Volunteer Development Scotland

What Volunteer Development Scotland does

Volunteer Scotland is the only national center for volunteering. They provide information and support to make your volunteering a positive experience.

Name

Volunteer Development Scotland

Legal name

Volunteer Development Scotland Ltd.

Website

https://www.volunteerscotland.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Volunteer Scotland are the only national centre for volunteering. That help make volunteering easy for everyone.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Volunteer Infrastructure Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders (BPAGAKAO)

Keywords

• Volunteer matching platform
• Volunteer training programmes
• PVG disclosure services
• Volunteer policy advocacy
• Voluntary sector research

Headquarters

HQ city

Stirling

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary funding from the Scottish Government, particularly for leading the Volunteering Action Plan (VAP). The organization also receives annual funding from Disclosure Scotland on behalf of Scottish Ministers to support the voluntary sector with disclosure checks.
2. Membership: Free membership is offered to organisations and individuals who support the aims of ensuring volunteering is accessible to all. Members receive regular communications, voting rights at AGM, and access to member-only resources and events.
3. Training and Events: Revenue generated from training programmes such as the Smarter Volunteer Manager Programme (£250 per participant) and potentially other paid training services. Free Open University courses are also offered.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Volunteer Development Scotland (operating as Volunteer Scotland) is the national centre for volunteering in Scotland. It delivers a portfolio of services for volunteer-involving organisations and individual volunteers, including a Knowledge Gateway resource and training hub, Disclosure Services (VSDS) for PVG scheme processing, a volunteer opportunity search platform (volunteer.scot), national campaigns (Volunteers' Week, Volunteering for All, Make Your Mark), policy advocacy on behalf of the Scottish Government (Volunteering Action Plan), research publications, and the Volunteer Charter quality framework.

Product overview

Volunteer Scotland operates as a national centre for volunteering, offering a unified platform of services focused on strengthening and promoting volunteering across Scotland. The core offering centers on the Knowledge Gateway, an integrated hub providing practical guidance, training, resources, and quality standards. Supporting services include Disclosure Services (VSDS) for PVG processing, a volunteer search platform (volunteer.scot), research and evaluation publications, policy influencing, and campaign coordination including Volunteers' Week and the Volunteering for All recruitment campaign. Additional initiatives include the National Framework for Employer Supported Volunteering, Make Your Mark inclusion programme, and the Volunteer Charter quality standards framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Knowledge Gateway Central online hub providing practical guidance, training resources, events, quality standards, and bespoke support services to help volunteer-involving organisations develop, promote, and strengthen volunteering across Scotland.
• Training and Events Programme A programme of paid and free training courses, roundtables, workshops, and learning sessions (including Smarter Volunteer Manager Programme at £250 per participant and Open University courses) designed to strengthen volunteering practice for organisations across the UK.
• Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services (VSDS) Funded by Disclosure Scotland to support the voluntary sector with disclosure checks and PVG scheme membership applications, with free disclosure checks for volunteers and dedicated Enrolment, Customer Operations, and Training and Compliance teams.
• Volunteer Search Platform (volunteer.scot) A free, searchable national database enabling organisations to advertise volunteer opportunities and individuals across Scotland to search and apply for roles; also powers the Volunteering Zone for centrally managed multi-area opportunities.
• Research and Evaluation Research publications, evaluation reports, evidence sessions, and analysis on volunteering trends, including the annual 'State of Scottish Volunteering' report and nine years of quarterly Cost of Living tracking bulletins.
• Policy Services Policy influencing work including consultation responses, briefings, the Cross-Party Group on Volunteering, the Policy Champions Network (100+ members), and the 'No Volunteers, No Community' campaign.
• Volunteer Charter A set of ten key principles underpinning good volunteer relations and preventing exploitation, supported by guidance documents and a Charter Champion pledge programme.
• National Framework for Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV) A national framework providing strategic direction and good practice guidance for meaningful, inclusive, and impactful employer-supported volunteering across Scotland.
• Membership Programme Free membership for organisations and individuals supporting Volunteer Scotland's aims, providing regular communications, voting rights at AGM, and access to member-only events and opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 180 stakeholders engaged through 9 Bridging the Participation Gap roundtables
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Make Your MarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-partner national membership campaign supporting everyone in Scotland to volunteer with history, culture and nature organisations. Volunteer Scotland has been a partner and Chair of the campaign since its design over 4 years ago. Through this partnership, inclusion tools and resources are promoted and embedded across sectors to help VIOs improve knowledge and engage new audiences.
• Scottish Government (Third Sector Unit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer Scotland leads the Volunteering Action Plan (VAP) on behalf of the Scottish Government's Third Sector Unit. The VAP sets out 49 actions to support volunteering across Scotland.
• Disclosure ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides annual funding to Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services (VSDS) on behalf of Scottish Ministers to support the voluntary sector with disclosure checks and PVG scheme membership.
• State of LifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial value specialists partnered with Volunteer Scotland to quantify the difference volunteering makes to people's wellbeing and put a monetary value on that increased wellbeing.
• University of StrathclydeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner; PhD research on volunteering as an associational activity and youth volunteering in deprived areas.
• University of StirlingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner; worked with Business Consulting Group to investigate the relationship between volunteering, health and wellbeing.
• NHS TaysideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to identify key needs and gaps in support for older people where volunteers can potentially play a vital role through the VEnable project.
• NHS Greater Glasgow and ClydeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership to analyse the NHSGGC Adult Health and Wellbeing Survey to explore the relationship between volunteering and social indicators.
• Volunteer GlasgowminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrusted Partner delivering the Smarter Volunteer Manager Programme through the Knowledge Gateway. Volunteer Glasgow's SVM programme is available to all UK-based Volunteering Involving Organisations.
• STUC (Scottish Trades Union Congress)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing the Volunteer Charter learning bite for Open University, ensuring principles of good volunteer practice and worker-volunteer relations.
• SCVO (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint parliamentary reception held with SCVO; analysis of SCVO Third Sector Tracker; collaboration on State of Scottish Volunteering reports; SCVO co-hosts The Gathering where ESV workshops are held.
• Third Sector Interfaces (TSIs)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of local infrastructure bodies across Scotland that support volunteering. Key delivery partners for advertising opportunities and providing local support to VIOs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): National membership and infrastructure body for the voluntary sector in England and Wales. It performs the same 'national centre' convening role for volunteering and charities that Volunteer Scotland performs for Scotland, making it the closest direct peer.
• Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA): Wales' principal voluntary sector umbrella body, providing infrastructure support, training, and policy representation analogous to Volunteer Scotland's role in Scotland. Operates Volunteer Wales and the Wales Third Sector Scheme.
• Volunteer Now: Northern Ireland's lead volunteering infrastructure body, performing the same national centre role for volunteering as Volunteer Scotland. Operates volunteer matching, training, and disclosure services for the Northern Ireland voluntary sector.
• Reach Volunteering: UK-wide digital volunteer matching platform (formerly Do-it.org) that connects volunteers with opportunities. Comparable as a digital volunteer infrastructure and opportunity-matching service competing for the same volunteer pool.
• Points of Light: UK-based volunteering charity operating the UK's Points of Light daily recognition programme and supporting volunteer-involving organisations. Comparable as a national volunteering support and advocacy organisation, though operating UK-wide rather than devolved.
• Do It (Reach Volunteering platform): UK's largest digital volunteer opportunity database, operated by Reach Volunteering. Comparable as a competing self-serve volunteer matching platform, directly overlapping with Volunteer Scotland's volunteer.scot service.

Broad incumbents

• Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO): Scotland's broader umbrella body for the entire third sector, covering charities, social enterprises, and community groups. It is a strategic partner of Volunteer Scotland but operates across the wider voluntary sector rather than focusing narrowly on volunteering infrastructure.

Others

• Small Charities Coalition: UK membership body supporting small charities with capacity-building resources and guidance. Comparable as a sector infrastructure provider offering training and resources to the voluntary sector, though focused on charity scale rather than volunteering.

Emerging players

• UK Youth: National youth infrastructure charity supporting youth organisations and youth volunteering. Adjacent in mission, particularly relevant given Volunteer Scotland's youth volunteering focus, though not a direct infrastructure peer.

Regional players

• Community Voluntary Services Tameside (CVS): One of many regional/local Volunteer Centres and Council for Voluntary Service bodies that Volunteer Scotland coordinates with through TSIs. Comparable as a local volunteer support and infrastructure provider, though operating only in Tameside rather than nationally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/volunteerdevelopmentscotland.vds
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/volunteerscotland/mycompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/volunteerscotland/?hl=en
• Xx.com/VolScotland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Volunteer Development Scotland