ASSIST FM

What ASSIST FM does

ASSIST FM (Association of Service Solutions in Scotland), founded in 2005, is a non-profit membership association representing all 32 Scottish Local Authorities on facilities management matters, including catering, cleaning, and general FM services. It operates as the unified representative voice for the sector, providing guidance and support to LA FM staff, facilitating supplier partnerships, hosting working groups (Hands on Hungry, Cleaning with Class), and running an annual conference and awards programme that brings together council delegates and a large supplier exhibition base (55 exhibitors and 28 LA delegates in 2023). The organization is governed by a committee of council representatives — including a National Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary — drawn from member authorities, with leadership rotating over multi-year cycles.

The association's product surface is service- and event-based rather than technology-based: an annual two-day conference and exhibition, the National Awards Programme, culinary competitions (Local Authority Cook of the Year, Street Food Competition), a member-only resource portal (member.assistfm.com) hosting legislation updates, discussion boards, and committee minutes, recruitment marketing collateral, the Scottish School Meals Recipe Book, and themed working groups. Its underlying technology stack consists of two websites (assistfm.com and member.assistfm.com) plus a dedicated conference microsite (assistfmconference.co.uk), managed under contract by Dewberry Redpoint Ltd. There is no proprietary software, AI capability, or API surface.

ASSIST FM's business model is institutional membership plus supplier sponsorship: all 32 Scottish Local Authorities are members (individual membership is not generally available), and revenue is supplemented through commercial partnerships with 14+ supplier organisations — including core partners Brakes Scotland, Unilever, McCain, and Müller Milk & Ingredients — that sponsor events, competitions, and conferences. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and the organization is neither venture-backed nor PE-owned. Geographic scope is institutionally fixed to Scotland.

Name

ASSIST FM

Legal name

ASSIST FM

Website

https://assistfm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ASSIST FM is a non-profit membership association founded in 2005 representing all 32 Scottish Local Authorities on facilities management, delivering an annual conference, awards, working groups, and supplier liaison services across catering, cleaning, and FM.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ASSIST FM is a non-profit membership association representing all 32 Scottish Local Authorities on facilities management matters. It delivers member support through an annual conference and exhibition, national awards and culinary competitions, working groups, supplier liaison, recruitment and recipe book initiatives, and a member resource portal. Its activity is funded through member contributions and supplier sponsorship and is focused on promoting best practice in catering, cleaning, and general FM services across Scotland's public sector.

Product overview

ASSIST FM (Association of Service Solutions in Scotland) is a membership organization serving Scotland's 32 Local Authorities rather than a product company. The organization provides a portfolio of services including an annual conference and exhibition, national awards programmes, culinary competitions (Local Authority Cook of the Year, Street Food Competition), a member resource portal with discussion boards and resources, recruitment campaigns for Local Authorities, and working groups for best practice sharing. These services are interconnected through the member portal and conference platform, creating a comprehensive support ecosystem for public sector facilities management across Scotland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Scottish School Meals: Consumer-facing website for Scottish school meals information

Products and services

• ASSIST FM Annual Conference and Exhibition Flagship annual two-day conference and exhibition bringing together all 32 Scottish Local Authority delegates, suppliers, and industry speakers for networking, seminars, exhibitions, and the awards ceremony. Hosted in Glasgow with 40+ suppliers and 28+ council delegates.
• National Awards Programme Annual awards recognising excellence in FM services across Scottish Local Authorities, including categories for catering, cleaning, innovation, sustainability, and community focus.
• Local Authority Cook of the Year Competition Culinary competition for Scottish Local Authority chefs and cooks to showcase skills and innovative recipes for large-scale school catering.
• Street Food Competition Competition for street food concepts suitable for Local Authority catering environments.
• Member Resource Site Online repository providing members with resources, discussion boards, legislation information, committee meeting minutes, and marketing collateral. Available at member.assistfm.com and restricted to Local Authority members.
• Recruitment Campaign Recruitment marketing campaign assets that each Scottish Local Authority can use to attract staff, created with support from partner organisations.
• Scottish School Meals Recipe Book Nutritionally analysed cookbook for Scottish Local Authorities featuring recipes compliant with Government guidelines.
• Working Groups Collaborative groups including 'Hands on Hungry' for catering professionals and 'Cleaning with Class' for cleaning services, facilitating best practice sharing across Scottish Local Authorities.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brakes ScotlandcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor supplier partner of ASSIST FM, sponsoring events and competitions. Served as competition sponsor for Local Authority Cook of the Year competition.
• UnilevercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing partner supplier of ASSIST FM, supporting conference and events.
• McCaincoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness partner and sponsor of ASSIST FM events, including sponsorship of the conference and awards.
• Müller Milk & IngredientscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor of ASSIST FM Conference 2026 and ongoing supporter of Local Authority Chef of the Year competition. Previously known as Müller Milk Drop.
• Green GourmetcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSupplier partner that sponsored the creation of the ASSIST FM website. Won Supplier of the Year Award 2026.
• QuornminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupplier partner of ASSIST FM.
• CRB CunninghamsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupplier partner of ASSIST FM.
• Batleys ScotlandminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupplier partner of ASSIST FM.
• UnicominorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupplier partner of ASSIST FM.
• NilfiskminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupplier partner of ASSIST FM. Won Supplier of the Year Award.
• HarfieldminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupplier partner of ASSIST FM. Won Suppliers of the Year Award.
• FalconminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupplier partner of ASSIST FM.
• BunzlminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupplier partner of ASSIST FM.
• HobartminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupplier partner associated with food waste reduction initiatives at ASSIST FM conferences.
• WelbiltminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupplier partner of ASSIST FM.
• SpacerightminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupplier partner of ASSIST FM.
• Middleton FoodsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupplier partner of ASSIST FM.
• Premier FoodsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupplier partner of ASSIST FM.
• Scotland ExcelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with Scotland Excel (the purchasing department for the Scottish Government) to support local suppliers in Scotland wherever possible.
• Food for Life ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Food for Life Scotland for parliamentary events and initiatives.
• The Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with APSE on research and initiatives related to public sector catering and facilities management.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Food for Life Scotland: Food for Life Scotland is a programme promoting healthy, sustainable school meals. ASSIST FM partners with it on parliamentary events and initiatives, making it an adjacent enabling organisation rather than a competing trade body.
• Scotland Excel: Scotland Excel is the Scottish Government's centre of procurement expertise for local authorities. Listed as a core strategic partner of ASSIST FM, it is an adjacent enabler that co-shapes supply chain access for Scottish LA FM, rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• LACA (Local Authority Catering Association): LACA is the UK-wide membership association for local authority catering and school meals, the direct English/Welsh counterpart to ASSIST FM's remit. Both bodies run annual conferences, awards, and supplier exhibitions for public sector catering and FM stakeholders.
• APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence): APSE is a UK membership association supporting frontline public services including catering, cleaning, and FM. ASSIST FM is explicitly listed as a collaboration partner with APSE on research and initiatives, confirming close functional overlap.
• Public Sector Catering Alliance (PSCA): PSCA is a UK-wide collective focused on public sector catering standards and best practice, chaired previously by former ASSIST FM Chair Jayne Jones. The two organizations overlap closely in membership base, policy advocacy, and event programming.

Broad incumbents

• IWFM (Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management): IWFM is the UK's largest professional body for facilities and workplace management, offering accreditation, training, and events. It operates across all sectors whereas ASSIST FM is narrowly focused on Scottish local authorities, making it a broader incumbent that overlaps in core FM membership.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AssistConf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/assist-fm

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 ASSIST FM