Evaluation of the Scotland Food and Drink Export Plan 2019-2024
Aims
The report details the findings of an evaluation of the Scotland Food and Drink Export Plan 2019-2024.
The Export Plan had a budget of £4.5m for the five-year period, with a 60% contribution from the Scottish Government, 20% from Scottish Enterprise, and 20% from six industry partners. This was used to fund In-Market Specialists, who were employed by Scottish Development International (SDI) across 11 of the top priority markets for Scottish food and drink exports, providing support and intelligence to Scottish producers.
The previous 2014-19 programme was the subject of an evaluation in 2018.
Methods
The evaluation was undertaken by Scottish Enterprise in summer 2023. Alongside desk research, feedback was received from all funding partners and the 16 food and drink in-market specialists (IMS) in post at the time of the study. This was supplemented with survey responses from a sample of Scottish companies supported by SDI and in-market buyers in each region.
Findings
The evaluation research showed that the In Market Specialist support continued to make a difference for Scottish companies, with a strong level of satisfaction and additional value from company engagement with the IMS. This was backed up by qualitative evidence from the trade body partners, the IMS themselves, and other SDI staff. More than 400 Scottish companies have directly engaged with the IMS since 2019, with most seeking support in more than one priority market and on multiple occasions.
Recommendations
There was broad agreement among stakeholders on the need for a third phase of the Export Plan and associated funding to deliver it, and for the IMS to continue to be a core element of this. A small number of improvements were also highlighted.
| Document | |
|---|---|
| Author | Scottish Enterprise |
| Published Year | 2023 |
| Report Type | Evaluation |
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