Benefits

Companies large and small find access to this range of expertise to be invaluable and by offering thousands of pounds worth of free benefits, our members receive a tangible return on investment.

You can download a PDF of all of the member benefits at the bottom of this page, but here is a summary of the benefits on offer:

• Sales Manager for Hire - help to develop your sales strategy
• Free Website Compliance Audit - worth £1300 - essential for online trading
• Access to Markets Programme - preferential rates on Buyer Briefing and Meet the Buyer events
• Supplier Development Programme - chance to be involved in this programme with ASDA in 2011
• Lean Supply Chain Exemplar Projects - ascertain opportunities for business growth
• Free Access to the Buying Support Agency Consortium - save at least 15% on a number of overheads e.g. stationary, work wear, telecoms, print, training and more
• Free Brand Review - review your brand and brand management strategy
• Free Legal Advice - a free consultation worth over £250
• Discount at National and International Exhibitions - preferential rates at both trade and consumer shows
• Scottish Fellowship in Food & Drink - a brand new qualification offering discounts to member companies
• INSIGHTs First - free access to Kantar Worldpanel data
• Know the Law - a series of free training sessions on various legal issues relevant to your business
• Foreign Currency Service - consultancy and currency transaction service at discounted rates for members
• Business Mentoring - learn from the expertise of others or offer advice yourself
• Free Refrigeration Survey - review your current requirements and efficiency
• Food Technology Support - help with many aspects of product development
• Market Intelligence - collaborative focus groups to test new products or packaging
• Marketing Support - quick answers to thorny marketing issues
• Free PR Advice - a free consultation with our award winning PR agency
• Technical/Quality Training - savings and discounts on certification courses and fees
• Free Business Health Check - risk management and health and safety check
• Health & Safety Training Discount - up to 20% off health and safety training
• Website Review & Advice - free in-depth review of your online options
• 10% off The Grocer subscription
• Free Intellectual Property Review - including trade marks, patents, copyright and database rights
• Free Ecommerce Web Site Review - e-commerce, online marketing and visitor behavioral analysis
• Environmental Performance Review - develop your own bespoke environmental action plan
• Research and Development Tax Relief - make the most of this UK Goverment tax incentive
• Free Mock VAT Inspection - ensure you are compliant with all existing VAT rules and rates
• Utility Savings - stop your business from simply rolling over into new expensice contracts

Members can initially benefit from over £15,000 worth of services and some member companies will also benefit from further savings on other services, dependent on their turnover.

Scotland Food & Drink is a not-for-profit organisation so it aims to re-invest membership funds into providing a comprehensive range of benefits for member companies.

But the benefits of membership of Scotland Food & Drink reach beyond the expert advice on offer:

• We also host a range of networking, trade and Meet the Buyer events which allow producers and retailers to interact and engage with new customers.
• Scotland Food & Drink leads the Scottish food and drink industry's future strategy - Fresh Thinking - and this means that members can help shape the future of the food and drink industry in Scotland.

You will find below a PDF outlining all of our member benefits in detail. In addition, on this page we shall profile a different benefit each month:

FOREIGN CURRENCY SERVICE

No1 Currency is an Edinburgh based foreign currency specialist providing a consultative and cost effective approach to international bank to bank transfers. For commercial clients, they produce a morning market update which has a core focus on sterling against the euro and US dollar. However, any request for additional analysis is welcome and No 1 work with clients to ensure any exposure to potentially adverse currency fluctuation is kept to a minimum.

No1 Currency looks to provide the most competitive quotes possible for Scotland Food & Drink members' currency transactions. Whilst there is no set structure for bank exchange rate quotes, typical savings for business clients can be anywhere between 1% and 3% of the transaction value. Additionally, they will waive all UK sending charges for members helping to further reduce the cost of international payments. The service has the potential to make a significant difference to profitability for any business involved in overseas trade.

 To find out more about any of our benefits, please email info@scotlandfoodanddrink.org  or call 0131 335 0940