WIREDGOV

A partnership to boost outcomes and better support communities.

The Scottish Government will develop an agreement with the third sector to strengthen its voice and improve lives, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has said.  

The Third Sector Partnership will be co-designed with the sector, guided by some of the key principles in the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisation’s 2026 manifesto, to set out how both can work together to enhance services.  

This includes: 

• protecting the sector’s future and independence with fairer funding
• a focus on shared goals to improve outcomes for people and communities
• providing greater opportunity to contribute to policy and service design 

Ms Somerville yesterday said: 

"Scotland's third sector is essential to the wellbeing of our communities. From local charities supporting vulnerable families to national organisations tackling poverty and inequality, they reach people and places that government cannot reach alone. 

"This partnership will put our relationship with the third sector on a clear, principled footing, strengthening their voice and improving lives. It builds on our commitment to fairer funding and signals that we value the sector as an essential delivery partner and as an independent, strong voice that provides support for people across the country every single day.” 

The Scottish Government intends to work with partner organisations and the wider third sector to develop and refine the agreement in the next Scottish Parliament, subject to the outcome of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. 

This is in addition to delivering a Fairer Funding pilot that provides multi-year funding worth more than £130 million over 2025-2027, prioritising organisations that deliver frontline services and tackle child poverty.

Background 

The draft Scottish Budget 2026-2027 commits a dedicated £20 million fund for third sector partners to deliver support that people need in their communities. The Gathering is organised by SCVO and runs on 10 and 11 February 2026.  

A Fairer Funding pilot to deliver on the Scottish Government's top priority of eradicating child poverty. The Pilot commenced in April 2025 and consists of 51 separate grants, totalling over £130m over 2025-26 and 2026-27 to organisations across Scotland.