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Report praises our Community Wealth Building journey
A report has praised the positive impact Community Wealth Building has had on the Ayrshire economy.
The pioneering economic model – working with communities and businesses to build a strong local economy – was a key part of the Ayrshire Growth Deal and supported by £3million of Scottish Government funding.
The study by consultants Hall Aitken assessed how successful the Community Wealth Programme was by analysing the four key pillars of CWB:
- procurement - increasing local spend by prioritising local suppliers and small businesses in public and institutional contracts
- promoting local jobs and embedding fair work across Ayrshire
- making better use of assets for community benefit
- promoting inclusive ownership models.
Hall Aitken carried out extensive research and looked at performance metrics, spoke extensively with a range of stakeholders, surveyed local enterprises and carried out a number of case studies with local firms who have been supported by Community Wealth Building across the four pillars. Each case study details how CWB helped them and the positive outcomes they received from this new economic model.
The Community Wealth Building Fund was set up three years ago and the headline figures documented in the report, include
- over 1000 businesses have been supported
- over 200 businesses have been assisted to navigate the often-complex procurement process to enable them to apply for large public sector contracts.
- the CWB team has also worked with 27 businesses to change their ownership structure and turn them into employee-owned or cooperative businesses
- nearly 300 firms have been given grants and support
- 270 firms have been supported to create a Fair Work Plan
In their conclusion they state that Community Wealth Building in Ayrshire has demonstrated ‘tangible and lasting impact’ and is a ‘pioneering model of inclusive economic development’
It goes on to state that ‘measurable benefits include increased local spend, improved job quality, greater SME access to procurement, new cooperative and employee-owned business models, and demonstrable contributions to Net Zero goals’
Quote: It is clear that Community Wealth Building is now an integral part of how we operate across Ayrshire and awareness and understanding of this bold economic strategy is starting to grow and other regions are starting to take notice of how successful it has been. This report highlights some of those successes but also gives an independent insight into how we can all work together to make it even better for our communities and local businesses. We are delighted with how Community Wealth Building is developing and there is a shared commitment across the region to keep delivering a diverse Ayrshire economy that is more resilient and capable of standing firm in the face of national and global adversity.”
Quote from: Councillor Douglas Reid,, Leader of East Ayrshire Council and chair of the Ayrshire Joint Economic Committee
Published: 23 October 2025