Annual Review 2013/14

Collaborating for successConsortium co-operatives are established when businesses collaborate for a shared purpose, e.g. market more effectively, jointly bid for contracts, increase levels of innovation and access new markets.

This year businesses chose the model for the purpose of:

MARKETING TENDERING INNOVATING

79% 42% 37% 10%

INTERNATIONALISATION

This year we supported the creation of

newconsortia19

150+ businesses

These will enable (projected toincrease towithin the next three years) to reduce costs, share risks and create new platforms for growth.

350+

in key sectors, including tourism, creative industries, forestry and renewables.

Scottish Mountain Bike Consortium is a collaboration of likeminded private sector businesses committed to developing the best family mountain biking experiences, packages and solutions. They formed a consortium to bid for new work and to increase innovation.

CASE STUDY

Infl uencing agendasIt has worked on infl uencing agendas helping to create:

Incentives for Employee Ownership – through active membership of The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) Employee Ownership Stakeholder Group.

Community Shares Scotland – a new service that will assist communities to raise investment. Launching in 2014 – funded by the Big Lottery Fund and Carnegie UK Trust – it will be led by Development Trusts Association Scotland, in partnership with Co-operatives UK and Plunkett Foundation, with Co-operative Development Scotland becoming a member of its Expert Reference Group.

Education Packages for Universities and Colleges – development of teaching materials and toolkits for the Further and Higher Education Sector which have been piloted by two universities with positive outcomes, with support from the Scottish Funding Council being pursued for wider roll out.

Promoting benefi tsCo-operative Development Scotland has also promoted benefi ts through:

International Focus:Co-operative Development Scotland’s work is increasingly recognised on the world stage. This year it:

• Advised the Malawi Trade & Investment Institute on Scotland’s approach to co-operative development

• Participated in a transnational project, led by the Flemish Government, designed to promote co-operative entrepreneurship in European member states and regions

Generating over 200 million opportunities to see via print, online and broadcast media activity

Increasing digital activity and engagement with audiences through social media channels

Encouraging more people to enter for the Collaboration Prize attracting 1,758 unique visits to the website

Rolling out a dedicated programme of speaking engagements and specialist articles for the Employee Ownership Ambassadors

Engaging directly with professional advisers promoting awareness of the models in 138 practices

Co-operative Development Scotland promotes co-operative and employee ownership business models. During 2013/14 it supported 36 new ventures and buy-outs across the country, nurturing successful collaboration and succession in businesses from a variety of sectors.

With refreshed strategies we will focus on:

Community ownershipCommunity co-operatives are organisations set up to provide services, using co-operative principles to guide their organisation and their activities. Shared ownership enables communities to develop services, such as renewable energy and broadband provision.

Successful successionSelling to employees allows owners to manage their exit from a business and achieve a competitive price while safeguarding the long-term future of the company.

Voice Technologies, a specialist provider of speech recognition, digital dictation and automated correspondence technology for the healthcare, legal and government sectors became employee-owned to provide a platform for further growth.

CASE STUDY

SCALE(potential impact)

SECTOR(key industries)

PURPOSE(addressing economic development need)

It aspires to achieve a

in employee ownership over the next

tenfold increase

years10

The futureCo-operative Development Scotland has ambitious plans for the future.

Co-operative Development Scotland will continue to work closely with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise and with key partners including Business Gateway, industry bodies, membership organisations and professional practices – to raise awareness, provide advice and infl uence policy.

As awareness grows, Co-operative Development Scotland is advising an ever increasing number of businesses interested in this model, with

currently benefi ting from professional support. 91companies

8new communityventuresThis

year started up with support from Co-operative Development Scotland

new co-operatives in Scotland over a 10 year period.

In addition, Co-operative Development Scotland aims to establish

350

For further information visit www.cdscotland.co.uk or call 0141 951 3055

Follow Co-operative Development Scotland on Twitter @cdscotland or read our blog www.cdsblog.co.uk

Co-operative Development Scotland is the arm of Scottish Enterprise working in partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise that supports company growth through co-operatives and employee ownership business models.

Green Energy Mull will own and operate the Garmony Hydro hydroelectric scheme on Mull. It will produce a sustainable form of electricity that will be sold to the National Grid. The surplus income generated will then be made available as grants for community projects on the islands of Mull and Iona.

CASE STUDY