Catalysing place-based economic systems change, at a national level
First Minister for Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, launches Scotland CAN B in 2018
Scotland CAN B was launched in 2018 in partnership between the Scottish Government and B Lab UK as an initiative to combine a nation’s vision to become a leader in innovation & entrepreneurship, with a growing global movement of business as a force for good.
Since then we have engaged businesses, enterprise intermediaries, business membership organisations, educators, investors, policymakers, and entrepreneurs on the journey to increasing awareness, understanding, and management of business social and environmental impact.
A nation’s economic vision
An opportunity is presenting itself for Scotland to provide a leading, tangible example of what business embracing its vital role in the just transition towards a green, inclusive, Wellbeing Economy looks like, in practice, at a national level.
We believe the Impact Journey provides a vital piece of the puzzle towards making this a reality.
How we work
A wise person once said “you can’t change systems, systems evolve” and whether or not this is true it has inspired the way Scotland CAN B’s work happens.
With everything we set out to do we deliberately cultivate an environment of openness and trust, based on the premise that we are all in the same boat and working towards the same end goal (whether we realise it or not).
We join dots and invest our time in nurturing relationships across sectors and silos. We lead with integrity, prioritising the potential for impact above pursuing individual identity and personal agendas.
Our Funders
The Scottish Government
The Scottish Government Economic Development Directorate’s Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship Division sponsored the core costs for the Scotland CAN B initiative as part of their annual grant making cycle for the first 5 years of the programme.
Thirty Percy Foundation
We are grateful for the support provided by the Thirty Percy Foundation as a funder between 2022-24.
Thirty Percy is a small, dynamic, independent family foundation whose purpose is to contribute to the future security and wellbeing of our world. Thirty Percy is a relational funder that works with pioneering organisations and leaders working to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable future. By testing, showcasing, and scaling new ways of doing things they aim to help others envisage a new normal and take swift action to achieve it.
SCOTLAND CAN B FAQs
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Our CAN B name was inspired by the relationship with our sister initiative Scotland Can Do and the Can Do Collective.
Where Can DO is Scotland's vision to become a world-leading innovative and entrepreneurial society, CAN B is designed to complement this vision and ensure that Scotland's innovation and entrepreneurial activity can also be a force for good.
The B is a 'B' instead of a 'BE' because it's inspired by our heritage and founding partners at B Lab and the B Corp movement.
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The Scotland CAN B initiative was conceived when B Lab co-founder Bart Houlahan visited Scotland in 2016. Speaking at a Scotland Can Do assembly, Bart asked "How might an entire nation learn to be, think, and behave like a B Corp?".
In true Scottish form we accepted this challenge, and two years later the first nationwide programme to measure what matters was born, through a unique partnership between B Lab UK and the Scottish Government.
Today, drawing on the rich heritage of B Lab's Impact Assessment tools and community of certified B Corps as leading case studies; the Scotland CAN B initiative looks beyond B Corp certification to ask – "How might we build a nationwide culture of business as a force for good?".
With this mission as our framing, it's clear that all Scottish businesses have a vital role to play. So whilst we champion certified B Corps and the rigorous standards of social and environmental accountability they achieve as inspiring examples of best practice, we believe that every business across Scotland has an obligation to better understand, measure and manage their impact, and are therefore leveraging B Lab's expertise and tools to engage all Scottish businesses towards impact awareness and accountability.
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The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon launched Scotland CAN B at Impact Summit in 2018, with the aim of catalysing a fundamental shift in the nation's approach to business.
The Scottish Government Economic Directorate’s Enterprise and Innovation Division provided the core grant for the first 5 years of the Scotland CAN B programme.
Scotland CAN B currently serve on the Scottish Government’s Expert Advisory Groups for Wellbeing Economy and the National Outcomes Review.
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Scotland CAN B was conceived as a sister initiative to Scotland Can Do (hence the name!) – bringing together the nation's vision to become a world-leading entrepreneurial and innovative society, with a commitment to use business as a force for good.
Scotland CAN B has worked in close collaboration with the Can Do Collective to help the 60+ enterprise support leaders and organisation partners understand, measure and leverage their collective impact for good.
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Just as Scotland CAN B emerged as a place-based nationwide response to catalysing economic systems change, on the other side of the globe in South America the Cities +B team were building a movement of cities actively engaging citizens across sectors to engage in sustainable development at the city scale.
Over the last years we have fostered a knowledge partnership and exchange between the two initiatives as we endeavour to support one another in building systemic approaches to local and global challenges, which draw upon B Lab and business for good heritage.
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The Impact Journey is Scotland CAN B's 6-module methodology to support business to understand, define, measure, manage and improve their impact.
You can find more information here.