As Scotland heads towards the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, CBI Scotland is setting a clear challenge to every political party: put growth and competitiveness back at the centre of the national debate, and commit to policies that make Scotland a serious place to invest, work and build businesses.
Scotland's economy is not short of potential. Businesses across the country are ambitious, innovative and ready to invest. But for too long, growth has been held back by slow delivery, rising costs and policy choices that have quietly eroded competitiveness. The next Scottish Government will inherit an economy at a crossroads. The question is whether it chooses drift or delivery.
That is why CBI Scotland has published its 2026 Business Manifesto, setting out the priorities the next government must grasp to restore confidence, unlock investment and put Scotland back on a path to sustainable growth.
Key asks from the CBI's Scotland 2026 Business Manifesto
Building Scotland’s infrastructure and energy future
- Fix the planning system by speeding up decisions, properly resourcing local authorities and focusing on delivery rather than new strategies
- Accelerate grid upgrades and work with the UK Government to unblock connections for renewables, hydrogen and carbon capture projects
- Commit to and deliver major transport projects, including a Clyde Metro with a direct Glasgow Airport link
- Publish and fund a national rail electrification plan with clear milestones
- Take a more pragmatic, evidence-led approach to nuclear to ensure Scotland benefits from jobs and investment
- Set a national target of 25,000 new homes a year and treat housing as core economic infrastructure
Futureproofing Scotland’s workforce
- Create a single Scottish Skills Strategy aligned to economic need, with employers embedded in governance and delivery
- Secure long-term, sustainable funding for colleges and universities, backed by an independent review of tertiary education
- Publish a full audit of skills funding, including Apprenticeship Levy income and spend, to restore transparency and trust
- Provide stability and clarity on apprenticeships, expanding provision where employer demand is strongest
- Expand funded childcare from nine months, remove income cliff edges and boost workforce participation
- Scale up lifelong learning, rapid retraining and return-to-work support to tackle shortages and lift productivity
Creating a competitive business environment for Scotland
- Commit to no further income tax divergence and publish a long-term tax roadmap to restore predictability
- Avoid harmful divergence in public procurement and align reforms with the rest of the UK where it benefits growth
- Reform non-domestic rates to support investment and avoid leaving Scottish firms paying more than competitors elsewhere
- Take a proportionate, evidence-led approach to regulation and justice, resisting reforms that increase litigation risk and uncertainty
- Provide policy stability for regulated sectors to protect jobs, investment and supply chains
Powering Scotland’s digital and innovation economy
- Treat digital infrastructure as national infrastructure, accelerating full-fibre rollout and closing 4G and 5G gaps
- Provide long-term certainty and expansion for DigitalBoost to support SME technology adoption
- Simplify and align R&D and innovation support, creating a clear front door for businesses
- Strengthen university-industry collaboration and protect knowledge-exchange funding
- Improve access to scale-up finance so high-potential firms can grow and stay in Scotland
Scotland competing on the global stage
- Refresh Scotland's Trade and Investment Strategy with clear targets to grow the number of exporting firms
- Prioritise high-growth international markets and use Scottish Development International resources strategically
- Expand export readiness support for SMEs, including digital trade and compliance
- Coordinate trade missions and international promotion with the UK Government and overseas networks
- Speed up decisions on major investment projects to keep Scotland competitive for global capital
A line in the sand for Scotland's economy
This election must be a turning point. A moment when ambition is matched by delivery, and when parties competing for government show how they will make Scotland more competitive, investable and productive.
Business is ready to play its part. The choices are clear. The challenge now is for Scotland's political leaders to show they are serious about growth.
