The Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) has been given approval by Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Mairi Gougeon to extend its Go Local Programme until the end of May 2026.
The project, which launched in December 2020, champions locally sourced Scottish produce and enters phase six with 158 stores now flying the ‘Go Local’ banner.
A report on the benefits of the project was published earlier in the year, highlighting a remarkable increase in Scottish products being sold over the counter in participating stores. Taking part in the programme results in an average growth in sales of goods sourced from local producers of 44%. The report also provides evidence of a significant multiplier impact and boost for the local economy, with expected increases of around £169,000 per store per annum.
Phase 6 will see a further allocation of £195,000 for the programme and the selection of at least 40 geographically and demographically diverse stores, to secure increased display space for Scottish products. Scottish supplier databases will also be used to grow the number of suppliers and improve customer choice.
Administered by SGF, the Go Local Programme provides individual grants for retailers to invest in expanding dedicated space for local products, provides assets to improve consumer engagement and is supported by Scotland Food & Drink facilitating ‘meet-the-buyer’ events linking up local retailers with producers in their area.
Applications are now being sought from independent and multi-site convenience retailers in Scotland for the match-funded Go Local grant, worth up to £5,500 per store, including marketing costs.
Retailers who already have a Scottish proposition can benefit from the substantial point of sale kit without investing, by requesting POS through the online application portal.
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “It’s great to see the impact the programme has made in the last five years, with over 130 stores supported by ‘Go Local’, 103 local producers participating in meet the buyer events and participating stores on average stocking 36% more Scottish local produce. I look forward to seeing first-hand the work being done in the coming months.”
