The Scottish Ecological Design Association

What The Scottish Ecological Design Association does

The Scottish Ecological Design Association (SEDA) is a registered Scottish charity (SC020799) and member-based network organisation founded in 1997 (with firmographic records citing 1991) and headquartered in Cupar, Fife, with a working presence in Glasgow. It connects approximately 350 practitioners across Scotland — academics, architects, builders, planners, ecologists, landscape designers, materials suppliers, and students — around shared interest in ecological design and sustainable building. The organisation's core product is not a technology platform but a curated knowledge network: members receive a digital magazine published two-to-three times per year, technical Design Guides (covering indoor air quality, sustainable renovation, deconstruction, airtightness, and toxic chemical reduction), a searchable member directory, the annual SEDA Conference, and program resources under SEDA Land, SEDA Solar, and SEDA Build. SEDA also runs the Krystyna & Jim Johnson Award for student ecological design and publishes books such as 100 Sustainable Scottish Buildings.

SEDA's revenue model is a low-friction annual membership subscription (individual £30, student/unwaged/over-60s £15, small business £60, large business £120, with custom institutional tiers), supplemented by event ticket sales (conference, Championing the Local series, Green Drinks Edinburgh), publication and merchandise sales via the SEDA shop, and project-specific grants such as the £98,500 award from the Scottish Government in 2023 to deliver climate engagement events supporting Just Transition Plans. Underlying technology is standard SaaS — Squarespace for the website, Memberspace for membership management, Mailchimp for email, Stripe for payments, and Google Analytics for traffic — with no proprietary platform or AI infrastructure. The organisation has no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no external investment; it operates as an independent non-profit governed by its members and a voluntary board.

Go-to-market is community-led: SEDA grows awareness through digital content (blog, email bulletins, social), draws members and partner firms into its network through events and co-hosted programming (e.g., SEDA Conference 2026 at Falkland Estate, Bridgend Eco Bothy live-build), and increasingly positions itself as a convener for cross-sector climate and built-environment policy in Scotland, evidenced by partnerships with James Hutton Institute, SRUC, Zero Waste Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, and BE-ST.

Name

The Scottish Ecological Design Association

Legal name

The Scottish Ecological Design Association

Website

https://seda.scot

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Scottish Ecological Design Association (SEDA) is a registered Scottish charity and member network of approximately 350 ecological design practitioners, providing publications, design guides, events, advocacy, and a professional directory connecting sustainable architects, builders, and ecologists across Scotland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cupar

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees provide core funding. Individual membership at £30/year, student/unwaged/over 60s at £15/year, small business (5 or fewer) at £60/year, and large business (more than 5 people) at £120/year. Institutions and universities have custom plans.
2. Publications: SEDA Magazine published 2-3 times annually as a digital edition available to members. Non-members can purchase current magazine copies from SEDA Products shop. Physical copies of Design Guides available for purchase.
3. Event Tickets: Revenue from conference tickets including the SEDA Conference 2026 at Falkland Estate, and camping tickets. Events range from free (SEDA Land Conversations) to paid conference attendance.
4. SEDA Shop: Sale of SEDA merchandise and publications including the book '100 Sustainable Scottish Buildings'.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

SEDA is a membership-based professional network of around 350 members predominantly in Scotland that links those seeking ecological information and services with those who provide them. It sells annual membership subscriptions (individual, student, small business and large business tiers), publishes a digital magazine 2-3 times per year, produces technical Design Guides, runs educational events including the annual SEDA Conference and SEDA Land Conversations, and maintains a public directory of member practitioners across architecture, building, planning and landscape design.

Product overview

The Scottish Ecological Design Association (SEDA) operates as a membership-based network organization rather than a software product company. Its offerings include a digital magazine published 2-3 times yearly, technical Design Guides (on topics like indoor air quality, sustainable renovation, airtightness, and deconstruction), and program resources under SEDA Land, SEDA Solar, and SEDA Build. SEDA also manages the Krystyna & Jim Johnson Awards for student ecological design, provides a Membership Directory of Scottish ecological design professionals, publishes books like 100 Sustainable Scottish Buildings, hosts events including the annual SEDA Conference, and organizes Architectural Tours. Membership tiers provide access to publications, bulletins, events, and directory listings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SEDA Membership Annual membership subscriptions at four tiers — Individual (£30/year), Student/unwaged/over 60s (£15/year), Small business with 5 or fewer staff (£60/year) and Large business with more than 5 staff (£120/year) — providing email bulletins, digital magazine access, members-only content, event invitations, and directory listing.
• SEDA Magazine Digital magazine published 2-3 times per year with themed issues on sustainable design topics, edited by volunteers and distributed to members and at events; non-members can purchase current copies from the SEDA shop.
• SEDA Design Guides
• SEDA Events
• SEDA Membership Directory
• 100 Sustainable Scottish Buildings
• Architectural Tours Self-guided walking, running and cycling tour itineraries through notable sustainable architecture sites, produced for the 2016 Scottish Festival of Architecture.

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MailchimpcoreTechnology or IntegrationSEDA uses Mailchimp to deliver their email newsletter to members and subscribers. The platform collects statistics around email opening and clicks to help monitor and improve communications.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationStripe processes payments on the SEDA website, collecting only data required to fulfill payment transactions for memberships, publications, and event tickets.
• MemberspacecoreTechnology or IntegrationSEDA uses Memberspace to manage member information and subscriptions. Signed-up users are integrated into Mailchimp through the Memberspace signup form.
• Falkland EstatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for SEDA Conference 2026. Falkland Estate in Fife serves as the location for the three-day conference 'Common Ground' in September 2026.
• The James Hutton InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECTOR PARTNER for climate engagement events funded by £98,500 Scottish Government grant. Contributes to Just Transition Plans preparation for Land and Construction sectors.
• SRUC (Scotland's Rural College)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECTOR PARTNER for climate engagement events. Contributing expertise to help sectors prepare for Just Transition Plans.
• Zero Waste ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECTOR PARTNER for climate engagement events. Contributing expertise on circular economy and waste reduction to Just Transition planning.
• Historic Environment ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECTOR PARTNER for climate engagement events. Contributing heritage and built environment expertise to Just Transition planning.
• Built Environment - Smarter Transformation (BE-ST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECTOR PARTNER for climate engagement events. Contributing expertise on built environment transformation and innovation.
• Robert Gordon University (RGU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference sponsor for SEDA Conference 2026. Contributing to event funding and participation.
• Glasgow School of Art (GSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference sponsor for SEDA Conference 2026. Contributing to event funding and participation.
• The Pebble TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference sponsor for SEDA Conference 2026. Charitable trust supporting sustainable building initiatives.
• John Gilbert ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference sponsor for SEDA Conference 2026. SEDA member firm supporting event funding.
• Collective ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference sponsor for SEDA Conference 2026. SEDA member firm and supporter of sustainable architecture.
• Bridgend Inspiring Growth (BIG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization leading the Bridgend Eco Bothy project. SEDA supported and enabled this live build project featuring timber frames, straw bales, and lime render. Multiple SEDA members worked on the project.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA): RIBA is the UK-wide professional body for architecture with a much larger membership base and broader scope. Comparable to SEDA as a membership organization serving architects but operates at far greater scale with established CPD, publications, and policy influence.
• US Green Building Council (USGBC): USGBC administers the LEED certification system and operates as a large-scale membership association for sustainable building. While US-based and much larger, USGBC is comparable to SEDA as a membership-based sustainable building advocacy organization with tiered programs and education.
• World Green Building Council: WorldGBC is the global umbrella organization for national green building councils. Comparable to SEDA as a sustainable building advocacy organization but operates at international scale with corporate-led funding and policy influence versus SEDA's Scotland-focused charity model.
• Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB): CIOB is a UK-wide professional body for construction and building professionals with a much larger membership base. Comparable to SEDA in serving builders and construction professionals interested in sustainable building practices, though operating at significantly broader scale.
• UK Green Building Council: The UKGBC is the larger industry body for sustainable built environment with broader UK coverage and corporate membership model. Comparable to SEDA in mission (sustainable building advocacy) but operates at national scale with significantly more resources and corporate partnerships.
• BRE Group (Building Research Establishment): BRE is a building science centre that conducts research, certification (BREEAM), and training for sustainable construction. Comparable to SEDA in producing technical guidance and standards for sustainable building, though BRE operates as a commercial research entity with broader UK/international scope.

Direct peers

• AECB (Association of Environment Conscious Building): AECB is a UK-wide membership organization for sustainable building professionals, directly comparable to SEDA in mission (ecological/environmentally conscious building), business model (tiered membership, technical guidance, events), and target audience (architects, builders, self-builders).
• Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT): CAT is a Welsh-based education and visitor centre focused on sustainable building and ecological design. Comparable to SEDA for its educational mission, publications, training programs, and emphasis on natural building techniques and low-carbon design.
• Passivhaus Trust: UK charity promoting the Passivhaus standard for energy-efficient building. Comparable to SEDA as a membership-based sustainable building association offering membership tiers, technical resources, events, and training aimed at architects and builders.

Regional players

• Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS): RIAS is the professional body for architects in Scotland, directly comparable to SEDA as a Scotland-based membership organization serving the architecture community. While RIAS focuses on the broader profession, SEDA's defined ecological design niche within the Scottish architecture community creates membership overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scotecodesign

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Scottish Ecological Design Association