SURF - Scotland's Regeneration Forum

What SURF - Scotland's Regeneration Forum does

SURF – Scotland's Regeneration Forum is an independent registered charity (SC 047 438) and company limited by guarantee (SC 154 598), founded in 1992 and headquartered at 6 Harmony Row, Glasgow. The organisation operates as a membership-based network and policy forum focused on community regeneration in Scotland, connecting 300 cross-sector member organisations and more than 3,000 individual contacts across local government, community, voluntary, academic, and private sectors.

Its core offerings are programmes rather than technology products: the SURF Awards (an annual best-practice recognition programme running since 1998 and in its 28th year in 2026, with five categories and associated shared-learning workshops); the Alliance for Action place-based programme (Scottish Government–funded, currently operating with local facilitators in Dunoon, Peterhead, Govan, and Girvan); the People in Place Practice Network (online meetings on themes such as 20-minute neighbourhoods and community wealth building); the SURF Heritage and Creativity Alliance (a forum of eight national heritage and culture agencies); and the Community Resilience Programme (which delivered the Covid Cross Sector Connector Service). Supporting services include the SURF Bulletin newsletter and an events programme.

SURF's business model is that of a UK non-profit: revenue is generated through a combination of Scottish Government core programme funding, named public-sector sponsorships (Creative Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Museums Galleries Scotland, Scottish Government, Wheatley Group), and membership fees from cross-sector organisations. Pricing for membership is not publicly disclosed. The organisation is supported by 9 staff and a Board of Directors, and operates exclusively within Scotland with no disclosed international footprint.

Name

SURF - Scotland's Regeneration Forum

Legal name

SURF - Scotland's Regeneration Forum

Website

https://surf.scot

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SURF – Scotland's Regeneration Forum is an independent Scottish charity, founded in 1992, that operates a 300-organisation cross-sector membership network and runs place-based regeneration programmes (Alliance for Action, SURF Awards, People in Place Practice Network) across Scotland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

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 channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SURF operates as a membership-based network organisation and registered charity that connects cross-sector organisations and practitioners across Scotland to influence community regeneration policy and practice. Its core offerings include the annual SURF Awards programme, the place-based Alliance for Action facilitation programme, online network meetings through People in Place, the Heritage and Creativity Alliance forum, and supporting events, publications and shared learning workshops for its network.

Product overview

SURF - Scotland's Regeneration Forum operates as a membership-based network organisation rather than a commercial technology product company. Its core offerings include the SURF Awards programme (annual awards celebrating best practice in community regeneration with an associated application platform and shared learning workshops), the Alliance for Action place-based facilitation programme, the People in Place Practice Network for online network meetings, the Heritage and Creativity Alliance forum, and the Community Resilience Programme. Supporting services include a newsletter/bulletin and events programme. The organisation connects 300 cross-sector member organisations and over 3000 individual contacts to influence policy and practice in community regeneration across Scotland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SURF Awards Annual awards programme celebrating best practice examples of community regeneration projects across Scotland, providing recognition, team-building opportunities, and national profile for projects of all sizes. Open to regeneration projects across Scotland via an annual application cycle.
• SURF Awards Application Platform Online application system for the SURF Awards, providing downloadable application forms across five project categories for regeneration projects across Scotland.
• SURF Awards Shared Learning Workshops Post-award workshops where shortlisted projects share experiences and learning with the wider SURF network, enabling discussion on aspects of learning and how they fit into wider policy. Targeted at regeneration practitioners and member organisations seeking to learn from award-winning best practice.
• Alliance for Action Place-based programme that facilitates community action across Scotland, currently operating in Dunoon, Peterhead, Govan, and Girvan. The programme provides local facilitators who support regeneration projects aligned with community demands.
• People in Place Practice Network Online network meetings exploring how current place-based policies and funding work in practice, from 20-minute neighbourhoods to community wealth building. Targeted at regeneration practitioners across SURF's network.
• SURF Heritage and Creativity Alliance (SH&CA) Forum for eight key national heritage and culture agencies to join forces in a shared effort to enhance participative regeneration in communities across Scotland. Targeted at national agencies in the heritage and culture sectors.
• Community Resilience Programme Programme delivering the Covid Cross Sector Connector Service (SCSC), providing networking and shared learning opportunities for regeneration-related participants across local authorities, community, voluntary, academic, and private sectors.
• SURF Newsletter (Bulletin) Email newsletter providing updates on regeneration policy, events, news, and SURF activities to subscribers. Available to the public via free email sign-up.
• SURF Events Programme Extensive programme of events including regional gatherings, shared learning events, and network meetings focused on community regeneration topics. Targeted at SURF members and the wider regeneration practitioner network.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered sponsor, key, core and local partner.

• Creative ScotlandsponsorOthersOfficial sponsor of SURF - Scotland's Regeneration Forum, contributing to the organization's funding and support for community regeneration activities across Scotland.
• Historic Environment ScotlandsponsorOthersOfficial sponsor supporting SURF's work in historic environment and community regeneration intersection.
• Museums Galleries ScotlandsponsorOthersOfficial sponsor contributing to SURF's regeneration programmes and activities.
• Wheatley GroupsponsorOthersOfficial sponsor of SURF - Scotland's Regeneration Forum.
• Joseph Rowntree FoundationkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership producing the 'Reality, Resources, Resilience' report that formed the basis for the Alliance for Action programme. The report examined Govan and East Kirkcaldy communities.
• SURF Heritage and Creativity Alliance (SH&CA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA forum for eight key national agencies to join forces in a shared effort to enhance participative regeneration in communities across Scotland.
• Aberdeenshire Councillocal partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner for Alliance for Action programme in Peterhead. Working with SURF on town centre regeneration, Town Board creation, and the £20m UK Government regeneration investment.
• Rediscover Peterheadlocal partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal business improvement district organization. SURF's new Peterhead facilitator previously worked as BID Manager for Rediscover Peterhead.
• Peterhead Development Partnershiplocal partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAberdeenshire Council led forum managing initiatives to bring vacant buildings back into use. Managing 'Peterhead 2040' strategic plan with SURF managing consultation elements.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Locality: Locality is a UK federation of community-led organisations supporting community enterprises, neighbourhood groups, and community anchors. Directly comparable as a membership-based network organisation focused on community empowerment and place-based regeneration, with similar programmes of policy influence and shared learning.
• Carnegie UK: Carnegie UK is a foundation focused on place-based wellbeing, with programmes on community empowerment and inclusive economic participation. Comparable as a UK-wide policy and practice organisation with overlapping focus on community regeneration and place-based work, particularly in Scotland.
• Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES): CLES is a UK-based think-and-do tank focused on local economic policy, community wealth building, and progressive economics. Directly comparable as a policy-influencing organisation focused on community economic regeneration, with similar practitioner networks and policy publications.
• Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC): SCDC is a national intermediary supporting community development practice and learning across Scotland. Directly comparable as a small Scotland-based membership and capacity-building organisation focused on community empowerment, with overlapping practitioner network and place-based regeneration programmes.
• Architecture and Design Scotland (A&DS): A&DS is Scotland's national champion for architecture, placemaking, and design, working on place-based regeneration projects. Comparable as a Scotland-based organisation influencing built environment regeneration policy and supporting place-based projects, with overlapping sponsor base including the Scottish Government.
• What Works Scotland: What Works Scotland was a research intermediary focused on evidence-based policy and practice for public service reform and community empowerment in Scotland. Comparable as a Scotland-based intermediary organisation producing research, convening practitioners, and influencing regeneration policy, though it has now wound down.
• Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS): BEFS is an umbrella body for Scotland's built environment sector, connecting member organisations and influencing policy on heritage, planning, and regeneration. Directly comparable as a small Scotland-based membership forum that SURF actually cross-promotes (BEFS communications officer vacancy appeared on SURF's news feed), with overlapping regeneration policy remit.

Broad incumbents

• Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO): SCVO is Scotland's membership body for the voluntary sector with thousands of members, providing policy influence, training, and networking. Directly comparable to SURF as a Scotland-based civic/membership organisation focused on influencing third-sector policy and practice, though SCVO operates at significantly larger scale.
• Joseph Rowntree Foundation: JRF is a major UK social policy research and development foundation addressing poverty and place-based disadvantage. SURF's existing collaborative partnership on the 'Reality, Resources, Resilience' report makes JRF a direct comparable, both operating at the intersection of place-based policy and community regeneration.
• IPPR Scotland: IPPR Scotland is the Scotland arm of the Institute for Public Policy Research, producing progressive policy research including on economic justice and place. Comparable as a Scotland-based policy-influencing organisation producing manifestos and policy analysis ahead of elections, with similar political engagement model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SURFScot
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/scotregen
• Facebookfacebook.com/564298180251535
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/surf-scotlands-regeneration-forum

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 SURF - Scotland's Regeneration Forum