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Photos: UHI North, West and Hebrides, Fife College, West Lothian College, Forth Valley College

The results of a major planning exercise have been revealed today with the publication of a ten-year infrastructure investment plan for Scotland’s college estate.

Led by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the exercise involved the largest ever data survey of Scottish college buildings and associated infrastructure. As part of the work SFC gathered around 83,000 pieces of data from 270 buildings across 99 college campuses, alongside details of more than a thousand items of digital infrastructure.

The resulting plan sets out a detailed picture of the college estate as it currently stands and the scale of investment that would be required over the next decade if the sector and its infrastructure remained broadly as they are today. It establishes a baseline against which the impact of future reform and different approaches to the use, configuration and sharing of the estate, including new technologies for digital learning and the transition to net zero, can be considered.

Paul Devoy, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said:

“We are incredibly grateful for the fantastic effort from colleges across Scotland to provide us with this unique resource.

“Today’s report gives us a much clearer understanding of the scale of the financial challenge facing the college estate and underlines the need for change if we are to realise our ambitions within the funding available.

“It will now provide the foundation for our work with colleges to consider realistic, affordable and sustainable options for future reform that will deliver high-quality learning environments for future generations.”

The College Infrastructure Investment Plan and associated documents are now available on the Scottish Funding Council website.

Photo: University of Edinburgh

Five additional university-led projects have secured support through the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) University Transformation Framework (UTF). £18.8 million has been awarded to initiatives designed to strengthen skills provision, drive collaboration and support the long-term sustainability of Scotland’s tertiary education sector.

The second tranche of UTF funding builds on the £11.9 million already allocated through the first round of awards and supports projects that align learning and teaching more closely with employer needs, future skills demands and Scotland’s economic priorities. The latest awards bring total UTF commitments to more than £30 million and continue the programme’s focus on supporting transformational change across Scotland’s universities.

The University of Aberdeen, in partnership with SRUC and regional stakeholders, will lead Flexible Futures in Food, Drink and Agriculture, creating employer-informed learning pathways from school through to graduate level.

Heriot-Watt University and the University of Stirling have joined forces on ASPIRE, a collaborative project involving the University of the Highlands and Islands. The initiative will create employer-led learning routes in energy transition, advanced manufacturing, health, environment, and digital.

Robert Gordon University will expand its work-integrated learning model, strengthening links between education and employment while creating more flexible routes into higher education and lifelong learning.

SRUC’s Skills and Innovation in the Blue and Green Economy will establish a digital learning platform and accredited provision focused on specialist sectors, including marine science, supported by AI-enabled learner services.

Meanwhile, the University of the West of Scotland will take forward a programme, in collaboration with partner colleges, designed to create a more integrated tertiary education model through shared facilities, services and curriculum development.

Minister for Innovation, Technology and Tertiary Education Alyn Smith said:

“This is what the future looks like. These inspirational projects are what the UTF is all about – putting our university sector at the forefront of innovation, to deliver transformational change and financial sustainability for the future.

“Our world-class universities make a crucial contribution to Scotland’s workforce and economy. It’s vital that we continue to work on aligning the skills they teach to meet employer needs.

“I’m encouraged to see work being done across a breadth of industries, from agriculture to energy transition, while also harnessing the latest technology including AI to make a real and lasting impact.”

Helen Cross, SFC Director of Investment and Research, said:

“These projects demonstrate the sector’s commitment to finding innovative and collaborative ways to respond to current challenges while building a stronger future.

“A common theme across the proposals is closer partnership working between universities, colleges, employers and regional stakeholders to create more flexible pathways for learners and deliver the skills Scotland needs.”

Photo: West Lothian College

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) is inviting applications to join its new Apprenticeship Committee and help shape the future of apprenticeships and work-based learning in Scotland.

The Committee is being created following the Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Act 2026, which, from 1 April 2027, brings responsibility for funding apprenticeships, work-based learning and National Training Programmes into SFC alongside colleges and universities.

The legislation requires SFC to establish a standalone Apprenticeship Committee to advise on these new responsibilities. It will support a phased transition from the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board (SAAB), the current industry-led body that guides the development of apprenticeships, and build on the work, knowledge, expertise and relationships developed through the existing arrangements.

As a key advisory and oversight body, it will be a Committee of the SFC Board and will help shape apprenticeship policy, strategic direction and future funding priorities. It will play an important role in supporting high-quality provision that meets the needs of apprentices, employers and the wider economy.

SFC is seeking a minimum of 10 external members who can bring independent judgement, strategic insight and specialist expertise. In line with Scottish Government guidance, employer voice will be central.

The Committee will be led by newly appointed Chair, Dr Jacqueline Hall, Head of Apprenticeships and Skills at BAE Systems. Dr Hall brings extensive experience across business, education, skills and apprenticeship standards. She currently chairs SAAB’s Standards and Frameworks Committee and, as Chair of the new Committee, will also serve on the SFC Board.

Dr Hall said:

“I am passionate about helping people and businesses to thrive through apprenticeships and look forward to working with the new Committee members to ensure the apprenticeship programme delivers high-quality opportunities and continues to fully consider and respond to employer needs.”

Applications are welcomed from large, medium-sized, small, micro and rural employers, as well as industry bodies. The membership also looks to draw on the experience of apprentices and learners, colleges, universities, training providers, trade unions, Developing the Young Workforce and education, skills and qualifications bodies.

The Apprenticeship Committee will meet multiple times a year, and the committee meetings are a mix of in-person and virtual.

Applicants should submit a CV and a personal statement by 11 November 2026, explaining the knowledge, experience and perspective they would bring.

More information and how to apply is available on SFC’s recruitment portal, Pinpoint.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has announced the appointment of three new members to its Board. The appointments come at a significant moment for SFC as it prepares to take on expanded responsibilities for national training programmes, including apprenticeships, following the implementation of the Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Act 2026.

Joining the Board are Caroline Lamb, Paul McCourt and Dr Jacqueline Hall. Dr Hall has also been appointed Chair of SFC’s new Apprenticeship Committee, which will be formally established from 1 April 2027. The new members will reflect SFC’s expanded remit across tertiary education, skills, research and innovation, bringing together funding, planning and oversight for a wider range of post-school provision.

As SFC takes on a wider role across Scotland’s skills system and works alongside employers to address current and future workforce needs, bringing greater business and industry experience onto the Board is an important priority.

Dr Jacqueline Hall is Head of Apprenticeships and Skills at BAE Systems and Chair of the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board’s Standards and Framework Committee. She has held a range of senior roles in skills development, apprenticeship policy, workforce planning and further education throughout her career. As Chair of SFC’s Apprenticeship Committee, she will help guide the organisation’s work as responsibility for apprenticeships transfers to SFC.

Caroline Lamb recently retired after serving as Director General of Health and Social Care and Chief Executive of NHS Scotland from 2021 to 2026. She previously held senior leadership roles within the Scottish Government and NHS Education for Scotland, where she served as Chief Executive. Her career has also included leadership positions in higher education, housing and audit.

Paul McCourt is Chief Financial Officer at InPost UK and Interim Managing Director and Director of Finance at Menzies Distribution. He brings extensive experience in finance, audit, business transformation and governance, having held senior leadership positions across logistics, technology and professional services organisations.

Commenting on the appointments, Chair of the SFC Board, Professor Cara Aitchison, said:

“I’m delighted to welcome our new Board members. They bring a wealth of leadership experience from across education, business, industry and skills, strengthening the breadth of expertise that supports SFC’s work.

 

“As we move through a period of significant change for Scotland’s tertiary education and skills system, we will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government and our partners, to help shape and deliver reform of tertiary education, skills and research in Scotland.

 

“Our colleges and universities continue to face a challenging operating environment, with financial pressures and increasing demands on the sector. Supporting institutions to navigate these challenges while maximising their impact to Scotland’s social and economic wellbeing remains a key priority.

 

“The new members joining the Board will bring valuable perspectives, insight and experience to our discussions and decision-making. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.

 

“I would also like to thank our outgoing Board members for their commitment, expertise and service, and for the important contribution they have made to SFC’s work.”

Jacqueline Hall has taken up her position on 23 October while Caroline Lamb and Paul McCourt will join the Board on 4 November 2026. Their appointments run until November 2030.

Photo: Robert Gordon University

The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, visited New College Lanarkshire today and praised the College’s commitment to tackling health inequalities.

In response to research that found healthy life expectancy in North Lanarkshire is just 52 years, the College has initiated a Better Than 52 public health programme. The programme includes an expansion of activity as a result of funding from the Scottish Funding Council’s Public Services Reform initiative.

The Scottish Funding Council support will allow NCL to grow existing programmes along with the development of brain and public health education initiatives within workplaces and local communities. This, in turn, will play a significant role in the Region’s strategy to transform healthy life outcomes across Lanarkshire.

NCL Principal, Professor Christopher Moore, said:

“We are hugely grateful to the Scottish Funding Council’s Public Services Reform initiative for backing our public health work. Their support will allow us to expand and accelerate our brain and public health commitments.

 

“We are also immensely grateful to our outstanding partners Alzheimer Scotland who have provided expertise and guidance throughout.”

Paul Devoy, Stuart McKenna, Diane Greenlees, Caroline McFarlane

Learning providers heard about the shared ambition for apprenticeships and their key role in Scotland’s economy.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS), the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and Scottish Government outlined their shared commitment to apprenticeships at the Scottish Training Federation conference.

Tertiary Education Minister Alyn Smith said:

“Training providers are central to Scotland’s skills system, and the Scottish Government is backing that role with a 10% uplift to Modern Apprenticeship contribution rates from 2027/28, an additional £8.8 million of investment.

 

“I want workplace learning to become the norm, not the exception. That means building a resilient, mixed provider economy that attracts more people into the system and delivers the skilled workforce our economy needs.”

The Scottish Funding Council will take on responsibility for apprenticeships from 1 April 2027.

SDS and the SFC are working closely together to deliver a smooth and seamless transfer to the SFC as a redesigned funding agency that will have more responsibilities and duties as a result of the Scottish Government’s Tertiary Education and Training Act.

SFC interim chief executive Paul Devoy and SDS Director of National Training Programmes Diane Greenlees spoke at the event.

Diane outlined the evidence of the strength of Scottish Apprenticeships for people employers and the growth of the Scottish economy; continuous enhancements and evidence on the quality of apprenticeships, summarising the positive perceptions and feedback from apprentices and employers on their experience.

Diane said:

“It’s really important to share our collective commitment to continuity and the continued success of apprenticeships in Scotland.

 

“Scottish Government recognises the importance of apprenticeships to ensure a highly skilled workforce to meet the opportunities in Scotland’s economy.

 

“It’s thanks to learning providers across the country that Scotland has a strong base of successful delivery of apprenticeships.”

Paul said:

“Independent learning providers play a crucial role in delivering a mixed delivery model of apprenticeship provision and, as we work to bring the funding of all post-16 education and skills provision into one single organisation, we look forward to engaging with providers as we look to unlock more opportunities to build on the apprenticeship programme. “

STF Chief Executive Stuart McKenna said:

“Learning providers working with employers and apprentices are critical to Scotland’s apprenticeship success.

 

“STF members are committed to supporting the transfer of national training programmes and ultimately supporting what’s best for apprentices, their employers and the economy.”

The conference included workshops from SDS and SFC, Qualifications Scotland and People Plus.

Delegates also heard from apprentices Cameron Clark from Scottish Water, Caleb McNeil from Leidos UK and Sonja Jillich from JP Morgan at the event which took place at Qualification Scotland’s Glasgow headquarters on Tuesday, 6 October.

You can find out more about the transfer of apprenticeships on the Transformation page of the SFC website.

Photo: BE-ST

How is SFC’s research and innovation funding supporting Scotland to tackle the climate emergency?

Every year SFC funding supports Scotland’s colleges and universities to tackle the climate emergency and contribute to the delivery of Scotland’s just transition. Over the course of Climate Week 2026 (starting 28 September), we’ll be adding to this list of outlines of just a few of the projects supported by SFC funding.

Photos: UHI Inverness, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Dundee and Angus College, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow Caledonian University, University of Aberdeen

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has published its latest reports on the financial sustainability of Scotland’s colleges and universities. The reports form part of a new Tertiary Education and Training Act commitment for the Scottish Funding Council which comes into effect today.

Today’s reports acknowledge the challenges faced by colleges and universities as a result of factors in the wider financial climate. These include the high cost of energy, high interest rates and the continuing impact of RAAC on university and college estates. Universities are also subject to changes to visa and immigration controls and a fall in fees from overseas students.

The reports also point to increasing staff costs, partly driven by cost of living pay awards, as causing increased financial pressure across the tertiary education system.

The reports ring warning bells for some key measures of financial sustainability with adjusted operating deficits being widely forecast across both the college and university sectors.

Paul Devoy, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said:

“Scotland’s colleges and universities are operating in one of the most challenging financial environments the sector has faced for many years.

 

“These reports shine a clear light on the scale of that pressure, drawing on detailed analysis of accounts and forecasts. They are a snapshot in time, but an important one.

 

“SFC is working closely and actively with colleges and universities across Scotland to understand the pressures they face, strengthen financial resilience and support their short-term viability and long-term sustainability.

 

“The challenges are significant, but so is the opportunity. By working together with colleges, universities, the Scottish Government and partners, we can help build a stronger, more sustainable tertiary education system for the people, places and economy of Scotland.”

The reports, Financial sustainability of universities in Scotland 2024-25 to 2027-28 and Financial sustainability of colleges in Scotland 2024-25 to 2028-29, can be found on the SFC website.

Photos: UHI Shetland, BE-ST, Abertay University, University of Edinburgh

The Scottish Government is investing an additional £8.8m in Modern Apprenticeships to give learning providers a 10% funding increase.

The uplift in contribution rates supports the training and assessment of any new and in-training Modern Apprentices from financial year 2027–28.

The announcement – made on 24 September by Minister for Innovation, Technology and Tertiary Education, Alyn Smith – is the first stage of the Scottish Government’s review of Modern Apprenticeship contribution rates and compared public contributions with provider delivery costs, financial viability, and employer contributions.

Stage two of the government’s review will commence in 2027.

SDS administers Scottish Apprenticeships on behalf of Scottish Government, which incorporates Foundation Apprenticeships (FAs), Modern Apprenticeships (MAs), and Graduate Apprenticeships (GAs).

Skills Development Scotland’s Director of National Training Programmes, Diane Greenlees, said:

“Modern Apprenticeships are a vital investment in Scotland’s people, businesses, and economy.

 

“This additional funding is an important step in supporting their delivery and meeting Scottish Government’s commitment to 150,000 apprenticeships over the next five years.

 

“A strong provider network is essential to giving apprentices high-quality training and helping employers access the skills and talent they need to grow, innovate, and compete.”

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) currently administers funding for Foundation Apprenticeships supported by colleges and funds the provision of Graduate Apprenticeships.

From 1 April 2027, responsibility for the delivery, administration, and funding of Scotland’s National Training Programmes will transfer from Skills Development Scotland (SDS) to the Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

SFC’s Interim Chief Executive, Paul Devoy, said:

“Scottish Government’s commitment to apprenticeships highlights their value to economic growth. We will continue to work with the government, SDS, learning providers, and partners to strengthen the apprenticeship system and help providers deliver high-quality apprenticeships that support Scotland’s economy.”

Photo (left to right): Newbattle Abbey College, UHI Perth, Fife College, City of Glasgow College

EAUC, in collaboration with Qualifications Scotland, Learning for Sustainability Scotland and the College Development Network, has launched a new guide to help colleges embed Learning for Sustainability (LfS) across teaching, learning and curriculum development. The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) provides core funding to EAUC Scotland to deliver crucial national sustainability and climate action programs to support colleges and universities to respond to the climate emergency and reach net zero.

Co-designed with college practitioners, the guide combines practical advice, myth busting, professional development frameworks, case studies and tools to support colleges in embedding approaches to learning for a fair and sustainable future. It also includes a simple curriculum development toolkit to help teams benchmark current practice and develop action plans.

The publication of this guidance comes at a time when Learning for Sustainability has become increasingly important across Scotland’s tertiary education sector.

It supports colleges to respond to key sector priorities, including SFC’s commitments to tackling the climate emergency and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), while strengthening the quality of learning, teaching and the overall student experience. These priorities are reflected as cross-cutting themes within the SFC Outcomes Framework and Assurance Model.

The focus on embedding the key principles of Learning for Sustainability and the accompanying toolkit help teams identify strengths, draw out evidence, share effective practice and plan improvements. In line with the Externality principle of Scotland’s Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework (TQEF), these resources can support colleges to meet sector high level expectations for institutions to consider, which are reflected in the QAA UK Quality Code and the Professional Standards for College Lecturers.

Finally, the guide also supports colleges to contribute to a resilient and thriving Scotland: sustainability encompasses interconnected social, environmental, and economic dimensions. By embedding Learning for Sustainability into learning, teaching, assessment and collaboration, colleges can prepare learners for a changing world while contributing to a fairer and more sustainable future.

Lynne Raeside, Interim Co-Director of Corporate Services at SFC said,

“Learning for Sustainability has an increasingly important role to play in preparing learners for the opportunities and challenges of a changing world. This new guide provides colleges with practical tools and evidence-based approaches to embed sustainability across learning, teaching and curriculum development.

“SFC is pleased to support EAUC Scotland’s work through our investment in national sustainability and climate action programmes. By helping colleges strengthen Learning for Sustainability, this resource will support progress towards our shared ambitions to tackle the climate emergency as well as equality, diversity and inclusion, while enhancing the quality of the student experience.”

Kathrin Möbius, Senior Sustainability in Learning and Teaching Lead at EAUC said,

Working with colleges is inspiring. They are such a critical part of the post-16 education system, delivering learning to a large and incredibly diverse audience. Yet, there is little to no guidance for colleges on how to meet increasingly emerging standards and requirements around Learning for Sustainability – until today. This guide is a significant milestone in closing this gap for colleges. Thanks to the collaboration, openness and honesty of our partners, reviewers and practitioner focus group, the sector now has a set of resources that truly aligns with college staff needs, combining well-founded theory with simple language and a framework to put LfS into practice. We’re already working on further resources to accompany the guide and are excited to continue supporting colleges to contribute to a better future for all.”

You can find the new new guidance on embedding Learning for Sustainability in colleges here.

Photos: UHI Perth, Forth Valley College, Dundee and Angus College

The results of the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC’s) annual Student Satisfaction and Engagement Survey (SSES) have been published today, highlighting high levels of satisfaction among students studying at Scotland’s colleges. 

The survey provides a national measure of student satisfaction and engagement and covers students studying full-time and part-time courses across the college sector. Students are asked to respond to 13 statements about their college experience, with overall satisfaction based on responses to the statement: “Overall, I am satisfied with my college experience.” 

This year’s results show that satisfaction remains consistently strong. Across Scotland, 95.5% of full-time further education (FE) students said they were satisfied with their college experience, while the figure for full-time higher education (HE) students studying in colleges was 92.9%. Response rates were also high for those studying full-time, with over 65% of FE students and over 59% of HE students taking part in the survey. 

Commenting on the results, Steven McDonald, Chief Information Officer at the SFC, said: 

“These results demonstrate the ongoing commitment of Scotland’s colleges to delivering a positive and high-quality experience for students and is a remarkable achievement for colleges at a time of pressure on public finances. The consistently high levels of satisfaction reported across the sector reflect the hard work of staff and the strong focus colleges place on listening to and responding to student feedback”.  

The College Student Satisfaction and Engagement Survey 2025-26 is now available on our website.

Photos: Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre, Built Environment Smarter Transformation

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has announced further funding for business-academic partnerships made possible by its Innovation Voucher programme.

The SFC’s long-established programme is managed by Interface and has resulted in over £11 million being invested in business innovation and more than 11,000 new or improved products, services and workforce practices.

Businesses value the opportunity to team up with academics and students in Scotland’s world-leading universities and colleges. One business leader to benefit from the scheme has been Alex Shkrebelo, co-founder and CEO of Xplore Intelligence, who said:

“Working with Interface allowed us to fast-track rigorous, science-led validation of our technology with Edinburgh Napier – cutting months off our development timeline.

 

“Backed by SFC funding, this helped us not just keep pace with a fast-moving market, but move ahead of it – building globally relevant, UK-leading AI technology and earning a place in Tech Nation’s Breakout 50 – the UK’s top 50 most promising tech startups.”

Helen Cross, SFC’s Director of Investment and Research, said: “Innovation Vouchers are an extremely effective way of forging partnerships between businesses and Scotland’s universities and colleges.

“The collaborations are a fantastic way of combining academic expertise with the know-how and ambition of entrepreneurs wanting to create new products, services, and processes.

 

“There have been some incredible examples of success in the last 15 years, and today’s announcement is a commitment to further successes in the future.”

Laura Goodfellow, Interface’s Director, added:

“We are delighted to announce that the Scottish Funding Council has committed funding to the Innovation Voucher programme for the year ahead, enabling many more businesses and academic partners to work together to develop innovative solutions and create economic, societal and environmental impact across Scotland.”

More information is available on the Interface website

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has announced the appointment of Paul Devoy as its Deputy Chief Executive.

Paul is the former Chief Executive of Investors in People where he led the Government buy-out in 2017 and went on to transform the organisation into a thriving, independent and sustainable community interest company.

Prior to that, Paul worked at the heart of the skills system, with leadership roles in UKCES, an NDPB advising government and industry on skills investment; the Financial Services Skills Council; and the Sector Skills Development Agency.

As a former non-executive board member of Forth Valley College, Paul also brings an understanding of the challenges facing the tertiary sector and the importance of sound financial regularity and good governance.

Paul Devoy will take up his new post on 24 August and will also take on the role of interim Chief Executive following the departure of SFC’s current CEO, Francesca Osowska.

Photo: Abertay University

Students from Scotland’s most deprived communities are entering higher education in greater numbers and increasingly staying and succeeding in their studies, according to the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC’s) latest Report on Widening Access.

One of the most encouraging findings is the recovery in university retention rates. Of Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree students who entered university in 2023-24, 91.7% returned for their second year of study, up 2.2 percentage points on the previous year.

Retention among students from the 20% most deprived parts of Scotland (SIMD20) showed strong improvement, rising by 1.6 percentage points to 87.7%. This represents a second consecutive year of recovery.

Retention rates also improved for other key groups. Care experienced students saw retention increase by 1.5 percentage points to 86.4%, while retention among disabled students rose by 1.8 percentage points to 90.4%.

The number of care experienced students entering higher education also reached a record level. There were 2,285 care experienced entrants to undergraduate higher education courses across colleges and universities in 2024-25, accounting for 2.8% of all entrants. Both the number and proportion of care experienced entrants have increased every year since 2014-15.

In universities alone, 805 care experienced students entered full-time first degree courses, representing 2.3% of entrants. Care experienced students were also more likely to come from deprived communities, with 30.1% of care experienced university entrants living in SIMD20 areas.

The report also shows continued growth in participation among disabled students. More than a quarter (25.5%) of Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree entrants declared a disability (where known) in 2024-25, the highest proportion recorded.

Francesca Osowska, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said:

“These figures demonstrate encouraging progress towards Scotland’s widening access ambitions. It is particularly positive to see retention rates improving for students from the most deprived parts of Scotland, care experienced students and disabled students, showing that more learners are not only accessing higher education but staying on through their studies.

 

“As we work towards future widening access targets, this report highlights the commitment across Scotland’s colleges and universities to ensure learners from all backgrounds have the opportunity to succeed and fulfil their potential.”

Photo: Queen Margaret University

Seven university-led projects designed to drive innovation, collaboration and long-term sustainability across Scotland’s tertiary education sector have been approved for support through the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) University Transformation Framework (UTF). 

In response to the increasingly challenging operating environment, SFC established the framework, which has enabled the redirection of some core funding to give universities greater flexibility in developing innovative approaches to transformation, strengthen partnerships across the tertiary sector and support financial sustainability. 

The approved projects span a range of priorities, including enhanced pathways between colleges and universities, shared services, digital transformation, medical education partnerships, infrastructure planning and research collaboration. 

At Abertay University, the project will focus on creating stronger access routes for students through jointly delivered and recognised provision with Dundee & Angus College and Fife College. The initiative will also modernise systems and processes to improve transitions from further to higher education and explore the use of artificial intelligence to support forecasting and the student experience. 

Edinburgh Napier University, working with Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and Queen Margaret University (QMU), will develop a blueprint for a strategic tertiary education alliance. The project will explore shared services, procurement, qualifications design and improved systems to enable smoother student transitions. 

The University of Glasgow will modernise its ethics review processes and, in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, establish governance, operational structures and shared systems to support the Scottish Health and Biomedical Institute (SHBI). The work is expected to benefit researchers across Scotland and the UK through stronger collaboration underpinned by more efficient processes. 

The Open University in Scotland will expand its Catalyst Centre partnerships with five colleges, creating more accessible learning opportunities and clearer progression routes to degree-level study. 

Queen Margaret University will advance a three-year transformation programme focused on reforming QMU’s operating model and academic delivery reform.  

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland will undertake a comprehensive review of operations and estates infrastructure including opportunities for campus redevelopment, as well as assessing RCS’s wider economic impact. 

Meanwhile, the University of St Andrews will work with the University of Dundee to develop a future-facing partnership for medical education and innovation, laying the foundations for shared curriculum development, research infrastructure and clinical academic pathways. 

Helen Cross, Director of Investment and Research at SFC said, 

“These projects demonstrate the ambition, innovation and collaboration that exist across Scotland’s university sector. The projects showcase universities working together, and in many cases alongside colleges, to develop new approaches that will strengthen student pathways, improve efficiency, support innovation and enhance long-term sustainability. They reflect the sector’s commitment to adapting to a challenging financial environment while continuing to deliver for learners, communities and Scotland’s economy. 

 

“The University Transformation Framework is a fantastic example of SFC responding to the needs of the sector.  By introducing flexibility in our funding approach, we’ve been able to target monies already allocated to the sector to projects that will support meaningful transformation.” 

Photo: Commonwealth Games 2026

An incredible 27 current Winning Students 100 scholars have been selected to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow starting this week, with a further 25 programme alumni also taking to one of the biggest sporting stages in the world.

Athletes from eight further and higher education institutions across Scotland, all backed by Scotland’s national sport scholarship programme, are representing Team Scotland in no less than 11 sports.

Winning Students 100 was established with Scottish Funding Council (SFC) funding in 2008 and saw over 1,700 scholarships awarded during its first phase. Well known athletes who have benefited from the scheme include Olympic medallists Laura Muir, Duncan Scott, Vicky Wright and Seonaid McIntosh.

Now, the programme is set to continue until 2028 and was relaunched as Winning Students 100 in 2024. The initiative provides athletes with grants of up to £3,000 and offers them additional support such as academic flexibility. Winning Students 100 also includes a hardship fund offering additional support to eligible student athletes.

This Commonwealth Games in athletics, University of Edinburgh Applied Sport Science student Megan Keith will be in search of Commonwealth glory in the 5,000m and 10,000m events while teammate Alyson Bell will be taking on the 200m and 4x100m relay.

Previous athletics scholars including legendary runners Eilish McColgan and Laura Muir, as well as Christopher Bennett, Sarah Calvert, Stephen Mackenzie and Jax Thoirs will all be taking to the track and field in the coming weeks, in everything from pole vault and hammer to mile race and long jump.

Cycling sees Scottish legend Mark Stewart of the University of Strathclyde make his fourth Games appearances, while past Winning Students 100 scholars Neah Evans and Lauren Bell will also be in action in Glasgow.

A formidable swimming contingent will head to the Commonwealth Games, with twelve current scholars selected for the pool programme, including Angharad Evans, Evie Davis, Lucy Grieve, Jamie Ferguson, Archie Goodburn, Evan Jones, Stefan Krawiec, Holly McGill, Anna Morgan, Ciara Schlosshan, Katie Shanahan and George Smith.

They will be joined by alumni Duncan Scott, Lucy Hope, Keanna MacInnes and Scott Gibson, creating one of the strongest Winning Students 100 representations at any Games.

In para-swimming, current scholars Faye Rogers, Sam Downie and Toni Shaw will compete alongside alumni James Clegg, Stephen Clegg and Ollie Carter.

Katie Shanahan, who won bronze in the 400m Individual Medley and 200m Backstroke at Birmingham 2022, said:

“I’m absolutely delighted to be picked for my second Commonwealth Games. I’ve got a lot of family and friends coming to watch and it’s literally down the road from where I live so it just makes it even more special. It’s not long now with the final preparations and competitions coming up and the excitement is definitely building.

“Competing for Team Scotland is just so different, it only happens once every four years and there’s a different energy about it all. It’s different in a very good way and I’m looking forward to getting back in that environment in the prep camp and then in Glasgow. I just can’t wait to compete.”

Jacqui Brasted, Director in Strategic Transformation & Skills at SFC said:

“Having funded the programme from the start we’re incredibly proud to support Winning Students 100 athletes this Commonwealth Games. Seeing 27 current scholars and 25 alumni selected to compete is a remarkable achievement and a testament to their dedication, hard work and talent.

“These athletes demonstrate that it is possible to pursue academic success while performing at the highest levels of international competition. We wish every member of Team Scotland the best as they prepare to represent their country and inspire the next generation of student athletes across Scotland.”

Cathy Gallagher, Chair, Winning Students 100 Advisory Board said:

“The Commonwealth Games represent another significant milestone for the Winning Students 100 programme, which proudly supports some of the country’s most talented student athletes as they pursue success at the highest level.

“As Glasgow prepares to welcome the world’s athletes this summer, dozens of current and former scholars will be among those flying the flag for their nations, demonstrating the strength, depth and future of sport development in Scotland. I have no doubt the Games will be an incredible moment of pride for all those involved and I wish the athletes every success for this momentous occasion.”

The impressive Commonwealth Games representation underlines the role Winning Students 100 plays in helping student athletes balance elite sport with higher education, providing support that enables them to pursue success both in competition and academia.

The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games runs from 23 July – 2 August 2026.

Photos (left to right): University of the Highlands and Islands, University of Glasgow, Fife College

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has confirmed funding for the next phase of EAUC Scotland’s delivery of the national programme towards environmental sustainability for colleges and universities.

SFC’s partnership with EAUC Scotland stretches back to 2008. Under the current programme, which began in 2025, EAUC Scotland has provided 27 events, training sessions and webinars and reached over 650 people. The programme has also produced important new resources for colleges and universities across Scotland. Two of these have received Scottish Green Apple Awards for excellence in environmental sustainability.

The focus of the new funding, which is worth £169,500 and runs until July 2027, is on helping colleges and universities respond to updated Scottish Government guidance on climate change duties for public bodies.

Lynne Raeside, Interim Co-Director and Deputy Director of External Affairs at the Scottish Funding Council, said:

“We’re committed to supporting Scotland’s progress towards a more sustainable future, and EAUC continues to be an effective and valued partner in this important area of our work.

 

“The Scottish Government’s updated guidance on climate change duties is designed to help public bodies minimise their emissions as well as to become resilient to the impacts of a changing climate.

 

“It’s important that SFC supports these aims and I’m pleased we have been able to extend our funding for EAUC Scotland into 2027.”

Matt Woodthorpe, Scotland Director at EAUC, said:

“It is fantastic to have the Scottish Funding Council’s support once again as we continue to help Scotland’s colleges and universities to meet their Public Bodies Climate Change Duties.

 

“Against the backdrop of the new statutory guidance for institutions, as well as a difficult financial environment, collaboration and innovation continue to be the cornerstones of our shared success. The EAUC Scotland team looks forward to working with the sector on the outcome agreement projects over the next 12 months.”

Photo: WorldSkills UK

Skills and education providers across Scotland are celebrating the outstanding achievements of their students who have secured places in the prestigious WorldSkills UK National Finals. The finals will take place at venues across South Wales from 18-20 November.

The finalists earned their places following a highly competitive series of national qualifiers, demonstrating exceptional technical skills, knowledge and professionalism in their chosen disciplines.

Scotland will be represented by 27 finalists representing eight colleges, one university and the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust. They will be competing in technology categories such as cyber security, digital construction and renewables as well as in more traditional skills such as hairdressing and plumbing.

The WorldSkills UK National Finals bring together the most talented apprentices and learners from across the UK to compete in over 40 different technical skills. Designed in partnership with industry, the competitions give entrants the practical experience and work-ready skills they need to thrive in their careers.

Mark Smallman, Operations Director, WorldSkills UK said:

 

“Congratulations to all the Scottish finalists on securing a place in the WorldSkills UK National Finals.

 

“This is a tremendous achievement, and the competitions equip learners and apprentices with the skills, confidence and work readiness that employers are crying out for.”

 

In the 2025 WorldSkills UK National Finals, Scottish competitors brought home four gold, three silver and three bronze medals.

You can find out more on this story on the WorldSkills UK website

Photo: University of Aberdeen

The annual National Student Survey results for 2026 are published today. The nation-wide exercise captures final year undergraduate’s opinions about their experiences at university, including how their course was organised, taught and assessed.

Over 360,000 students responded to the survey with around 24,000 of these responses coming from students at a Scottish university.

Students in Scotland are asked to condense their judgement in a question that asks about their overall satisfaction. This year saw an increase in overall satisfaction of 1.7 percentage points to 82.4%, continuing an upward trend that began in 2024. Despite this, the level of satisfaction continues to fall short of the 85% result recorded in 2020, the last survey to be unaffected by the impact on students of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since the introduction of the new question set in 2023, the question: “How good are teaching staff at explaining things?” has produced the best response from students at Scottish universities. This year is no different, with a 93.3 percentage point positive response. At the opposite end of the spectrum, respondents were least likely to agree that it was clear to them that students’ feedback on their course had been acted upon.

More generally across all the survey’s questions, the 2026 scores were more positive than the previous year’s results. A notable finding amongst individual universities is that the University of Dundee’s overall satisfaction rating increased by 1.3 percentage points despite the effects of the institution’s financial difficulties.

Richard Maconachie, Director of Institutional Performance at the Scottish Funding Council, said:

 

“The continuation of the upward trend in overall satisfaction is especially encouraging at a time when universities are faced with a challenging financial environment. The overall satisfaction rating at the University of Dundee is a credit to its staff and its students and shows resilience in difficult circumstances.

 

“Across the sector we are seeing the positive impact of a partnership effort to focus on student needs and the quality of learning and teaching.”

Further information about the National Student Survey 2026 is available from the Office for Students website

Photo: Abertay University

The positive impact of Scottish university research on the country’s business and innovation system is revealed in a new report published today.

The report was commissioned by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to add to a wider understanding of the economic return of university research. It was compiled by independent experts at Frontier Economics, one of Europe’s largest economic consultancies.

Amongst the report’s key findings is that, outside London, Scottish research is more actively linked to industry than in any other area of the UK when measured by joint authorship of academic papers.

There is evidence too of strong collaboration between Scottish universities and business. In 2023-24 Scottish universities had 7,000-plus external research grants and contracts, half of which were with Scottish small and medium-sized enterprises. In the same period there were over 12,000 consultancy interactions and over 6,000 instances of university involvement in business career development.

The report also shows that Scottish businesses are much more likely than other businesses in the UK overall to report information from universities as being highly important for their innovation activities.

Innovation, Technology and Tertiary Education Minister Ben Macpherson said:

“This report confirms what we already know – our universities are world class, they punch above their weight and make a real difference to our economy by working closely with businesses to drive innovation.

 

“We increased funding for university research by 8.1% to £355 million to support institutions to foster expertise, including through university-business partnerships as demonstrated by the impressive work of Xplore Intelligence with Edinburgh Napier University.

 

“Our National Innovation Strategy sets out how we will build on these strengths to create jobs and opportunities for people across Scotland. This includes our investment in Innovation Centres, growth sectors like Space, Life Sciences and AI, and our work with Interface who help facilitate connections between business and academia to drive innovation.”

Helen Cross, SFC’s Director of Investment and Research, said:

“There are widely recognised connections between university research and broader benefits such as regional economic growth, company productivity and social well-being.

 

“Today’s report shows how Scotland is harnessing these connections in ways that are making a real difference to businesses and communities.

 

“It also adds to our understanding of the economic return to university research. Previous reports have indicated strong performance in this area including a £400 million contribution to the economy in 2029 from SFC-funded research.”

Laura Goodfellow, the Director of Interface, said:

“Interface has helped over 2,000 businesses and organisations, supporting their research and innovation needs by making connections into Scotland’s world-class academic communities.

 

“Once the connections are made, there is a strong chance that the business continues to work with the university or college partner or goes on to work with other institutes, leading to positive contributions to employment, the economy and society.”

Alex Shkrebelo, the co-Founder and CEO of Xplore Intelligence, added:

“Working with Interface allowed us to fast-track rigorous, science-led validation of our technology with Edinburgh Napier – cutting months off our development timeline.

 

“Backed by SFC funding, this helped us not just keep pace with a fast-moving market, but move ahead of it – building globally relevant, UK-leading AI technology and earning a place in Tech Nation’s Breakout 50 – the UK’s top 50 most promising tech startups.”

The Frontier Economics report The Impact of Scottish University Research on Scotland’s Economy is now available on the SFC website.