Balfour Beatty: A Social Business Success Story
How the ESES Communities Social Business Directory makes a difference
The Event
In December 2025, Balfour Beatty and Capital City Partnership hosted an industry, employability and skills‑focused event, bringing together partners involved in the Scottish Pathways to Construction project and those shaping future construction pathway models.
As part of their commitment to meaningful impact, both organisations used the ESES Communities Social Business Directory to support the event.
About the Edinburgh & South East Scotland City Region Deal (ESES CRD)
The ESES CRD is a joint Scottish and UK Government investment programme designed to accelerate growth, create new opportunities and reduce inequalities.
The ESES Communities Team connects local communities and good causes with suppliers and businesses across the region. Buying from social businesses helps suppliers deliver social impact and align business performance with social and environmental outcomes. However, many struggled to find social businesses beyond basic online searches.
Why the Social Business Directory Was Created
To increase the impact of City Region Deal spending, the ESES Communities Team developed the Social Business Directory. Its purpose is simple:
- showcase social enterprises and community‑focused organisations across all local authority areas
- make it easier for contractors to identify and engage with social businesses
- encourage more creative, proactive opportunities within supply chains
The directory is a practical tool for suppliers like Balfour Beatty who want to embed social value into their work. For this event, investment went to:
Venue: Edinburgh Printmakers (Charity)
A creative centre for printmaking and visual arts. Partnering with them supports the arts and their impact on local communities.
Catering: KUBA
KUBA is a small, socially responsible food company based at Edinburgh Printmakers. They use ethical, locally sourced ingredients and focus on bringing people together through food.
Gifts and Prizes
- Edinburgh Community Food (Charity & Social Enterprise) A social enterprise offering high‑quality, locally sourced produce. Profits are reinvested to support community health and training.
- Grace Chocolates (Community Interest Company) Makers of artisan chocolates who support women with experience of the justice system to build confidence and create positive change.
- Grassmarket Community Project (Charity & Social Enterprise) Supporting vulnerable and marginalised adults in Edinburgh, funded largely through their own social enterprise activities.
- Upmo (Charity) Providing creative, educational, and employability programmes for adults with learning disabilities and autism. Their retail shop helps fund this work.
“At Balfour Beatty, using social businesses is a practical way for us to deliver meaningful social value through our day‑to‑day operations. Social enterprises reinvest profits into people, communities and the environment, which aligns strongly with our commitment to inclusive growth, Fair Work and Community Wealth Building.
As a corporate member of Social Enterprise Scotland and a signatory to the Buy Social Pledge, we have made a clear commitment to bringing social enterprises into our supply chain wherever appropriate. The ESES Communities Social Business Directory plays a vital role in enabling this by providing our teams with clear visibility into trusted, local social enterprises across a range of goods and services. It removes barriers to engagement, supports responsible procurement decisions, and helps ensure our spend delivers lasting social and economic benefits for the communities in which we work.”
Duncan Gardner, Senior Social Impact Manager, Balfour Beatty