Board meeting – 25 September 2025
The 156th meeting of the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council
Date: 25 September 2025
Time: 10:30am-17:00pm
Venue: Carnegie A, Apex 1, Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh
Agenda
General Business
- Chair’s Business – Verbal (Cara Aitchison)/ To note
- Declarations of Interest – Verbal (Cara Aitchison)/ To note
- Minute of the meeting held 12 June 2025 – SFC (2025) 070 (Cara Aitchison)/ To approve
- Minute of the meeting held 19 June 2025 – SFC (2025) 071 (Cara Aitchison)/ To approve
- Minute of the meeting held 4 September 2025 – SFC (2025) 072 (Cara Aitchison)/ To approve
- Board Action Log – SFC (2025) 073 (Louisa Baker)/ To approve
Chief Executive and Chair’s Reports (Official- Sensitive Commercial)
- Chair’s Report – SFC (2025) 074 (Cara Aitchison)/ To note
- Chief Executive’s Report– SFC (2025) 075 (Francesca Osowska)/ To note
Risk Management (Official- Sensitive Commercial)
- SFC Risk Register and Assurance Map: Quarterly Review – SFC (2025) 076 (Louisa Baker)/ To discuss
Reform (Official- Sensitive Commercial)
- Post-School Education and Skills Reform Update – SFC (2025) 077 (Teresa Ironside)/ To discuss
Finance, Funding and Operations Part 1 (Official- Sensitive Commercial)
- SFC Annual Report and Accounts to 31 March 2025 – SFC (2025) 078 (Tiffany Ritchie/Karen Murray)/ To approve
- Audit & Risk Committee: Annual Report – SFC (2025) 079 (David Alexander)/ To approve
Research & Innovation (Official-Sensitive Commercial)
- Delivering Value through SFC Knowledge Exchange and Innovation – SFC (2025) 080 (Helen Cross)/ To note
External Affairs (Official)
- SFC Approach to Consultations – SFC (2025) 081 (Lynne Raeside)/ To approve
Reports from Committees (Official-Sensitive Commercial)
- SFC Approach to Consultations – Verbal (Committee Chairs)/ To note
High Engagement Institutions (Official- Sensitive Commercial)
- High Engagement Institutions – Presentation (Jacqui Brasted)/ To discuss
- Enhancing Institutional Scrutiny – SFC (2025) 082 (Tiffany Ritchie)/ To discuss
Finance, Funding and Operations Part 2 (Official- Sensitive Commercial)
- University of Dundee: Update – SFC (2025) 083 (Richard Maconachie)/ To approve
- Principles and Approach to Funding AY 2026-27 – SFC (2025) 084 (Tiffany Ritchie)/ To approve
- SFC Investment: (Tiffany Ritchie)
- College Transformation Framework – SFC (2025) 085/ To approve
- SIIF investment over £1m:
- College Infrastructure Investment Plan – SFC (2025) 086/ To approve
- UHI – SFC (2025) 087/ To approve
Corporate Governance & Planning (Official- Sensitive Commercial)
- SFC Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – SFC (2025) 088 (Louisa Baker)/ To approve
- SFC Delivery Plan 2025-27: Q1 Review – SFC (2025) 089 (Louisa Baker)/ To discuss
- Indicative Timetable and Approach to New SFC Strategic Plan – SFC (2025) 090 (Francesca Osowska)/ To approve
Any other Business (Official-Sensitive Commercial)
- Any other business – Verbal (Cara Aitchison)/ To note
Items to Note (Official-Sensitive Commercial)
- Use of Delegated Authority: 1 June-31 August 2025 – SFC (2025) 091 (Tiffany Ritchie)/ To note
- Best Value: Annual Report – SFC (2025) 092 (Louisa Baker)/ To note
- Long term agenda – SFC (2025) 093 (Louisa Baker)/ To note
- Remuneration & Nominations Committee: Minute of the meeting held 13 May 2025 – SFC (2025) 094 (Linda Hanna)/ To note
- Research & Knowledge Exchange Committee: Minute of the meeting held 4 June 2025 – SFC (2025) 095 (Lesley Yellowlees)/ To note
- Audit & Risk Committee: Minute of the meeting held 13 June 2025 – SFC (2025) 096 (David Alexander)/ To note
- Finance Committee: Minute of meeting of 29 May 2025 – SFC (2025) 097 (Mhairi Harrington)/ To note
Closed Session (Official-Sensitive Commercial)
- University of Dundee Investigation Report: Lessons Learned – Discussion (Pamela Gillies/James Aston)/ To discuss
Dates of Future Meetings:
Thursday 20 and Friday 21 November 2025 (Board Strategy Event)
Thursday 11 December 2025 (virtual)
Thursday 12 February 2026 (virtual)
Thursday 19 March 2026 (in person)
Thursday 14 May 2026 (virtual)
Thursday 25 June 2026 (in person)
Thursday 24 September 2026 (in person)
Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 November 2026 (Board Strategy Event)
Thursday 10 December 2026 (virtual)
SFC Strategic Plan 2022-27
Building a connected, agile, sustainable tertiary education and research system for Scotland.