'We have the talent, the ingenuity, and the resources,' said Scotland Office minister Kirsty McNeill at the London launch of the Scotland Investment Acceleration Programme on Tuesday 20 January 2026, opening Scottish Cities Week. The Scotland Office set out the plan on GOV.UK. (gov.uk)

A collaboration between the UK Government, TheCityUK and the Scottish Cities Alliance, the scheme offers structured support, technical guidance and market intelligence to help councils attract global capital. (gov.uk)

Running through 2026, it starts with a London roundtable before events in Scotland, with teach-ins, workshops and webinars on investor expectations and project assessment. (gov.uk)

SCA chair Cllr Raymond Bremner said the alliance is 'proud to support' the programme and stressed that collaboration with investors and governments is essential to win transformative investment. (gov.uk)

TheCityUK chief Miles Celic called Scotland's financial and professional services 'world-class' and said the partnership should create high-value jobs and keep Scotland competitive. (gov.uk)

Attendees at the London roundtable included Barclays, City of London Corporation, Phoenix Group, Aviva and BlackRock, alongside government and SCA officials. (gov.uk)

The London debut will draw familiar scrutiny; the real test is delivery on the ground in Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow, not what's said in SW1. For councils and developers across the North, the same playbooks on investor readiness could help projects in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and the North East.

Ministers used the launch to highlight the UK's Modern Industrial Strategy, a ten-year plan to make it quicker and easier to invest in growth sectors. (gov.uk)

Officials also pointed to funding streams for Scotland: a £140m Local Growth Fund and a £280m Pride in Place Programme to support improvements in the most deprived areas. (gov.uk)

Next up is a year's worth of teach-ins and workshops. Expect town halls to publish sharper investment cases, and for investors to say plainly what will get deals over the line.