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Business: New Deal for Business Group

Overview

The New Deal for Business was announced by the former First Minister in April 2023 to help business and trade to thrive and maximise the opportunity of the green economy, with fairness at its heart. A New Deal for Businesses Group was established to provide a forum for government and business leaders to explore how best to support businesses and communities and to actively work together to achieve common goals, aligning Scottish Government policy with business.

In developing the New Deal, four main pillars were agreed: 

  • shared awareness of the economic and business environment
  • developing the best environment to do business
  • enhanced partnership working
  • contribution to a wellbeing economy

The group first met on 17 May 2023 and four subgroups sit under the main NDBG, each led by group members who brought in representatives from the wider business community to provide advice and experience.

The subgroups are:

  • Business Regulation and Partnership
  • Non-Domestic Rates – a consultative group linked to the work led by the Minister for Public Finance
  • Wellbeing Economy
  • Sharing Key Metrics

The NDBG progress and recommendations report was published on 29 June 2023 and the First Minister has now accepted the report and its recommendations in full.

Read the news release.

On 19 October 2023 the NDBG published its implementation plan identifying key actions, as well as metrics of success. 

Non-Domestic Rates subgroup

 

The remit of this subgroup is to consider and report to the New Deal for Business Group, and Scottish ministers, on further enhancements to the operation and administration of the Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) system.

Recommendations made by the subgroup can be found in the NDBG progress and recommendations report published on 29 June 2023 and the NDBG implementation plan published on 19 October 2023. 

The subgroup meets regularly and continues to consider the current operation and administration of the NDR system, with the objective of ensuring the best environment to do business and deliver a growing economy whilst supporting our communities, and also recognising the importance of non-domestic rates income in funding the delivery of local public services.

Members

New Deal for Business Group

  • Kate Forbes MSP, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic
  • Dr. Poonam Malik, Head of Investment - Strathclyde University (Co Chair) 
  • Liz Cameron, Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC)
  • Sandy Begbie, Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE)
  • Julie Ashworth, Institute of Directors (IoD)
  • Sara Thiam, Prosper
  • Colin Borland, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)
  • David Lonsdale, Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC)
  • Iain Baxter, Scotland Food and Drink (SFD)
  • Marc Crothall, Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA)
  • Louisa Macdonell, Business in the Community Scotland (BITC)
  • Mairi Spowage, Fraser of Allander
  • Nathalie Agnew, Muckle Media
  • Cllr Gayle Macgregor, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)
  • Barry White, Chair of NSET Board 
  • Karen Meechan (ScotlandIS)

Publications

New Deal for Business: terms of reference

2023

Contact

For enquiries please contact: newdealforbusiness@gov.scot 

Directorate for Business and Better Regulation
Strategic Business Relationships, Engagement and Analysis
7th Floor
5 Atlantic Quay
150 Broomielaw
Glasgow
G2 8LU

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