Leading the way
If you would like to join The Can Do Collective you must have a remit in supporting entrepreneurs through business support, investment support, leadership support and/or network support. The Can Do Collective is not a route to market, nor is it a place to sell. It’s a community of like-minded leaders and organisations who work in the support landscape ensuring that Scotland has a connected eco-system to enable entrepreneurs of all kinds to flourish.
We believe that by sharing good work, maintaining high standards of engagement, and continuously measuring for improvement, we can and we do contribute to Scotland being the most entrepreneurial, innovative and creative society in the world. We reserve the right to determine partnership status based on our approvals process.
Our Values
We are ambitious and honest in our approach to joining up Scotland’s entrepreneurial eco-system. Together, we value…
Authenticity
Integrity
Curiousity
Collaboration
Working Together
Our Goals
Each member of the Can Do Collective commits to actively contribute ideas, energy, resources and opportunities to work together in order to build our collective impact.
We recognise that working together in an open and effective way we can enable Scotland to continuously develop an entrepreneurial, innovative and creative society.
We believe that thinking and acting in an entrepreneurial way is vital to our future.
Most leaders in the system of enterprise support do what they do because they want to make a difference to people’s lives. It is tough, lonely, frustrating, and often unrecognised. The Collective is a means to share the journey and accelerate the odds of success.
To increase the impact of each organisation in the Can Do Collective through identifying and delivering aligned outcomes
Maximising return on investment by demonstrating the amplified impact and return on funding achieved through working collaboratively
To proactively share achievements, opportunities, learnings and insights so that every leader and organisation in the Can Do Collective can improve their individual contribution to Scotland PLC
To articulate, celebrate and showcase the progress and impact delivered by the partners for the benefit of Scotland.
Why join the collective?
Peer support
Belong to a community of like-minded leaders and organisations who support each other, sharing experience and best practice.
Collaboration
Work with partners to tackle challenges and pool resources for the communities you support, while amplifying your organisation’s impact.
Contribute to impact measurement
Share your organisational impact to help demonstrate Scotland’s joint efforts towards the ‘Scotland Can Do’ vision.
Share your story
Raise awareness, amplify and showcase your organisation and its impact in Scotland and beyond.
Events
Meet, connect, innovate and create with fellow Partners at events designed to inspire, recharge and support you.
Leadership development
Take part in Leadership development opportunities and draw on collective expertise for continuous professional learning.
Shape the enterprise landscape
While delivering support on the ground, The Collective partner with The Scottish Government to help identify gaps and frictions, and collaborate on solutions.
Share the journey
No one organisation can create impact alone, yet sometimes we can be together and still feel lonely. Collective creates a place for sharing the journey.
We reserve the right to determine partnership status based on our approvals process.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Can Do Collective originate from?
The Can Do Collective is rooted in the ‘Scotland Can Do’ vision and approach, launched in 2014 by the Scottish Government with public, private and third sector enterprise support organisations. This approach is a national endeavour to build a balanced, more joined up support system, creating opportunities for everyone in Scotland to flourish. Originally known as the ‘Scotland Can Do Forum’ (2014-2019), the community has evolved and now adopts a Collective Impact approach.
What is Collective Impact?
Collective Impact is a form of cross-sector collaboration that brings people together, in a structured way, to achieve social change.
How is the Can Do Collective funded and coordinated?
The Can Do Collective has been coordinated by a dedicated support team from Entrepreneurial Scotland and a non-executive Convener since 2018. The Scotland Can Do Programme is fully funded by The Scottish Government.
What is a Can Do Partner and how can I become one?
A Can Do Partner is an individual member of the Can Do Collective community. Each Partner represents an enterprise or innovation support organisation in Scotland, that aligns itself and plays an active role in pursuing the Scotland Can Do vision. To become a Partner please enquire by telling us about your organisation and how you’re supporting Scotland’s entrepreneurs, innovators and changemakers. You can do this by completing the enquiry form at the bottom of our ‘About Us’ page.
I’m not a Partner, just interested, can I access all the content on this website?
Some content and events featured on this website are designed especially for Partners. Unless you’re logged in with a Partner account you will not be able to access all areas, such as the thematic Collab Groups or details listed on the Partners’ profiles.
I don’t want to join The Collective as a Partner but I would like to stay updated and learn more about the community and it’s activity, how can I do this?
Great! Why not join our Newsletter and follow Scotland Can Do on social media for regular updates and insights!
This community have built Scotland’s enterprise support ecosystem with trust and transparency and are dedicated to partnering with the Scottish Government to ensure that Scotland can be a beacon in entrepreneurship, innovation, and creativity.
For me it’s trust, it’s a trusted network, a trusted group of people that are all about collaboration, where the sum of the whole is always greater than its parts, together we are formidable.