What Keep Scotland Beautiful does

Keep Scotland Beautiful is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO; registration SC030332) operating as Scotland's leading environmental charity, headquartered in Stirling with 51-100 employees. The organisation pursues four mission areas: combatting climate change, tackling litter and waste, restoring nature and biodiversity, and improving places. It delivers a portfolio of environmental education programmes (Eco-Schools, Climate Action Schools, Young Reporters for the Environment), community campaigns (Spring Clean Scotland, Clean Up Scotland, Upstream Battle, Cup Movement), and award/certification schemes (Green Flag Award, Scotland's Beach Awards, National Award for Environmental Excellence, Green Key).

The underlying technology comprises environmental education platforms, award certification systems, and community engagement tools for climate action. Notable proprietary elements include the seven-step Eco-Schools framework, the LEAMS audit management system, and four registered trademarks (National Award for Environmental Excellence, Cup Movement, Upstream Battle, Canal College). The organisation holds ISO 14001, Carbon Literate Organisation Platinum, and SQA Approved Centre status. It acts as the exclusive Scotland delivery partner for internationally administered programmes run by the Foundation for Environmental Education.

The business model is charitable: income derives from donations, Scottish Government programme grants (notably for Climate Action Schools), fee-based training and certification services (LEAMS audits, Green Key, Climate Emergency Training, Local Environmental Quality Training), and corporate sponsorships (e.g., HP sponsorship of Young Reporters). Customer segments are horizontally diversified across Scottish schools, communities, local authorities, parks, and tourism operators, with no disclosed revenue concentration and no parent company or external ownership structure.

Name

Keep Scotland Beautiful

Legal name

Keep Scotland Beautiful

Website

https://keepscotlandbeautiful.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Keep Scotland Beautiful is a Scottish environmental charity that delivers environmental education programmes, community campaigns, and award certifications to schools, communities, and businesses across Scotland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & Environmental Certifications (Carbon, Water, Regenerative) (AFALAMAC)

Keywords

• Environmental education programmes
• Environmental certification services
• Climate action training
• Community environmental campaigns
• Sustainability audit services

Headquarters

HQ city

Stirling

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Charitable/Fundraising: As a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), Keep Scotland Beautiful operates as a non-profit organization. The organization receives funding from the Scottish Government for programs like Climate Action Schools, accepts donations from the public, and generates revenue through training services and environmental awards.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Keep Scotland Beautiful is a Scottish environmental charity that delivers environmental education programmes for schools (Eco-Schools, Climate Action Schools, Young Reporters for the Environment), runs award and certification schemes (Green Flag Award, Scotland's Beach Awards, National Award for Environmental Excellence, Green Key), coordinates community environmental campaigns (Spring Clean Scotland, Upstream Battle, Cup Movement), and provides environmental services including LEAMS audits, climate emergency training, and local environmental quality training to local authorities and businesses across Scotland.

Product overview

Keep Scotland Beautiful offers a portfolio of environmental education programs and services. The core programs include Eco-Schools and Climate Action Schools for educational institutions, along with the Young Reporters for the Environment journalism competition. Campaign programs include Spring Clean Scotland (annual mass litter picking), Upstream Battle (marine litter prevention), and Cup Movement (takeaway cup recycling). The organization also manages award programs including the Green Flag Award for parks, Scotland's Beach Awards, and the National Award for Environmental Excellence. Environmental services include LEAMS (audit system), Green Key certification for tourism, and various training programs. The portfolio functions as interconnected programs that support schools, communities, and businesses in taking environmental action across Scotland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eco-Schools: Environmental education programme for schools
• Climate Action Schools
• Spring Clean Scotland
• Young Reporters for the Environment
• Scotland's Beach Awards
• Green Flag Award
• National Award for Environmental Excellence
• Cup Movement
• Upstream Battle
• Clean Up Scotland

Products and services

• Eco-Schools International environmental education programme for schools, guiding pupils and educators through a seven-step framework to embed sustainability and environmental action into school life.
• Climate Action Schools Framework of education initiatives funded by the Scottish Government supporting educators and young people to progress Learning for Sustainability and climate action skills.
• Young Reporters for the Environment International environmental journalism competition for young people aged 8-25, allowing them to report on environmental issues through writing, photography, podcasting, or video.
• Green Flag Award International accreditation recognizing and rewarding best practice in park and green space management, coordinated in Scotland by Keep Scotland Beautiful.
• Scotland's Beach Awards Recognition programme celebrating Scotland's best beaches for cleanliness, environmental quality, and visitor experience.
• National Award for Environmental Excellence Registered trademark award recognizing organizations demonstrating outstanding environmental performance and commitment to sustainability.
• Green Key International eco-label for tourism establishments, recognizing commitment to environmental responsibility, operated in Scotland by Keep Scotland Beautiful.
• Spring Clean Scotland Scotland's largest mass litter picking event, encouraging people to organize or join litter picks to clean up their local areas.
• Clean Up Scotland Programme supporting community clean-up activities across Scotland, complementing the Scottish Government's National Litter and Flytipping Strategy.
• Upstream Battle Registered trademark campaign addressing marine litter by engaging communities in preventing waste from reaching waterways and oceans.
• Cup Movement Registered trademark initiative making takeaway cup recycling easier across Scotland, reducing single-use cup waste, with expansion to Edinburgh in April 2026.
• LEAMS (Local Environmental Audit and Management System) Environmental quality assessment and management tool for local authorities and organizations to audit and improve local environmental conditions.
• Climate Emergency Training Training programmes helping organizations and individuals understand climate change and develop skills to take effective climate action, delivered through SQA Approved Centre.
• Local Environmental Quality Training Training courses helping staff understand and implement best practices for maintaining local environmental quality standards, delivered through SQA Approved Centre.
• Certificate in Cultural Heritage National accreditation launched in April 2026 for individuals developing skills in cultural heritage and environmental action.

Quantifiable outcome

• 34,702 people participated in Spring Clean Scotland 2026 with 46,877 bags of litter collected
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HPcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026HP has sponsored Young Reporters for the Environment competition for two consecutive years (2025-2026). HP was also involved in judging the competition submissions. The sponsorship supports young people's environmental journalism and media skills development.
• DC ThomsoncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026DC Thomson hosted the Young Reporters for the Environment awards ceremony at their headquarters in Dundee. DC Thomson will also publish winning articles and photographs from the competition, providing media exposure for young environmental reporters.
• Foundation for Environmental EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKeep Scotland Beautiful delivers Young Reporters for the Environment and Eco-Schools on behalf of the Foundation for Environmental Education, an international organization. This relationship enables Scotland's participation in global environmental education programmes.
• International Jury (Young Reporters for the Environment)minorOthersInternational jury panel for Young Reporters for the Environment competition, representing 37 countries and 200,000+ young reporters globally.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Keep Britain Tidy: Direct UK-wide peer environmental charity focused on litter, waste, and local environmental quality. Operates parallel programmes including Eco-Schools nationally, Green Flag Award for parks, and beach cleanliness awards — closely aligned with KSB's Scottish portfolio.
• Marine Conservation Society: UK marine charity running the Good Beach Guide and campaigning on marine litter — directly overlapping with KSB's Scotland's Beach Awards and Upstream Battle marine litter campaign.
• Surfers Against Sewage: UK marine conservation charity running community clean-ups, beach cleans, and plastic pollution campaigns. Directly comparable to KSB's Spring Clean Scotland and Upstream Battle campaigns.

Broad incumbents

• The Wildlife Trusts: Larger UK-wide federation of environmental charities focused on wildlife and habitat conservation. Significantly broader in scope than KSB but overlaps on community engagement, nature education, and conservation advocacy.
• Woodland Trust: Larger UK conservation charity focused on woodland expansion and tree planting. Overlaps with KSB on community environmental engagement and nature restoration work.
• Friends of the Earth: Major UK environmental advocacy charity with parallel climate change, biodiversity, and waste campaigns. Comparable on community advocacy and climate action education mission.
• WWF UK: Major UK/global environmental NGO with climate, education, and corporate partnership programmes. Comparable on environmental education delivery model and corporate sponsorship relationships.

Emerging players

• Hubbub Foundation: UK environmental behaviour-change charity tackling waste, recycling, and sustainable lifestyles. Comparable to KSB's Cup Movement and community action work, with overlapping focus on citizen engagement.
• City to Sea: UK environmental charity focused on plastic pollution and refill/reuse campaigns including the Refill app. Comparable to KSB's Cup Movement for takeaway cup recycling.

Regional players

• CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England): English countryside charity running community-driven environmental campaigns and place-improvement programmes. Comparable to KSB's communities and place-improvement missions, though scoped to England rather than Scotland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KSBScotland
• Facebookfacebook.com/KSBScotland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/keep-scotland-beautiful

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Keep Scotland Beautiful