cycling scotland

What cycling scotland does

Cycling Scotland is a Scottish-registered charity (SC029760) and the country's national cycling organisation, headquartered at 160 West George Street, Glasgow, with an 11-50 person team. Its mission is to get more people cycling more safely and easily, delivered primarily through the Bikeability Scotland national cycle training programme — a school-based curriculum (Level 1 playground, Level 2 on-road, plus Learn to Ride) that has trained over 500,000 primary pupils since 2011 and reaches more than 1,200 schools, equivalent to 60% of Scottish primary schools delivering Level 2 in 2023-24. Complementary programmes include Play on Pedals (early-years balance bikes in nurseries), Adult Cycle Training delivered via 60+ delivery providers, and the Cycling Friendly employer accreditation scheme.

The organisation also operates supporting programmes that address access and safety barriers to cycling. These include bike storage installations in social housing (delivered with Link Group, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, Clyde Gateway, and Glasgow City Council), a bike reuse pilot involving HMP Barlinnie and St Paul's Youth Forum, and the award-winning Give Cycle Space road safety campaign run jointly with Police Scotland. Its technical platform footprint is centred on the Cycling Open Data Portal (umove.usmart.ai), which pulls partner cycle counter data via API and combines it with biannual traffic surveys and the longitudinal Attitudes and Behaviours Research (2017-2023) to produce the Annual Cycling Monitoring Report.

Commercially, Cycling Scotland is a grant-funded non-profit with no disclosed revenue or external shareholders. Funding flows primarily from Transport Scotland (Scottish Government) grants for Bikeability Scotland and research, supplemented by partnership co-funding for regional delivery and infrastructure monitoring. Training for school children is provided free at the point of use; adult training pricing varies by provider with some subsidised places. GTM is community- and partnership-led rather than commercial, relying on all 32 Scottish local authorities for school delivery and a federated network of charities and instructors for adult training.

Name

cycling scotland

Legal name

Cycling Scotland

Website

https://cycling.scot

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cycling Scotland is Scotland's national cycling charity, delivering Bikeability school training to over 500,000 pupils since 2011, adult cycle training via 60+ providers, social housing bike storage, road safety campaigns, and an open cycling data portal, funded mainly by Transport Scotland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cycling Training and Advocacy Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Automobile Driving Schools (611692)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Bicycle Programs & Bike Share (Parking, Repair, Rentals) (EDALAKAE)

Keywords

• Cycle training programs
• Cycling data monitoring
• Road safety campaigns
• Bike storage solutions
• Cycling accreditation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: Cycling Scotland receives core funding from Transport Scotland, a Scottish Government agency, to manage and deliver national cycling programs including Bikeability Scotland. Additional funding comes from the Scottish Government's People and Place Programme for specific initiatives like bike storage and social housing projects.
2. Partnership and Programme Delivery: Cycling Scotland works with local authorities, regional transport partnerships, and other public bodies to deliver cycling programs, with funding channeled through these partnerships to support training, infrastructure monitoring, and community initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cycling Scotland delivers the national Bikeability Scotland cycle training programme for primary school children, together with Play on Pedals early years training and adult cycle training routed through a network of over 60 delivery providers. The charity supports cycle access initiatives (bike storage for social housing, bike reuse pilots), runs the Cycling Friendly accreditation scheme for organisations, and operates the Cycling Open Data Portal publishing automatic counter, traffic survey, and behavioural research data. Core activities are primarily funded by Transport Scotland grants.

Product overview

Cycling Scotland operates as Scotland's national cycling charity offering a portfolio of cycling training programmes and data services. The core offerings include Bikeability Scotland (national cycle training for primary school children), Play on Pedals (early years balance bike training in nurseries), and Adult Cycle Training delivered through 60+ local providers. Supporting infrastructure includes the Cycling Open Data Portal (providing open access to Scotland's most comprehensive cycling dataset via API), the Cycling Friendly accreditation programme, and the award-winning Give Cycle Space road safety campaign. The organisation also publishes the Annual Cycling Monitoring Report and conducts Attitudes and Behaviours Research to track cycling trends. Tools such as the School Checker help parents access training programmes. Together, these services form an integrated approach to getting more people cycling more safely across Scotland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bikeability Scotland: The national cycle training programme for school children, providing the skills and confidence they need to cycle on today's roads. Introduced in 2011 and has trained over half a million pupils.

Products and services

• Bikeability Scotland The national cycle training programme for primary school children, providing the skills and confidence they need to cycle on today's roads. Includes Level 1 (playground skills), Level 2 (on-road training), and Learn to Ride sessions. Free for pupils and funded by Transport Scotland.
• Play on Pedals Early years balance bike training programme delivered in nursery settings, helping pre-school age children develop cycling skills and confidence on balance bikes before progressing to pedals.
• Adult Cycle Training
• Cycling Open Data Portal
• School Checker
• Cycling Friendly
• Give Cycle Space Campaign
• Cycle Training for Work

Quantifiable outcome

• 500,000 young people trained in Bikeability Scotland since 2011
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Transport ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransport Scotland is the primary funder of Cycling Scotland's national programs, including Bikeability Scotland. The agency provides grant funding that enables free cycle training for school children across Scotland and supports infrastructure monitoring initiatives.
• SustranscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustrans is a key partner in developing cycling infrastructure across Scotland. Worked with Glasgow City Council on South City Way and with Edinburgh on CCWEL, both funded through Sustrans' Places for Everyone Programme.
• All 32 Scottish Local AuthoritiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authorities partner with Cycling Scotland to deliver Bikeability Scotland in schools and support local cycling initiatives. Partnerships enable training coordination, instructor networks, and local delivery across Scotland.
• Police ScotlandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolice Scotland partners on the Give Cycle Space road safety campaign and delivers Operation Close Pass in communities across Scotland to improve safety for cyclists.
• Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPT delivers the bike storage programme in the Strathclyde region, working with seven social landlords to provide secure cycle storage for residents.
• Link GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial landlord partner in Dalmarnock cycle storage project, providing secure bike storage for residents in high-density housing areas.
• Clyde GatewaymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban regeneration company partnered with Cycling Scotland to address transport inequalities and enable more people to choose cycling in regeneration areas.
• Glasgow City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in bike reuse pilot initiative, working with HMP Barlinnie and St Paul's Youth Forum to refurbish bikes for redistribution to families in need.
• HMP BarlinniemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrison participates in bike reuse pilot, repairing bikes as part of employability programme to provide skills for employment after custody.
• St Paul's Youth ForummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization collects refurbished bikes and redistributes to children, families, and schools who face financial barriers to cycling.
• A Wee PedalmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEdinburgh-based charity and delivery provider for adult cycle training, having taught over 1,200 people since 2020. Receives funding support from Cycling Scotland.
• Recyke-a-bikemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivery partner for Bikeability Scotland training across Clackmannanshire and Stirling councils, achieving 100% Level 2 on-road delivery.
• Healthy ValleysminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal charity based in Rigside providing cycling and bike maintenance support, helped Leadhills Primary School source bikes and a trike for inclusive training.
• Adventure AberdeenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSport Aberdeen program that partners with Hazlehead Primary School for Learn to Ride sessions for children who haven't yet learned to cycle.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• British Cycling: National governing body for cycling across the UK, encompassing Scottish Cycling. Comparable as the broader UK cycling umbrella body with significant government funding, but with primary focus on competitive cycling and performance rather than everyday transport cycling advocacy.

Direct peers

• Walk Wheel Cycle Trust (formerly Sustrans): UK charity focused on walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure and behaviour change. Directly comparable as a UK active travel charity that Cycling Scotland partners with on infrastructure projects (South City Way, CCWEL) and shares a similar government-funded, partnership-driven delivery model.
• Scottish Cycling: National governing body for sport cycling in Scotland, focused on club development, racing, and competitive cycling. Comparable as a Scotland-based cycling organisation with government and Sport Scotland funding, but oriented toward sport cycling rather than everyday transport cycling.
• Bikeability Trust: National organisation overseeing Bikeability cycle training in England, providing instructor training, quality assurance, and programme standards. Directly comparable as the England counterpart running the same standardised cycle training programme that Cycling Scotland delivers as Bikeability Scotland.
• Cycling UK: The UK's national cycling charity focused on advocacy, rider support, and getting more people cycling. Directly comparable to Cycling Scotland in mission (cycling advocacy and promotion) and business model (membership-funded charity), though Cycling UK operates UK-wide rather than Scotland-only.

Regional players

• London Cycling Campaign: London-based cycling advocacy charity representing cyclists and campaigning for better infrastructure and policy. Comparable as a cycling advocacy charity with similar member-driven model, but focused exclusively on London rather than Scotland-wide operations.
• Paths for All: Scottish charity promoting walking for health and active travel across Scotland. Comparable as a Scotland-based active travel charity with similar government funding and partnership model, but with a walking-focused rather than cycling-focused mission.

Others

• Living Streets: UK charity focused on walking and active travel, complementary to Cycling Scotland's mission. Comparable as a UK active travel charity with similar government and partnership funding model, but focused on walking rather than cycling.

Emerging players

• Wheels for Wellbeing: UK charity advocating for inclusive cycling and accessible infrastructure for disabled cyclists. Comparable as a focused cycling charity with similar advocacy and partnership model, but with a narrower accessibility-focused niche versus Cycling Scotland's broad everyday cycling remit.
• Love to Ride: Global cycling promotion platform running behaviour change programmes and challenges for employers and communities. Comparable as a cycling promotion and behaviour change operator with similar workplace and community engagement focus, but operating as a commercial platform rather than charity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cyclingscotland

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about cycling scotland