Why this site exists
The community-benefits landscape in Scotland is genuinely confusing. The terms overlap, the law has been moving, and a lot of what's written about it imports English "social value" assumptions that don't apply here. We wanted a single, clear, accurate, free reference that explains what community benefits actually are in Scotland, where they sit, and why doing them well is hard — written in plain English and pointing to the primary sources so you can check everything yourself.
It's useful on its own terms whether or not you ever talk to us. That's the point: get the explanation right, and the trust follows.
Disclosure
This site is published by Teomach Limited, the team behind Cenefits. It is independent and useful on its own terms, but it is not neutral of ownership and it doesn't pretend to be. It is independent of, and not endorsed by, the Scottish Government or any public body, and nothing here should be read as official guidance. Where you need the authoritative position, follow the links to legislation.gov.uk and gov.scot.
The honest pitch for Cenefits
We're not going to be coy about it: we publish this reference because we build Cenefits, and the best argument for Cenefits is an honest understanding of how hard community benefits are to deliver by hand. So here's the straight version.
What Cenefits is. Cenefits is purpose-built software for securing, delivering, evidencing and reporting community benefits at scale. It tracks every individual commitment as its own item, automates the chasing of evidence from suppliers, lets buyers approve or reject submissions with quality scoring, shows live red/amber/green status across the whole portfolio, and produces reports on demand — the things that fall apart in a spreadsheet once the volume climbs.
Who uses it. Councils and public bodies across Scotland, including Glasgow City Region, Glasgow City Council, South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
Why it fits Scotland specifically. Cenefits is built around Scotland's model — contractual community benefit requirements that are delivered and evidenced — rather than English-style social-value scoring at tender. That distinction is the whole game, and it's why a tool designed for the Scottish approach fits the work as it's actually done here.
Contact
Questions about the site or about Cenefits? Email [email protected].
Looking at Wales?
We publish a sister reference for Wales, written for the Welsh context rather than copied across. If you're comparing the two nations, see communitybenefits.wales.
Teomach Limited. Registered in Scotland no. SC526882. Registered office: Bright Red Triangle, 10 Bainfield Drive, Edinburgh EH11 1AR.