What We Do

The 2022 BFS team at the launch for Scotland the Brief’s second edition in Glasgow

Business for Scotland – Unlocking Scotland’s economic potential

BfS campaigns for the business and economic policies that will allow our members’ businesses to thrive and bring greater prosperity to Scotland.  We publish articles that influence, provide expert opinion, evidence and advice to both the Scottish and UK Parliaments, we also organise networking events, conferences and dinners, and regularly produce impactful and unique research reports.

 Our 4 Key Projects

1) Scotland the Brief

Scotland the Brief began as a collection of illustrated Scottish economic facts published by Business for Scotland. Over two years, those graphics generated more than four million views and shares on our website and via social media. From that foundation, we published a 200-page book, which investigates the breadth, structure and quality of Scotland’s economy. A second edition was published in November 2022 and the book has sold over 60,000 copies in total.

You can find out more about Scotland the Brief here.

 2) Believe in Scotland

Believe in Scotland is a national campaigning organisation for Scottish independence, managed by Business for Scotland, which exists to reach the undecided voters and to give a voice to and facilitate the needs of the grassroots Yes movement on a local and national level. Its role is to support them with materials, messaging, design services and coordinate campaigning.

Believe in Scotland is advised by a Steering Group consisting of elected representatives from 17 regions across Scotland and representatives from 9 national campaigns. This ensures that Believe in Scotland has democratic input at the core of the organisation. In total, Believe in Scotland has 128 local and 8 national affiliated independence groups across the whole of Scotland. You can see a list of these groups here.

3) Scotianomics – A new economics for a new Scotland  

Scotianomics was the name of the Business for Scotland research team, our work on setting the agenda for economic and business policies and creating a manifesto for a better Scotland has been a great success. As of March 2020, Scotianomics was spun out from BfS to give more of a focus to our policy research and now operates as a separate Limited company.

It publishes research reports that educate and inform on the Scottish economy, its strengths, threats and opportunities. In July 2020, it submitted a report on creating a roadmap to prosperity with new economic thinking in a post COVID-19 world. Its most notable current project is the investigation into the requirements and provision of a Wellbeing Pension in Scotland, to improve the UK’s outdated Basic State Pension system.

4) Clarity – Rethinking economics

Clarity is a new proposed annual conference, which will bring together leading economists, policymakers, business people and influencers to create a new economic approach that focuses on fairness, the environment and people to deliver a fairer, more prosperous society.