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SDP Responds to the Community Wealth Building Bill

The Scottish Government’s Community Wealth Building Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 20 March 2025, here SDP Programme Manager Gillian Cameron responds to its contents.

Community Wealth Building is an approach to economic development that focuses on generating, circulating and retaining wealth in local communities. 

The Bill, as introduced by the Scottish Government, instructs Ministers to publish a Community Wealth Building statement, outlining measures they will take to encourage local economic growth, as well as guidance on how to achieve it.

Under the proposals in the Bill, each local authority would work with public bodies (such as health boards) to publish a Community Wealth Building action plan for that area and implement measures in those action plans. 

Why the Bill was Created

The Scottish Government introduced the Bill to ensure consistent implementation of the Community Wealth Building model across Scotland’s regions.

How SDP Assists Community Wealth Building

The Supplier Development Programme is a national shared service led by Scotland’s local authorities and supported by Scottish Government and 20 other public bodies. The Programme also includes an ever-expanding list of private sector corporate members. SDP works with its members to highlight their pipeline of work and engage local suppliers to bid for it, so supporting Community Wealth Building.

SDP also provides free public sector procurement training to these Scottish SMEs, to them get ‘tender ready’ for these opportunities when they arise.

SDP Programme Manager Gillian Cameron said: “Getting local businesses and third sector organisations tender ready will play a pivotal role in the supporting the progressive procurement pillar of Community Wealth Building.”

Scottish SMEs can access complimentary SDP tender training, when they register for free with the Programme.