Scottish Futures Trust

What Scottish Futures Trust does

Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) is a non-departmental public body funded by the Scottish Government, established in 2008/2009 to improve the planning, financing, and delivery of infrastructure investment across Scotland. Headquartered in Edinburgh with 101-250 employees, SFT operates across sixteen workstreams including Net Zero Buildings, Net Zero Transport, Learning Estate, Digital Connectivity, Energy Transition, Place, Housing, and Public Private Partnerships. Its principal customers are the Scottish Government (which funds it) and Scotland's 32 local authorities (which act as delivery partners), with no commercial or private-sector revenue stream.

SFT delivers value through proprietary methodologies and frameworks rather than software products. These include the Net Zero Public Sector Buildings Standard (adopted by Scottish Ministers), the award-winning Street Lighting Toolkit (adopted by UK Government for England and Wales), the outcomes-based funding model used in the £2bn Learning Estate Investment Programme, template legal documents for EV infrastructure, and standardised reference designs for schools. Major programmes include LEIP (47 projects across three phases), Scotland's Schools for the Future (117 schools, £1.8bn, completed 2021), the £60m Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund, the £25.8m Islands Programme, and Carbon Neutral Islands work supporting six pilot islands. SFT's go-to-market is direct engagement with Scottish Government departments and local authorities; services are provided at no direct charge as part of its statutory mandate, and SFT receives grant-in-aid rather than earning commercial revenue.

The 2025-2030 Corporate Plan and the January 2026 publication of Scotland's first 30-year Infrastructure Needs Assessment indicate SFT's intent to evolve from a programme delivery body into a long-horizon strategic infrastructure planning authority. It manages programmes through direct collaboration with public-sector partners including Transport Scotland, COSLA, Zero Waste Scotland, National Services Scotland, the Scottish Islands Federation, and Burness Paull LLP, with no subsidiaries, no private equity or venture backing, and no listed securities.

Name

Scottish Futures Trust

Legal name

Scottish Futures Trust

Website

https://scottishfuturestrust.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Scottish Futures Trust is a Scottish Government-funded infrastructure agency that plans, finances, and delivers major public infrastructure programmes for the Scottish Government and all 32 Scottish local authorities, using proprietary frameworks and outcome-based funding models.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Infrastructure Advisory Services

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investors, Nec (6799), Real Estate Investment Trusts (6798)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Infrastructure Funds (Schools, Hospitals, Civic) (FSANAEAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Core Infrastructure Funds (Transport, Social, Digital, Utilities) (FSANAEAA), Real Assets — Infrastructure (Core/Core+, Brownfield/Greenfield) (FSAHAIAC), Infrastructure — Core (Brownfield) (FSAAAKAE)

Keywords

• Public infrastructure advisory
• Infrastructure programme management
• Net zero buildings standard
• Learning estate investment
• Place-based development

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Scottish Futures Trust is Scotland's national infrastructure agency that plans, finances, and delivers public infrastructure investment programmes on behalf of the Scottish Government and 32 local authorities. Its offerings span multiple workstreams including net zero buildings, net zero transport, learning estate, housing, digital connectivity, energy transition, and place-based development, combining programme management, advisory services, and proprietary standards and toolkits.

Product overview

Scottish Futures Trust operates as an infrastructure programme management and advisory organization rather than a software product company. Its offerings consist of multiple government infrastructure programmes and workstreams, including the Islands Programme (£25.8m capital investment), Carbon Neutral Islands Programme (supporting six islands to reach carbon neutrality), Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (£60m), Net Zero Public Sector Buildings Standard, Street Lighting Toolkit, Heat Network Support Unit, Learning Estate Investment Programme (£2bn across 47 schools), Scotland's Schools for the Future Programme (£1.8bn for 117 schools), and Early Learning and Childcare Expansion. These are government-funded infrastructure programmes, standards, toolkits, and advisory services delivered in partnership with Scottish Government, local authorities, and other public sector bodies—not commercial software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Islands Programme A £25.8m capital investment programme over five years (2020/21 to 2024/25) supporting delivery of the National Islands Plan and funding community infrastructure across Scotland's 93 inhabited islands, for Scottish island communities, local authorities, and community organisations.
• Carbon Neutral Islands Programme A Scottish Government programme supporting six islands (Barra, Great Cumbrae, Hoy, Islay, Raasay, and Yell) to become carbon neutral by 2040, delivering approximately £1.2m of capital investment during 2025/26 and £750,000 in 2026/27, for Scottish island communities and local authorities.
• Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (EVIF) A £60m fund where up to £30m of public sector funds leverages at least the same amount from the private sector to expand Scotland's public EV charging network, including template legal documents and project pipeline support, for Transport Scotland, local authorities, and the private sector.
• Net Zero Public Sector Buildings Standard A standard adopted by Scottish Ministers in 2020 covering new construction and major refurbishments, expanded in August 2023 to include existing buildings, supporting public bodies to decarbonise their built assets. Developed in partnership with Scottish Government, Zero Waste Scotland, and National Services Scotland.
• Street Lighting Toolkit A procurement toolkit facilitating LED street light replacement, having supported replacement of over 75% of Scotland's street lights (680,000 units) with £220m investment generating £70m savings and estimated further savings of £800m over lantern lifetime, for local authorities across the UK.
• Heat Network Support Unit (HNSU) A unit sponsored by Scottish Government with partners SFT and Zero Waste Scotland, providing support for large-scale heat network project development through grant funding and expert advice, for local authorities and public sector bodies.
• Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) A £2bn outcomes-based funding programme for school buildings across Scotland, comprising 47 projects across three phases, jointly funded by Scottish Government and local authorities, for Scotland's 32 local authorities.
• Scotland's Schools for the Future Programme A £1.8bn programme delivering 117 new or refurbished schools across Scotland, completed in April 2021, for Scotland's 32 local authorities and Scottish Government.
• Template Legal Documents for EV Infrastructure Template legal documents including Draft Inter-Authority Agreement, Template Concession Contract, Draft Template Lease, and Draft Template Parent Company Guarantee, prepared with Burness Paull LLP to assist local authorities in procurement of EV infrastructure service/concession type initiatives.
• Free School Meals Infrastructure Programme A flagship expansion programme comprising 609 catering and dining projects to expand free school meals to primary 6 and 7 pupils, benefiting children in receipt of Scottish Child Payments, for Scotland's 32 local authorities.

Quantifiable outcome

• £70m saved for local authorities through LED street lighting programme
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Scottish GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary partner and funder. SFT was established as Scotland's national infrastructure agency to improve the planning, financing, and delivery of infrastructure across Scotland. Delivers programmes on behalf of Scottish Government including Transport Scotland, Islands Team, and various directorates such as Energy and Climate.
• COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partner in infrastructure programmes including the £2bn Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP). Co-developed the outcomes-based funding model for school infrastructure.
• Local Authorities (32 councils)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivery partners across all SFT workstreams. Local authorities are the primary beneficiaries and delivery agents for programmes including schools, housing, street lighting, place-based initiatives, and EV charging infrastructure.
• Transport ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner for Net Zero Transport workstream. SFT supports Transport Scotland in managing the £60m Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (EVIF), Zero Emission Bus challenge fund (ScotZEB), and fleet transition initiatives.
• Zero Waste ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partner in Net Zero Buildings workstream. Partnered with SFT and National Services Scotland to develop the Net Zero Public Sector Buildings Standard. Also partner in the Heat Network Support Unit (HNSU).
• National Services ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partner in Net Zero Buildings workstream, collaborating on the Net Zero Public Sector Buildings Standard alongside Scottish Government and Zero Waste Scotland.
• Burness Paull LLPminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal advisers who collaborated with SFT to prepare template legal documents for EV infrastructure service/concession type contracts including concession contracts, leases, and inter-authority agreements.
• Scottish Islands FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStaff secondment partner for Islands Programme delivery. Nicola Crook and Ann MacDonald are on secondment from Scottish Islands Federation to deliver the Carbon Neutral Islands Project and Islands Programme.
• Private Sector (EV Infrastructure)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCritical partners for EV charging infrastructure deployment. The £60m EVIF uses up to £30m public sector funds to leverage at least the same amount from private sector. SFT works with private sector to develop business models for commercial viability of charging infrastructure.
• UK GovernmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Street Lighting Toolkit developed by SFT has been adopted by UK Government for use in England and Wales, demonstrating international recognition of SFT's proprietary methodology.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Infrastructure and Projects Authority: UK Government body that oversees major projects and infrastructure across all UK departments. Comparable as a public sector infrastructure oversight and assurance body, though operating at UK level rather than devolved Scottish level, with a broader cross-departmental mandate.
• Homes England: UK Government's housing and regeneration agency. Comparable as an arm's length public body investing in place-based infrastructure, housing delivery, and partnerships with local authorities, with similar mandate around unlocking private investment into public infrastructure.
• Transport for London: Statutory body responsible for most of London's transport system. Comparable as a publicly-funded arm's length body delivering major infrastructure programmes with cross-sector impact, though focused on transport rather than multi-sector infrastructure.

Direct peers

• National Infrastructure Commission: Independent body providing advice to UK Government on long-term infrastructure priorities. Highly comparable in terms of long-horizon infrastructure planning, evidence-based assessment, and cross-sector strategy, though focused on UK-level rather than Scottish-specific infrastructure.
• UK Infrastructure Bank: UK Government-owned policy bank that invests in infrastructure across the UK. Comparable as a public sector entity mobilising private capital into infrastructure investment, with overlapping mandates around net zero, transport, and place-based investment.
• Local Partnerships: Public sector advisory body jointly owned by UK Government, Welsh Government, and Scottish Government. Comparable in providing advisory and delivery support to local authorities on infrastructure, property, and PPPs, with similar public sector ownership and advisory mandate.

Regional players

• Welsh Government – Infrastructure Division: Welsh Government's infrastructure investment and delivery function. Comparable as a devolved administration infrastructure body managing multi-sector programmes, place-based approaches, and net zero investment, though embedded within government rather than operating as an arm's length body.
• Northern Ireland Housing Executive: Public housing and regeneration body for Northern Ireland. Comparable as a public sector body delivering housing and place-based regeneration across a devolved UK jurisdiction, with similar statutory mandate and local authority interface.
• National Development Finance Agency (Ireland): Irish state agency providing financing and advisory for public infrastructure projects. Comparable in providing specialist public infrastructure financing, PPP expertise, and advisory services to public sector bodies, with similar mandate around value for money and innovative financing.

Others

• KPMG Infrastructure Advisory: Major professional services firm providing infrastructure advisory to UK and Scottish public sector. Comparable as an infrastructure advisory provider serving Scottish Government and local authorities on financing, procurement, and programme delivery, though operating on commercial fee basis rather than as public body.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SFT_Scotland
• YouTubevimeo.com/scottishfuturestrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scottish-futures-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Scottish Futures Trust