Event Type : ScotlandIS Event

R&D tax credits are designed to support innovation, but many Scottish technology companies are facing growing uncertainty around eligibility, evidence, compliance and HMRC enquiries.

This roundtable will bring together ScotlandIS members to share practical experiences, identify common challenges and explore how the system could work more effectively for innovative companies.

The discussion will help ScotlandIS develop an evidence base to support future engagement with government and HMRC, ensuring the voice of Scotland’s tech sector is clearly represented.

This is an interactive session so that you can provide your feedback. We would encourage you to join with your camera and mic on.

ScotlandIS is working with Third Sector Lab to help connect more of Scotland’s technology community with charities and third-sector organisations through the Digital Trustees programme.

Digital is now part of almost every board-level conversation — from cyber security and data to AI, digital services and organisational resilience. But many charities and third-sector organisations don’t always have that knowledge represented around the board table. The Digital Trustees programme helps organisations identify the digital skills and experience they need and connects them with professionals who can bring that expertise as trustees or board advisers.

In this informal webinar, ScotlandIS and Third Sector Lab will explain how the programme works, what being a Digital Trustee actually involves and how people from across the technology sector can get involved.

We’ll also look at how employers can maximise the impact of employee volunteering by supporting people into trustee and board roles — creating meaningful opportunities for staff to use their skills, develop leadership and governance experience, and make a tangible contribution to the third sector.

We’ll cover:

• what charities are looking for from Digital Trustees;
• what the trustee role involves in practice;
• why you don’t need to be a charity or governance expert to contribute;
• how experience in areas such as technology, cyber, data, AI and digital transformation can add value at board level;
• what technology professionals can gain personally and professionally from becoming a trustee;
• how employers can use board and trustee opportunities as part of their employee volunteering, development and social impact activity; and
• how Third Sector Lab supports both individuals and organisations through the matching process.

This isn’t about joining a board and being expected to “fix the technology”. It’s about bringing a digital perspective to the wider conversation — helping boards ask better questions, understand risk and make better-informed decisions.

For technology professionals, it’s also an opportunity to use your experience in a completely different environment, develop your leadership and governance skills, broaden your network and make a tangible contribution to an organisation or cause you care about.

For employers, it can also provide a more strategic form of employee volunteering — one that creates real value for charities while supporting staff development, engagement and wider social impact.

Who should attend?

This session is particularly relevant to people working across technology, cyber security, data, AI, software, digital transformation, product, design and digital leadership.

It will also be useful for employers, people leaders and CSR/ESG teams interested in creating more meaningful volunteering and leadership-development opportunities for their staff.

You don’t need previous trustee experience — just an interest in using your knowledge and experience to help another organisation.