FEL Scotland
FEL Scotland is a Stirling-based Scottish charity operating as the Forth Valley and Loch Lomond and Trossachs Climate Action Hub, delivering active travel, food growing, energy advice, and grant programmes to community groups, schools, and households across Forth Valley.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersStirling, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What FEL Scotland does
FEL Scotland (Forth Environment Link) is a Scottish-registered charity (Company No. 286 723, Scottish Charity No. SC019276) operating from Cameron House, Forthside Way, Stirling, with a secondary Bike Library workshop at Cunningham Road, Springkerse. Founded around 1990 with food and growing programmes running for over twenty years, the organisation has grown to approximately 29 staff across four programme pillars: Climate Action, Active Travel, Food & Growing, and Energy. FEL holds a designated role as one of 24 Scottish Government-funded Climate Action Hubs, covering Forth Valley and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, and runs ten secondary-school Active Travel Hubs plus a Bike Library fleet of 150+ ebikes and ecargo bikes.
The core product set is operational rather than software-based. It includes the Bike Library lending service (with online booking via Hubtiger, paid rentals, and free vouchers for eligible users), the School Active Travel Hubs network (cycling rates at Lornshill Academy are 9x the national average), Energy Advice Services (home thermal imaging and Future Power renewable planning), regional Food & Growing partnerships, Climate Action Grants (First Steps £250–£500, Next Steps £500–£1,500, Active Travel Accelerator up to £3,000), and the inaugural Forth Valley Biodiversity Festival scheduled for August 2026. The platform technology is conventional: a Hubtiger rental booking system, an Airtable-based grant application portal, and free membership registration through the WordPress website.
The revenue model is a charitable hybrid. Primary funding flows from the Scottish Government for Climate Action Hub operations, supplemented by the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme (£354,000 over three years for the Community Energy Empowerment Programme), Foundation Scotland, and Stirling Council grants for specific programmes. Grants administered to community groups (£133,000 to 90+ groups since 2023) are pass-through rather than retained revenue. Earned income is limited: paid ebike rentals, security deposits of £50–£200, and minor late-return fees. End-user services and membership are free. The go-to-market is community-led via the hub-and-spoke model, with distribution through embedded school hubs, the Bike Library workshop, home energy visits, online membership and grant portals, and a multi-channel outreach mix spanning newsletters, events, school roadshows, and earned media.
FEL Scotland firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FEL Scotland
- Legal name
- Forth Environment Link
- Website
- https://felscotland.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- FEL Scotland is a Stirling-based Scottish charity operating as the Forth Valley and Loch Lomond and Trossachs Climate Action Hub, delivering active travel, food growing, energy advice, and grant programmes to community groups, schools, and households across Forth Valley.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FEL Scotland industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Climate Action and Environmental Services
- NAICS
- Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Programs (Trips, Climbing, Rentals) (EDALAIAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Equipment Rental & Outfitter Services (Camping Gear, Boats, Bikes, Mobility Aids) (THAAAGAG), Rock Climbing, Via Ferrata & Mountaineering (THAJABAE)
Keywords
Where FEL Scotland is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stirling
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
FEL Scotland business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Government Funding and Grants: Primary funding from Scottish Government for Climate Action Hub operations. Additional funding from Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme (£354,000 for Community Energy Empowerment Programme), Stirling Council, and Foundation Scotland.
- Climate Action Grants Administration: FEL administers and distributes grant funding to community groups, having allocated £133,000 to more than 90 groups across Forth Valley and National Park areas.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Community Group membership - Free |
| Freemium | Annual | Individual membership - Free |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Ebike Rentals - Limited availability |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Paid Ebike Rentals |
| Other | Multi-year contract | First Steps Grants |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Next Steps Grants |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Active Travel Accelerator Grants |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
FEL Scotland product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FEL Scotland operates as the Forth Valley and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Climate Action Hub, delivering community-led environmental programs across four pillars: active travel (Bike Library with 150+ ebikes/cargo bikes and School Active Travel Hubs in 10 secondary schools), food and growing (regional food partnerships and community growing projects), energy (home energy advice, thermal imaging surveys, and renewable energy initiatives), and climate action grants (First Steps, Next Steps, and Active Travel Accelerator Grants to community groups).
Product overview
FEL Scotland is a community organization operating as the Forth Valley and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Climate Action Hub, offering a portfolio of interconnected environmental programs rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include the Bike Library service (ebike/e-cargo bike rentals), ten School Active Travel Hubs, Food & Growing Projects through regional food partnerships, Energy Advice Services including thermal imaging and Future Power renewable initiatives, and Climate Action Grants. Additional services include the annual Forth Valley Biodiversity Festival, Seed Grant Stories case studies, and free FEL Membership for community organizations. These programs work together to help communities take climate action through active travel, sustainable food, energy efficiency, and biodiversity initiatives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bike Library An ebike and e-cargo bike lending service offering free and paid rentals since 2016, providing over 150 bikes including ebikes, e-mountain bikes, trailers, and cycling equipment to Forth Valley residents and the general public.
- School Active Travel Hubs Ten school-based active travel hubs across Forth Valley and National Park offering practical support, cycle training, and activities including Walk Leader Training, bike maintenance, and active travel roadshows for secondary school students.
- Food & Growing Projects Community food and growing initiatives including Stirling Food Partnership, Clacks Good Food, and Falkirk Food Futures, offering community kitchens, skills training, and shared growing spaces to improve access to nutritious local produce.
- Energy Advice Services Home and community building energy advice services including thermal imaging surveys, personalized energy-saving plans, and renewable energy consultations, with the Future Power initiative exploring local renewable energy benefits.
- Climate Action Grants Funding programs including First Steps Grants (£250-£500), Next Steps Grants (£500-£1,500), and Community Active Travel Accelerator Grants (£500-£3,000) for community-led climate action projects across Forth Valley.
- Forth Valley Biodiversity Festival An annual month-long programme of biodiversity events across Forth Valley, featuring citizen science activities, wildlife walks, workshops, and community festivals celebrating local nature and biodiversity.
- FEL Membership Free membership programme for climate action groups, charities, community organisations, businesses, and individuals providing access to knowledge sharing, collaborative advocacy, and funding opportunities.
- Forth Valley Climate Action Hub A regional hub delivering climate action support across Forth Valley and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, part of a network of 24 Climate Action Hubs across Scotland funded by Scottish Government.
Quantifiable outcome
- School cycling rates at Lornshill Academy are nine times the national average
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use FEL Scotland
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
FEL Scotland technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
FEL Scotland partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.
- Community Energy ScotlandsupportingEmbedded Renewables Officer (Energy) working within FEL Scotland's Energy team, bringing specialist community energy expertise.
- University of Stirling / Stirling Students' UnioncorePartnership for Green and Blue Space sustainability initiatives, biodiversity events including BioBlitz and wildflower seed collection at university campus.
- Paths for AllsupportingAccreditation partnership providing Walk Leader Training to senior students across Active Travel School Hubs.
- RSPBsupportingCollaboration on Forth Valley Biodiversity Festival events including Moth Morning at RSPB Skinflats Reserve.
- Conservation Volunteers (TCV)supportingPartnership with EPIC (Enabling Projects in Clackmannanshire) for weekly practical biodiversity volunteer sessions across Clackmannanshire.
- Alva Glen Heritage TrustsupportingCollaboration on Forth Valley Biodiversity Festival events including Marvellous Moths and Cool River Critters citizen science activity.
- Linlithgow Community Development Trust (LCDT)coreThree-year partnership to establish and eventually handover the Linlithgow Academy Active Travel Hub, with gradual transition to community-led delivery.
- Scotland's International Environment CentresupportingPartnership hosting the Forth Valley Celebrates Climate Action event in Dunblane.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
FEL Scotland competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Groundwork UK: Federated UK charity delivering place-based environmental regeneration, community engagement and climate action across multiple regions. Directly comparable model of community-led environmental delivery at scale.
- Cycling UK: UK-wide cycling charity with national reach covering cycle training, infrastructure advocacy and bike libraries. Comparable as a broader incumbent working on many of FEL's active-travel themes.
- Energy Saving Trust: UK-wide organisation providing household energy advice, transport programmes and decarbonisation services. Comparable as a larger incumbent delivering home energy and active-travel advisory work.
Direct peers
- Sustrans: UK-wide charity enabling walking, cycling and active travel infrastructure and behaviour change. Directly comparable to FEL's School Active Travel Hubs and Bike Library active-travel mission.
- Community Energy Scotland: Scottish umbrella body supporting community-owned renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects. Closely comparable as the parent network for FEL's embedded Renewables Officer and Future Power initiative.
- Changeworks: Edinburgh-based environmental charity tackling fuel poverty and home energy efficiency through advice, training and retrofit support. Closely comparable to FEL's Energy Advice Services and Community Energy Empowerment Programme.
- Keep Scotland Beautiful: Scotland's leading environmental charity running behaviour-change campaigns, climate action training and community programs. Comparable as a Scottish charity delivering climate, waste and active travel behaviour change at community scale.
- The Conservation Volunteers (TCV): UK charity delivering practical environmental volunteering and biodiversity action. Directly comparable to FEL's biodiversity festival and volunteer-led habitat work in Clackmannanshire.
- Paths for All: Scottish walking and active travel charity delivering Walk Leader training and behaviour change programmes. Already a partner of FEL and directly comparable in its health-and-active-travel focus.
Regional players
- Centre for Sustainable Energy: Bristol-based charity delivering household energy advice and community climate programmes. Comparable in scope and delivery model to FEL's energy and climate work, though operating in a different UK region.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
FEL Scotland social profiles
Digital presenceFEL Scotland financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FEL Scotland leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
FEL Scotland funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FEL Scotland M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about FEL Scotland
What does FEL Scotland do?
FEL Scotland operates as the Forth Valley and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Climate Action Hub, delivering community-led environmental programs across four pillars: active travel (Bike Library with 150+ ebikes/cargo bikes and School Active Travel Hubs in 10 secondary schools), food and growing (regional food partnerships and community growing projects), energy (home energy advice, thermal imaging surveys, and renewable energy initiatives), and climate action grants (First Steps, Next Steps, and Active Travel Accelerator Grants to community groups).
Is FEL Scotland a public or private company?
FEL Scotland is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was FEL Scotland founded?
FEL Scotland was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is FEL Scotland based?
FEL Scotland is headquartered in Stirling, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does FEL Scotland make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Government Funding and Grants are the primary driver. The others are climate Action Grants Administration.
Who are FEL Scotland's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Groundwork UK, Cycling UK and Energy Saving Trust. Direct peers are Sustrans, Community Energy Scotland, Changeworks, Keep Scotland Beautiful, The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and Paths for All. Centre for Sustainable Energy is listed as a regional player.
Does FEL Scotland have an API?
No public API is recorded for FEL Scotland.
What industry is FEL Scotland in?
FEL Scotland's product category is Community Climate Action and Environmental Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALAIAG, Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Programs (Trips, Climbing, Rentals), with a secondary code of THAAAGAG, Equipment Rental & Outfitter Services (Camping Gear, Boats, Bikes, Mobility Aids). Its NAICS code is 712190 and its SIC code is 7997.