Business Support Programme Evaluation

The Business Support Programme was a leadership programme for heritage organisations which aimed to build capacity amongst the heritage workforce to effectively lead their organisations through turbulent times. The programme was funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) and was a organised in partnership with NLHF, MGS, Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS), and greenspace scotland.

Consultation with the heritage sector identified the need for heritage organisations to develop sustainable and resilient business models to enable them to move forward. The business models also addressed the economic and workforce challenges that were developing in the sector, as well as those arising from COVID-19 and its impact on business viability.

An 18-month resilience and leadership programme (Surviving to Thriving) was created to provide tailored development for 40 organisations (approximately 80 people) across Scotland on leadership, governance, business planning, and community engagement.  Each organisation received 20 – 30 days training and were provided with a community grant to enable them to participate.

Surviving to Thriving aimed to deliver key outcomes for participating individuals and their organisations, while also benefiting local communities. The programme was designed to address skill gaps and workforce development issues across the sector, as well as the need to adapt business models in response the economic challenges associated with ongoing reductions in income and changes in visitor engagement patterns.