Scotland’s Towns

Digital Towns Pilot Programme2017-18 “Realising Scotland’s full potential in a digital world”

Digital Towns Pilot ProgrammeScotland’s Towns Partnership is seeking applications from Towns, City Neighbourhoods and Business Improvement Districts to participate in the national Digital Towns Pilot Programme, which is being supported by Scottish Government. This is a competitive process in which successful applicants will be awarded a combination of potential grant funding as well as access to a free and impartial “industry expert advisor” to encourage local strategic partnerships and to offer best practice advice around digital skills, participation, design, procurement and sustainability.

This pilot programme is intended to encourage new strategic collaborations, improve digital participation and skills, and create scalable best practice models for digital deployment in Scotland’s towns/town centres and city neighbourhoods.

Context and PolicyThe Scottish Government’s main policy to deliver improvements across Scotland’s towns is The Town Centre Action Plan. This was published in October 2013 with summarised progress updates issued in 2014 and 2015.

Digital Towns

The Digital Towns theme within the Town Centre Action Plan stated:

The Scottish Government wants to position Scotland at the forefront of the digital revolution. We can see the potential opportunities that this offers to town centres and their businesses, aligning these two agendas to help further cement Scotland's place as a world class digital nation by 2020.

The Scottish Government also launched a refreshed Digital Strategy for Scotland in March 2017 – “Realising Scotland’s full potential in a digital world”.

Digital Towns Guidance

In March 2017 STP published guidance on digital strategies for towns in Scotland - Digital Guidance for Scotland's Towns. This guidance document offers advice to help improve the digital infrastructure, skills, strategic implementation and understanding of Digital in the context of Scotland’s towns and town centres. The guidance was compiled in close consultation with a wide range of partner agencies including the Scottish Futures Trust, The Scottish Government’s Public Wireless Programme, Visit Scotland, Creative Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, SURF, Federation of Small Businesses, Business Improvement Districts, Transport Operators, Higher and Further Education, Business Gateway, Scotland IS, and Skills Development Scotland. The private sector and community sector were also widely consulted and engaged in helping to shape our approach.

The guidance builds upon the themes within the Town Centre Action Plan and the approach promoted within the Public Wireless Programme . It aims to provide best

practice, forward-thinking and guidance to stimulate a new approach towards Digital implementation which could make a step change to the future prosperity and functionality of our towns.

Whilst the infrastructure and technology deployment continues, Scotland’s Towns Partnership has also undertaken to develop a Skills Platform, a Digital Towns Hub and a Digital Towns measure to incorporate into the Understanding Scottish Places town data tool. The Digital Towns Pilot Programme will help shape this content and encourage wider adoption. This platform will simplify signposting to all the relevant existing digital support provided by the likes of Skills Development Scotland, Digital Boost, Business Gateway, Councils, Colleges, Visit Scotland as well as any sources of bespoke support.

Application and Award ProcessTo apply for this programme, please provide information to the questions in the form below regarding the role of Digital in the strategy for your town, city neighbourhood or Business Improvement District.

Scotland’s Towns Partnership will review applications, and based on need and alignment with the strategic approach set out in Scotland’s Towns Digital Guidance (p7), will award “expert industry advisors”. If your application is successful, an appointed advisor will provide consultancy and advice for your digital strategy, for example around skills, participation, design, procurement and sustainability. Each advisor will be available for a determined number of consultancy days as part of the award. Available awards are:

5 consultancy days from an expert industry advisor and £5,000 funding support. 3 consultancy days from an expert industry advisor.

Applications which are not successful will also be guided to sources of support and advice for their strategy.

If you have any questions about this process, please contact Scotland’s Towns Partnership.

Applications are due by 5pm, Thursday 31st August 2017.

Please submit your application to: ewan@scotlandstowns.org.

Digital Towns Pilot Programme: Application Form1. Describe your organisation.

2. What is the vision for your town, neighbourhood or BID, and what is the role of digital infrastructure, technologies or skills in achieving this?

3. Describe your project and what it is that are you trying to achieve (investment and outcomes).

4. What partnership exists and how will this Digital Investment align?

5. What specific support, advice or help do you need?

6. How does your approach reflect the advice contained within the Digital Guidance for Towns and the 6 Design Stages within the Public Wireless Programme (see Scotland’s Towns Digital Guidance, p4-7).

7. How does your approach deal with (i) Skills, (ii) Participation and (iii) Digital Inclusion?

8. Where will the activity as part of your digital approach take place?