Partnership agreement with the Scottish Government

A session to discuss the development and impact of a potential agreement between the voluntary sector and the Scottish Government. Conversations from this event will feed into SCVO’s policy development ahead of the upcoming Scottish Parliament elections. 

The voluntary sector makes significant contributions to Scotland’s economy and society, and yet the work of voluntary organisations continues to be poorly understood by decision-makers. SCVO believes that the sector makes a huge contribution across Scotland and that the role and value of voluntary organisations must be more widely recognised and valued. 

The government in Westminster is currently working on a Covenant, setting out high level principles to guide the relationships between public bodies and the voluntary sector. 

Meanwhile, there is a proposal from one of the political parties in Scotland to establish a New Deal to govern the Scottish Government's relationship with the sector, adopting a statutory model as used in Wales. This model includes guidelines on funding relationships. 

This workshop will consider the following questions to help us develop key asks for the SCVO 2026 elections manifesto: 

• Do you think a formal agreement between the Scottish Government and the voluntary sector is needed?  
• What format should this agreement take (statutory or not etc.)?  

This event is for anyone working in the sector with an interest in the relationship between the public sector and the voluntary sector. 

If you can’t join us for this session, please consider sharing your thoughts via our online survey. Your responses will be used to shape our calls ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliamentary Elections.