CEO Welcome

Welcome to this edition of the Forth Green Freeport Update. Over the past six months, a lot has been achieved, and it gives me great pleasure to confirm that we are now in full delivery mode.

Our Full Business Case was approved by both the UK and Scottish Governments and in January, we signed a joint agreement which unlocked £25 million of seed funding from the UK Government to support the reindustrialisation of the Edinburgh, Fife and Falkirk areas.

Our experienced delivery team have been out and about around the country, working closely with partners to align future business requirements and skills provision. The team have also been very active speaking at major industry events to showcase to potential investors what the FGF has to offer companies considering an investment in Scotland.

Our focus on attracting investment across the FGF is always underpinned by strong governance and adherence to the FGF’s Fair Work and Net Zero charters. The FGF Board has adopted our three year business plan, supporting budget and delivery plan and we have refreshed our website to ensure that we have the information that investors need to make a decision. I am also pleased to say that our team are currently working with an active pipeline of positive queries and we hope to announce some news around this in the near future.

Working with our three local authority partners – Edinburgh, Fife and Falkirk – we are connected into the local communities. Following the recent Scottish Parliament election we are looking forward to speaking to those regional and constituency MSPs who
have been re-elected or are new in post within the Forth Green Freeport area.

Our door is always open so please do get in touch if you have anything you want to talk to me or the team about. We can be reached via the website.

To deliver the ambitious vision of FGF, a strong operational team is in place with a focus on attracting investment across the FGF while ensuring strong governance and adherence to the FGF’s Fair Work and Net Zero charters.

Working with CEO, Sarah Murray, the core team are:

• Tom Morris, Trade and Investment Manager
• Rhona McMillan, Governance and Operations Officer
• Sharon Pryde, Skills and Fair Work Manager
• Siân McGuiness, Net Zero and Innovation Manager

To get in touch with any of the team please go to Our Team

Following the signing of the MoU, £25 million of seed capital funding was allocated to the Forth Green Freeport. This funding will be administrated by our accountable body, Falkirk Council, and it will be match funded by project leads bringing an initial investment in the area to more than £50million.

The seed capital funding is designed to help prepare the key sites within the FGF area which will attract investors and deliver major economic benefits for Scotland. Around 20 projects have been identified to attract major inward investment in the key target sectors including offshore wind, hydrogen, sustainable fuels, modular manufacturing and logistics.

Throughout the Forth Green Freeport area, there are many areas of underdevelopment and outdated infrastructure which needs addressed to attract the level of inward investment envisaged. Some of the projects to be delivered using seed capital include:

• An integrated energy system at Babcock’s Rosyth site;
• Additional utility capacity at the port in Grangemouth;
• The creation of AGIC Skills & Innovation Centre in Rosyth;
• Land preparation for offshore wind industry needs at the Port of Leith; and
• Land preparation for low carbon industry and innovation at Wholeflats and South Bridge Street, Grangemouth

Scarborough Muir Group (SMG), a key partner of the Forth Green Freeport has confirmed its commitment to deliver a new 50,000 sq ft industrial and logistics unit on a speculative basis at Queensferry One, Rosyth.

Supported by the UK Government’s Site Accelerator Grant, the building is fully consented and will form the first phase of development at Queensferry One, a 110-acre former Ministry of Defence site on the Forth Estuary with the capacity to deliver more than 1.2 million sq ft of industrial and logistics space. The grant will support advanced infrastructure works at the site and the enabling works will reduce delivery risk and allow the project to progress.

The site is within the designated tax site as part of the Forth Green Freeport, meaning eligible occupiers may benefit from a package of incentives intended to support investment and job creation, including enhanced capital allowances, relief from non-domestic rates, reduced employer National Insurance contributions and land and buildings transaction tax relief. The site sits within an established industrial area supporting manufacturing, maritime, defence and renewable energy businesses and benefits from a workforce of more than 2.25 million people within an hour’s drive.

Tom Morris, Forth Green Freeport Trade & Investment Manager, commented:

“Congratulations to the team at Scarborough Muir Group as they start construction of their 50,000 sq ft logistics development at Queensferry One. The site benefits from excellent connectivity, proximity to the Port of Rosyth and wider opportunities in the area. Future tenants may also qualify for tax and customs benefits available within Forth Green Freeport, together with skills, innovation and net zero support.”

We continue to make strong progress across our key skills priorities, working closely with partners to align delivery and maximise impact. We have strengthened collaboration across the system, working closely with Developing the Young Workforce, Scottish Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, the DWP, colleges and City & Growth Deal partners to ensure our approach reflects both employer need and the voices of local young people.

Activity on the ground continues to build momentum, with engagement with initiatives such as the Skills Transition Centre at Forth Valley College, AGIC at Rosyth, promoting our skills work at the Forth & Tay Offshore Event and our contribution to the Falkirk & Grangemouth Growth Deal skills group. We have also finalised how we will manage and deliver our future Skills Fund within the Freeport and are supporting longer-term commitments including IRES 2027+ with our Edinburgh and Fife partners.

Alongside this, we are continuing to embed Fair Work principles at the heart of our activity. We have further developed our Fair Work assessment process in partnership with the STUC and have already begun applying this with investors. The Fair Work Charter remains a key framework—supporting organisations to move from achieving to aspiring and ultimately excelling—and is central to ensuring that growth linked to the Forth Green Freeport delivers not only economic benefit, but fair, inclusive, and sustainable employment. This is an important reminder of the role we all play in championing fair work as a core condition of investment and growth.

Forth Green Freeport has formally signed the IRES 2027+ Pledge, reaffirming its commitment to investing in skills, employability, fair work and inclusive economic growth across the region. As a catalyst for sustainable industrial transformation, Forth Green Freeport is committed to creating high-quality, fair work opportunities and ensuring that people in the local communities have the skills needed to access emerging roles across sectors including clean energy, advanced manufacturing and logistics.

Through strong partnership working with industry, education providers and regional stakeholders, Forth Green Freeport is supporting the development of a future-ready workforce – aligned to employer needs, fair work principles and Scotland’s ambitions of a net zero economy by 2045. The Freeport recognises the critical role the IRES Programme plays in strengthening the regional skills pipeline, tackling skills gaps and promoting fair, accessible pathways into employment, progression and lifelong learning.

Speaking about the pledge signing, Sarah Murray, CEO of the Forth Green Freeport, said: “Forth Green Freeport is committed to working in partnership to drive inclusive, sustainable growth that delivers real benefits for our communities. Together with IRES we share a commitment to fair work—ensuring jobs are high-quality, secure and offer opportunities for progression. By signing the IRES 2027+ Pledge, we are reinforcing our commitment to investing in skills, supporting fair work and creating clear pathways into the high-value jobs of the future.”

Ken Gourlay, Chief Executive of Fife Council & IRES Board Chair said: “The award-winning IRES programme is delivering real results. Continued investment is vital to sustain and scale this impact, driving our regional economic growth and tackling poverty by aligning skills with industry demand and creating pathways into higher-skilled, better-paid jobs.”