made 38 recommendations to the Group, which support delivery of outcomes 1, 2 and 3. These focussed on improving both how and when government engaged with business, including improving the impact assessment of policies and facilitating earlier discussion. Due to the financial challenges faced by small businesses particularly, the cumulative impact of on-going regulatory activity on business, was also a key challenge.

The Partnership Subgroup, Subgroup 2, made recommendations focused on developing an improved understanding of the business community across government, and better communication with business at the earliest stages of policy design. The Subgroup’s fifteen recommendations included refreshing the principles of engagement, to build the capacity of policymakers to engage and build relationships with business to bring about a culture change of co-production rather than business feeling like Scottish Government were ‘doing things to them.’

The Partnership Subgroup recommendations were closely aligned and overlapped with some of those in the Regulation Subgroup. To ensure efficient, across the board delivery, these groups were merged in early 2024.

The Regulatory Review Group

To help deliver the recommendations on improving business regulation, the Scottish Government’s Regulatory Review Group^[13] (RRG), which had been on hiatus due to the Coronavirus pandemic, was reinstated and refreshed. The RRG is chaired by Professor Russel Griggs OBE and focuses on the how and not the what and helps support better regulation and implementation, not to question policy aims.

The RRG:

• works constructively with the Scottish Government to examine implementation challenges and mitigations rather than substantive policy or decisions; and
• delivers purposeful and targeted advice, drawing upon extensive expert insights to ensure policy officials and Ministers are advised of challenges and possible mitigations

Policy goes to RRG (can return to RRG at later stage) > Policy Brief prepared by Policy Lead and sent to RRG > Policy presented to RRG and discussed > RRG prepares advice for Ministers > Advice is Considered and Decisions taken > Policy reflects advice as part of policy cycle > Cycle continues again from: Policy goes to RRG (can return to RRG at later stage)

The RRG membership was updated to include representatives from both COSLA alongside Local Authority enforcement officers to widen the group’s perspective and to improve its understanding and advice provided on the implementation of any proposed regulation. Consumer Scotland were also added to provide the consumer perspective.

An inaugural meeting^[14] of the refreshed RRG took place on 26 October 2023 and new Terms of Reference were agreed. The RRG has met every 4-6 weeks since and has scrutinised and provided practical advice and recommendations on over 10 high profile areas such public health, climate change and circular economy. Recently, the Group has introduced the British Standards Institute (BSI) and the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to allow for more engagement and support for officials on using standards as an alternative way to achieve policy objectives.

Engagement with the RRG has also been embedded in a new Best Practice Policy Cycle, outlined above, advising Government officials on how to make more effective policy.

Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA)

The more targeted Scottish Government resource put in place because of the New Deal for Business Group facilitated a comprehensive review of Business and Regulatory Impact Assessments (BRIA).

The BRIA template and toolkit were refreshed following consultation across the Scottish Government and working with Subgroup representatives.

An updated version of the BRIA template^[15] was published in June 2024 alongside a guidance toolkit. The documents are easier to complete, and several changes have been implemented in response to feedback including:

• Addition of an ‘Executive summary’ to improve accessibility and ease of engagement where business available time/ resources were limited
• Restructure to simplify/ improve the flow of the assessment
• A section requiring officials to consider the impact on small businesses explicitly
• Updates to the consumer section to reflect the new Consumer Duty^[16]
• Inclusion of a section considering the potential impact on investment in Scottish businesses, in line with the recommendations of the First Ministers Panel on Investment^[17]
• A section to ensure officials were considering and engaging with proposed regulators on compliance and enforcement expectations.

Following publication of the refreshed BRIA, work is ongoing to improve the surrounding processes and support.

BRIA Governance Pilot

As part of ongoing governance and improvement of the BRIA lifecycle, a central point of administration was created within the Directorate for Business and Better Regulation to improve oversight of BRIAs in development and economy official engagement, as well as maintaining a live tracker of status of all BRIA activities across the Scottish Government.

A pilot governance and assurance framework has been initiated to capture evidence and user experience. This will support an evaluation to determine the sustainability of the approach and impact on the wider Scottish Government. This includes a:

• Self-Assessment Tool to encourage officials to use strategic questioning and guidance to make evidence-based decisions, promoting thorough analysis and consideration of impacts.
• Review/Quality Assurance Point ensuring BRIAs are reviewed, fostering consistency.
• Recommendation for RRG engagement if appropriate, to support development of the BRIA.

This approach should ensure thorough analysis, transparency, and accountability, leading to more informed and effective policy decisions and therefore better policy.

Cumulative Impact

Stakeholders had expressed concerns about the cumulative impact on business of regulations at National, UK and Local Authority level resulting in additional requirements and burdens, when the cost of doing business remains high, particularly for small business. To gain a better understanding of the current and future policy pipeline, Scottish Government officials put a horizon scanning process in place. As a result, they have a more robust understanding of the policy landscape and pipeline.

This has enabled advice to Ministers on the cumulative burden of government work on specific sectors, particularly for critical decision-making points in the Parliamentary calendar: Development of the Programme for Government published in Autumn and the draft Budget published in December. Officials have also been able to support policy leads to understand the activities that overlap with their work or target audience. Through the ongoing outreach across government, there is a wider understanding of the ongoing activities which impact on business with policy teams reaching out to the Business and Better Regulation directorate for advice.

Cabinet Sub-Committee on Investment and Economic Growth

Economic growth, and the investment that underpins it, needs the regulatory environment to be supportive of business. Cumulative impacts and burdens on specific sectors can act as a barrier to growth. Therefore, we are currently engaging with the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Investment and Growth^[18] to put in place a process to ensure there is a cross portfolio forum where barriers to business success and economic growth such as the cumulative Scottish Government policies, legislation and regulation can be considered. Horizon scanning will continue to maintain an up-to-date picture as policies progress, advising the Sub-Committee on policies in development and identifying where cumulative impact is an issue. This work will sit alongside the secretariat to the RRG to ensure governance alignment and that cross-portfolio Ministers are provided with the advice required to enable discussion and decision making.

Understanding and Improving Engagement and Partnership Working

The Business Partnership: Subgroup two proposed 15 recommendations to support delivery of Outcome 4. The recommendations focused on developing an improved understanding of the business community across government, and better communication with business at the earliest stages of policy design.

To establish what engagement was taking place with business, a stakeholder mapping exercise was carried out internally through discussion and information gathering across Director General areas. Through this work, we established there was a wide range of ongoing engagement using different methods, across a cluttered landscape of existing groups and boards, ad hoc working groups, through external organisations and agencies and via direct engagement with relevant businesses and sector organisations.

Using this analysis officials developed and delivered:

• A much-improved engagement process for key strategic activities including the Programme for Government and Scottish budget.
• New Deal for Business refreshed Principles^[19] co-produced with business, which highlight values such as mutual respect and understanding, meaningful communication, evidence-based policy making and consistency.
• A suite of internal policy development tools with a particular focus on business stakeholders. These include a revised BRIA that takes account of the impact on small business, a refreshed engagement toolkit that supports understanding and best practice.
• A Best Practice Policy Cycle model. Officials promote this across Scottish Government and are working with Policy Profession Standards to embed the cycle as part of the refreshed curriculum for policymakers.
• A series of Learning and Development sessions to colleagues from across a wide range of Scottish Government policy areas, from Public Health to Circular Economy, to promote the updated Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA), BRIA and engagement guidance, the Best Practice Policy Cycle and the Regulatory Review Group as an advisory group to support policy colleagues. Officials continue to push the tools and best practice, through lunch & learn sessions and other aligned Learning and Development activities.
• Ongoing daily advice and support to colleagues across government who are engaging with business.

Subgroup 3 Non-Domestic Rates

Delivering Outcome 4

The consultative Subgroup on Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) was established to advise on further enhancements to the NDR system, following the implementation of the final recommendations of the independent Barclay Review of Non-Domestic Rates on 1 April 2023. The recommendations of the Barclay Review were aimed at delivering an NDR system which better supports business growth and long-term investment, which increases fairness and transparency, and which improves ratepayers' experience.

The NDR Subgroup, chaired by the Minister for Public Finance, has a large membership from a range of business representative organisations, with local authorities and assessors also represented and made ten recommendations. The Subgroup has facilitated ongoing dialogue Members and met eleven times during 2023 and 2024 to discuss NDR issues. Three meetings of the Subgroup provided Members with a specific opportunity to share their priorities and asks in advance of Scottish Budgets (2024-25 and 2025-26). Taking into consideration the points raised by Members, successive Scottish Budgets have maintained a competitive NDR regime.

As noted in the Progress Report^[20], the Scottish Government sets NDR policy including tax rates and reliefs, and local authorities are responsible for the administration and collection of NDR and can also offer local relief. NDR income is notionally pooled at a Scottish level before being redistributed back to councils to help fund local services upon which businesses and communities rely. As such, it is important that any proposals for significant change or reform to NDR be considered within the context of the partnership between Local Government and the Scottish Government, under the New Deal with Local Government. Scottish Assessors, who are responsible for the valuation of non-domestic properties and are independent officials, albeit they work collectively through the Scottish Assessors Association, also have a vital role when considering any proposals for reform.

As at 1 June 2024 almost 154,000 (61%) non-domestic properties were in receipt of relief from non-domestic rates worth a total value of £727 million^[21]. 48% (121,790 properties) of those on the valuation roll received an exemption from rates or a 100% relief (so pay not rates), worth a total value of £520 million.

In 2025-26 NDR income is forecast to raise over £3.1 billion. The Basic and Intermediate Property Rates remain the lowest in the UK, ensuring that over 95% of properties in Scotland (those with a rateable value up to and including £100,000) are liable for a lower property tax rate than anywhere else in the UK. Budget 2025-26 also offers a package of reliefs worth an estimated £731 million in 2025-26 including a continuation of the most generous small business rates relief in the UK.

While Scottish Ministers had to consider how best to target support within limited finances, the challenges faced by the hospitality sector were recognised with a 40% relief available, in 2025-26, for hospitality premises liable for the Basic Property Rate – those with a rateable value up to and including £51,000 (including Grassroots Music Venues with a capacity of up to 1,500), capped at £110,000 per business, with 100% relief in 2025-26 for hospitality premises located on islands, and in prescribed remote areas (Cape Wrath, Knoydart and Scoraig), capped at £110,000 per business.

Five short-life task teams were set up to consider specific issues and report back to the NDR Subgroup. These task teams included external participants where appropriate and covered the issues of: Valuation Transparency and Information Flows; Reliefs and Property Improvement; Promotion of Reliefs; Impact of Reliefs and the Initial Review of Devolution of Empty Property Relief. The matters under consideration within task teams were later extended to include the potential for fees on rating appeals and how and whether NDR levers could better support the Scottish Government’s climate change ambitions and transition to net zero. The task teams initiated several outcomes, including those listed below, while some matters remain under consideration.

In response to Members highlighting the importance of effective communication, the Scottish Government has improved communication and increased awareness and understanding. This includes:

• Developing, in consultation with Subgroup Members, an annual Non-Domestic Rates and Reliefs Guide and a timeline for Revaluation 2026 including dates for pre-agreeing rateable values. These were widely shared with stakeholders and the information incorporated in the NDR webpages.
• The close liaising of Scottish Assessors with sector representatives and the sharing with them of information on Assessor Information Notices, as well as publication of planned lead Assessor Proposal Disposal Date Schedules on the Scottish Assessors Association Portal^[22]. Scottish Assessors have also reviewed and revised the information included in valuation notices for Revaluation 2026 adding, for example, the deadline for a proposal to be lodged against the revaluation.

Scottish Assessors have pro-actively engaged upon request from sectors, such as with representatives from both hospitality and Scottish football sectors, to continue engagement as appropriate on valuation methodologies and to consider any evidence provided to support a case for change . The valuation of non-domestic property is a matter for the Scottish Assessors who are independent of central and local government. Assessors publish ‘practice notes’ setting out the approach to the valuation of different property types and consult publicly on any major proposed changes to these^[23].

The deadline for lodging proposals on NDR valuations was extended from 31 July to 31 August 2023, providing businesses with an extra month to submit their 2023 revaluation proposals. This recognised that time was needed for the new two-stage appeals system introduced on 1 April 2023 to bed in with users. A survey during summer 2024 invited stakeholder views on the impact of this extension and on the proposals system more generally and responses have been analysed and carefully considered. To ensure timeous access to justice for appellants and to maintain the integrity of an NDR system with revaluations every three years, the deadline for lodging valuation proposals will remain 31 July in a revaluation year (or four months after receipt of the valuation notice, whichever is later). The Non-domestic (business) rates roadmap includes key dates for the 2026 revaluation. A draft 2026 valuation roll will be published on 30 November 2025, and it will be possible to submit proposals against the 2026 revaluation between 1 April and 31 July 2026 (or four months after receipt of the valuation notice, whichever is later).

Subgroup 4 Wellbeing Economy

Delivering Outcome 5

The Scottish Government is committed to helping people live happier and healthier lives with higher living standards, to help businesses boost profitability, and build a more resilient Scottish economy that promotes the wellbeing of all our people. This is reflected in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation^[24] vision of a wellbeing economy, thriving across economic, social and environmental dimensions, which delivers prosperity for all Scotland's people and places.

Our transition to a net zero, nature-positive wellbeing economy requires long-term, system-wide change and the involvement of all of society. Businesses have a vital role, and the Wellbeing Economy Subgroup was tasked with considering how business and government can better work together towards a Wellbeing Economy. The Group provided five recommendations that build upon the work of the Business Purpose Commission to create the conditions in which further transformative change can be achieved through partnership working.

Opportunities for early engagement with business, business organisations, enterprise agencies and employers were identified to inform policy development work in relation to health and work and flexible working, and in the development of just transition planning – including draft Just Transition Plans for key sectors. This engagement activity was reflected in Programme for Government commitments to improve access to health and work support for employers and people.

If we are sustaining, investing in and nurturing these four pillars, we can be confident that we are increasing our capacity to deliver wellbeing for current and future generations.

For the benefit of the Environment, Community, Business, People

In relation to the recommendation on public procurement, in April 2024 an SME and Third Sector Action Plan was published.^[25] The plan sets out actions for 2024-26 to collaborate, engage and reduce the barriers for small businesses when engaging with public procurement processes. To support suppliers’ engagement with Public Procurement in Scotland, a two-page reference guide has been published in the Document Library section of the Supplier Journey website^[26].

Guidance has been published to help small businesses, and third sector organisations better engage with – and bid for - public procurement. This was collaboratively developed with industry and includes sources of support, FAQs, and case studies. It has been very well received. Scottish Government Procurement officials have supported several industry events in the North, South, East and West of Scotland to promote this guidance and to listen to lived experience, to help inform further opportunities for improvement.

The Wellbeing Economy Subgroup produced a description of what Wellbeing Economy means for business. The description sets out how private enterprises can contribute by being fairer and greener as they grow their business, recognising the importance of promoting the interests of employees, suppliers, communities, society, and the environment, as well as customers and investors. It contains examples of practical actions that businesses can take, such as:

• transparency in finances, social and environmental impacts.
• paying the real Living Wage and offering Living Hours.
• attracting, supporting, and retaining under-represented groups.
• supporting employees’ health and wellbeing.
• using resources sustainably.
• being actively involved in their communities.

The description also signposts to further resources and frameworks that businesses could use to measure their progress. In Autumn 2024, the Steering Group led work to reflect the contribution businesses can make to improving people’s health in the Population Health Framework. A Business Community Summary identifies the role businesses can play as employers, as providers of products and services and as community anchors and sets out where business fits into the wider health system.

Subgroup 5 Sharing Key Metrics

Delivering Outcome 6

The Metrics Subgroup supported the delivery of Outcome 6 and had the twin aims of ensuring the Scottish Government was aware of the business climate and considered policy in the light of the available data and enabling Scottish businesses to use relevant metrics and data to capitalise on sectoral and international market opportunities and to contribute to the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) metrics.

The initial work of the Subgroup focused on reviewing, mapping, and collating the wealth of existing material from across the Scottish Government and its stakeholders as well as identifying best practice in data sharing, including the role of technology and data platforms.

This initial work found that a wide range of data collected across sectors, businesses and Government and a range of metrics. Challenges around getting real time data and synthesising data into accessible data and digestible report were identified, as were challenges around getting reliable data on micro and very small businesses.

The group acknowledged the importance of collecting the right data on the barriers businesses are facing so it can be used to inform policy and the need to avoid duplication and to avoid a plethora of indicators and instead have a focused set of metrics.

The Subgroup proposed 9 recommendations^[27] to deliver Outcome 6 and took forward these as described below.

The refreshed the Scottish Government monthly Scottish economic bulletin^[28] summarises evidence from surveys including the Business Insights and Conditions Survey, Scottish Business Monitor, Scottish Chambers of Commerce. This provides a good overview of business conditions and sentiment in Scotland.

The set of business resilience metrics can inform Business Regulation Impact Assessments and compare different sectors of the economy to the average. The eight: 8 indicators are: Economic performance overall, be sector and trend; How long do you expect your enterprise's cash reserves will last?; What is your business's risk of insolvency?; How did your business's debt repayments compare with turnover?; How much confidence does your business have that it will meet its current debt obligations?; Did your business experience any difficulties recruiting employees?; Was your business able to get the materials, goods or services it needed from within the UK?; Was your business able to get the materials, goods or services it needed from the EU?.

The main channel for Scottish businesses to share sectoral intelligence with Government is via the EconomyStakeholderUpdateMailbox@gov.scot. The Scottish Government shares intelligence to this and there are over 1000 subscribers on this list.

Businesses in Scotland can access advice, guidance, and financial support from a wide range of organisations across the public sector, via most of which is available to any business, anywhere in Scotland, whatever stage of growth it is at. Data from the Find Business support data analytics programme has been used to produce using a word cloud that is updated quarterly and gives insight into topical issues for business. See below.

The most common search terms businesses are using on Find Business Support:

November 2024: Funding, Free home energy e-learning, Procurement, Scotland-Business, Grant, Scotland, Finance-Business Enterprise-Account Management, Grain drying, Free IP address. Start-Up, Highland growth fund, Helping Start Ups, Food, Scotland’s Migration Services, Employments Grants, Borders, North Lanarkshire, Agriculture

December 2024: Funding, Procurement, Scotland-Business, Grant, AI, Scotland, Lanarkshire Start-Up Fund, West Lothian Council Training Grant, Helping Start-Ups, Workplace Funding, Edinburgh, Finance-Business, Highland Area Start-Up Grant, Youth self-employment programme, start, Training-Funding, Construction, Glasgow, Midlothian Grant

January 2025: Funding, Grant, Export Support Grant Scotland, Employments Grants, Set up and register as self-employed, Helping Start-Ups, Scotland, Fife-Grants, Procurement, Innovation, Training, Lanarkshire Start-Up Fund, Scotland-Business, Workplace Funding, Business grant, Loan, Glasgow, Innovate UK funding guidance, Start-up grants for new businesses in Shetland

The table below summarises the priority sectors across five key Scottish Government strategies focusing on the innovation, trade, green industry, and investment priorities. It gives some insight into the key sectors and market opportunities for business.

Strategy/Sector:

Scotland’s National Innovation Strategy (June 2023)

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Energy Transition
• Data and Digital Technologies
• Health and Life Sciences

Strategy/Sector:

Green Industrial Strategy (Sept 2024)

• Building Clean Industries
• Wind, CCUS, Hydrogen
• Green Economy Financial Services
• Green Economy Professional Services

Strategy/Sector:

A Trading Nation (April 2019)

• Engineering and Advance Manufacturing
• Energy
• Technology, Digital & Media
• Financial Services
• Life and Chemical Sciences
• Business Services
• Food and Drink
• Education
• Tourism

Strategy/Sector:

Scotland’s Inward Investment Plan (October 2020)

• Space and Transformation of Chemical Industries
• Energy transition and Decarbonisation of
• Transport
• Software and IT
• Digital Financial Services
• Healthtech
• Digital Business Services
• Food & Drink Innovation

Strategy/Sector:

Scotland’s Global Capital Investment Plan (March 2021)

• High value Manufacturing
• Low Carbon Transition
• Digital
• Health & Life Sciences

The table below summarises the priorities for growing the economy from the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government (Sept 2024). This information can help business understand and align with these priorities.

Making Scotland more attractive for investment

• Attract investment through SNIB
• Up to £500 million over 5 years for offshore wind
• Implement the Investor Panel Recommendations
• Develop a National Project Pipeline for Investment
• Establish two new Investment Zones

Promoting Scottish entrepreneurs and Innovators

• Maximise the impact of our £42 million Techscale
• Create opportunities for promising ‘deep tech’ firms
• Implement the Ana Stewart and Mark Logan Recommendations
• Support our Universities through core research and Innovation Grants
• Support the development of business clusters

Support the businesses that create jobs and wealth today

• Deliver the New Deal for Business commitment
• Create opportunities for promising ‘deep tech’ firms
• Implement the Ana Stewart and Mark Logan Recommendations
• Support our Universities through core research and Innovation Grants
• Support the development of business clusters

Maximise the potential of our workforce

• New national approach to skills planning
• Expand Scotland’s Migration Service
• Reform the education and skills funding system
• Up to £25 million Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers
• Introduce advanced specialist support across all 32 LAs by 2025
• Employability support including increased access to health services and flexible work, helping people in work, to get back into work and closer to employment

Invest in infrastructure critical to the economy

• Progress dualling the A9
• Progress the Scotrail fleet replacement programme
• Land Acquisition to sual A96 between Inverness and Nairn
• Support existing and future electrification of railway
• Continue works for A83 Rest and Be Thankful
• Four rail ‘feeder stations’ enter service by 2027
• Deliver three of the six new major ferries under construction
• Connect over 20,000 premises to gigabit broadband

Grow Scotland’s creative industries and visitor economy

• Review Creative Scotland and distribute funds effectively
• Support the screen sector to reach our goal of £1 billion GVA to the Scottish Economy by 2023
• Ensure events and festivals like the 2025 Orkney Games deliver Economic and Social Benefits for communities
• Support Las to implement the Visitor Levy to benefit local communities and economies

A visual factsheet on Scotland’s economy highlights its strengths and opportunities. See page 38 (data-up to-date to March 2025).

The Fraser of Allander Institute has identified a set of core metrics and questions that business and industry can use to enhance in data collection in business and industry surveys (see link). This provides guidance on how best to ask questions (both forward and backward looking).

We will continue to explore opportunities to share data using the latest (developing) digital platforms.

Work on the role of a marketplace to share data is being progressed via the work the Business Support Partnership building on existing work rather than creating a brand-new digital platform. This will make better use of the data already held about businesses across the public sector and make it easier to target support at businesses. There are opportunities to use the Business Support Partnership data analytics programme to identify market opportunities for industry.

Scotland’s Economy (statistics)

GDP is £200.8 billion onshore GDP

3.8% Unemployment

2.46 million payrolled employees

Average earnings forecast to grow faster than the UK

Since 2007, accounting for population growth, GDP per capita has grown 10.3% compared to 6.0% at a UK level

Since 2007, productivity has grown at an average annual rate of 1.1% per year compared to 0.4% at a UK level

Wellbeing Economy

Income Equality performance is maintaining

Proportionally, more are earning the Real Living Wage than in the rest of the UK

93% of young people are in work, education or training

The Full time Gender Pay Gap is 2.2%, lower than the UK which is at 7%

Scotland’s Businesses

There are 358235 private businesses

The number of registered businesses increased by 715 in the latest year

There are 355,805 SMEs, providing an estimated 1.2 million jobs

The number of abroad owned businesses is increasing

Trade

Total Exports are £80 billion

1/3 of exports are international

16% of international exports got to the USA

International exports increased by 6% (ESS 2021)

EU exports are worth £15 billion

Inward Investment

9000+ jobs were generated in 2024

91 planned projects were supported in 2024

North America was the leading origin of investment

Scotland has been the most attractive destination in the UK, outside London, for 9 years running

FDI products have outpaced Europe and the rest of the UK growth for three years

Scotland’s Sectors

Food and Drink

£7.5 billion international goods exports

£5.4 billion GVA

Scotch Whisky accounts for 22% of the UK’s food and drink exports

Tech

58% of businesses are exporting internationally

£6 billion GVA

GVA was up 108% between 2012 and 2022

Manufacturing

Accounts for over 50% of exports

Supports 178,000 jobs

53% of manufacturing businesses are innovating

Tourism

Tourists spent £10.7 billion in 2023

9% of registered businesses

Overseas visits are recovering from the pandemic faster than in the UK as a whole

Construction

£10 billion GVA

Supports 136,000 jobs

Entrepreneurial businesses in construction increased by 23.3% over the past decade

Low Carbons & Renewables

Renewable electricity generated in 2022 was the equivalent of powering all of Scottish homes for six years

Supports 25,700 FTE jobs

£1.2 billion in exports