Response to the new Scottish Government Economic Recovery Implementation Plan
Posted: 11 August 2020, in News
We welcome publication of the new Scottish Government Economic Recovery Implementation Plan. The new plan is in response to the independent Report of the Advisory Board on Economic Recovery Towards a Robust, Resilient Wellbeing Economy for Scotland.
What we now need is real action to deliver this, addressing the stark challenges that we know our members have faced over the past few months. This is also in the context of the Christie Commission report way back in 2011 which recognised the importance of delivering things differently.
We were pleased to see mention of our world-leading social enterprise ecosystem in the plan and therefore the recognition of the fundamental role of social enterprise as a key element of building recovery in Scotland.
The series of commitments include a clear, specific role for social enterprises and third sector organisations in the building a new, post-lockdown wellbeing economy:
“This approach underlines our willingness to listen and collaborate with businesses, social enterprise, trade unions and other organisations to protect and create jobs in our economy… Successful and thriving businesses, whether SMEs, large corporates, social enterprises or not for profit businesses, are key to our success.”
- Recognition of social enterprise and third sector as a key part of the wellbeing economy.
- A new partnership agreement between Scottish Government, Local Government and the Third Sector.
- New Due Diligence service across Scottish Government departments to promote the third sector as a major contributor to policy outcomes.
- A new Third Sector Recovery Fund.
- Emphasising the existing commitment to longer term funding.
- Maximise opportunities for social enterprises in procurement and building local markets.
- Guidance to all public bodies and agencies to encourage them to strengthen relationships with the third sector.
- Develop new forms of social investment.
- A Scottish Job Guarantee for young people in partnership with third sector and others.
- Accelerate plans for community wealth building to retain spend within local economies.
- Scottish Enterprise to have a more regional, place focussed focus for economic development.
Social Enterprise Scotland believes that the scale of the challenge must now be matched by bold policy action. Now is the time for fundamental economic change not just tinkering at the edges.
We believe that the direction of travel in the new document must be followed by practical policies to build a wellbeing economy. Social enterprises, working alongside public and private sector partners, are ready to take on the challenge.
We call on The Scottish Government to continue working in close partnership with the social enterprise community in order to realise this new ambition. How we collectively build a new way of doing things across government, the third sector and the private sector as true partners is essential.
We look forward to working together to truly #BuildBackBetter.
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