Scottish Community Wealth Building Bill
The Scottish Community Wealth Building (CWB) Bill was introduced on 20 March 2025 and passed by the Scottish Parliament on 10th February 2026.
What the Bill Is About
The Community Wealth Building Bill is a new law passed by the Scottish Parliament that aims to keep more money, jobs, and opportunities within local communities rather than letting wealth flow out to large corporations or distant investors.
Think of it as Scotland’s attempt to redesign the local economy so that local people and local places benefit first.
How It Works
1. Public bodies must support local economies
Councils, NHS trusts, universities, large local businesses, housing associations, etc, will now be required to:
- Buy more goods and services from local businesses
- Support social enterprises
- Help community groups take over empty buildings or land
2. Local partnerships must create action plans
Every local authority must work with public bodies to create a Community Wealth Building Action Plan within three years. These plans will set out how they’ll grow and retain wealth locally.
3. Five key pillars guide the work
The Bill focuses on five practical areas:
- Local spending (public money spent locally), making financial powers work for local places.
- Fair employment, just labour markets and local jobs.
- Community access to land and buildings: socially just and productive use of land, property and assets.
- Shared ownership of the local economy (e.g., co-ops, social enterprises).
- Progressive procurement of goods and services, local finance flows (keeping investment circulating locally).
Why It Matters
The goal is to make local economies:
- Fairer – reducing inequality
- Greener – supporting sustainable local activity
- More resilient – keeping wealth circulating locally rather than leaking out
It’s also notable because Scotland is the first country in the world to introduce national legislation specifically for Community Wealth Building.
In a Nutshell
The Bill is about changing how the economy works at a local level so that communities have more control, more opportunities, and more long-term benefits from the money already being spent in their area.
Read more:
- Community Wealth Building and the Future of Scotland’s Economy
Do you want to explore this more…….
Beyond the Bill: What happened next for Community Wealth Building?
Tuesday, 17th of March, 2 pm – 4 pm.
What does it actually mean for local economic development, councils, anchor institutions, communities, activists and partners across Scotland? What changes – and what continues – from the work already happening on the ground?
Join the Economic Development Association Scotland for a practical and interactive discussion exploring the move from policy to implementation.
Register here: www.tickettailor.com/events/edas/2081262