championing local business and powering regional growth
Strengthening our regional business voice at The Scottish Parliament
Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce continued its work to raise the profile of Ayrshire as a region recently with a formal visit to the Scottish Parliament. The visit, arranged with the support of Siobhian Brown MSP, formed part of the Chamber’s ongoing efforts to ensure Ayrshire’s business voice is heard clearly within national decision making forums.
A delegation of the Chamber’s Board Directors and Platinum Partners began their visit with a guided tour of the iconic Parliament building. The tour provided an insider’s look at the architecture, history, and day to day workings of Scotland’s Parliament.
Following the tour, delegates were invited to observe First Minister’s Questions, gaining direct insight into the debate and scrutiny that shape Scotland’s political and economic landscape.
Claire Baird, CEO of Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the importance of the visit:
“This visit has given our Board Directors and Platinum Partners an invaluable opportunity to see first hand how national decisions influence our regional economy.
Continuing to engage directly with the political environment helps ensure Ayrshire’s needs, ambitions, and business priorities are recognised at every level of government.”
The visit concluded with a networking lunch in the Holyrood Room Restaurant.
Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce remains committed to raising Ayrshire’s profile and ensuring the region’s business community is actively represented within Scotland’s national conversation.
Ayrshire Chamber publishes Q4 2025 Quarterly Economic Survey, highlighting strong regional resilience.
2026 marks the beginning of a new, evidence based approach to understanding Ayrshire’s economy, built directly from the insight of businesses of every size and sector across the region. This work strengthens Ayrshire’s voice locally, nationally and across the UK enabling us to advocate not through anecdote, but through robust data and real, lived business experience.
For the first time, Ayrshire has its own dedicated Quarterly Economic Survey (QES), representing a major milestone in how the region’s economic performance is captured, understood and championed. The launch of the Ayrshire Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) was celebrated at a recent event on Thursday 26th February that brought together businesses, partners and key stakeholders to mark the start of a significant new chapter for the region.
Produced in partnership with the Fraser of Allander Institute, the Ayrshire QES forms part of Scotland’s most respected business survey, delivering a timely and independent snapshot of the regional economy. The findings are closely monitored by key national policymakers, including the UK Treasury, Office for Budget Responsibility and the Bank of England — significantly enhancing Ayrshire’s visibility and influence at both Scottish and UK levels.
By grounding our collective voice in reliable, real world data, the survey allows Ayrshire to engage confidently in national economic conversations and decision making. The survey will be repeated every quarter, enabling trends to be tracked over time and building a strong, reliable evidence base to inform future decisions.
The Ayrshire QES provides vital insight into:
- Business confidence
- Investment trends
- Operational challenges
- Sector specific sentiment
Crucially, Ayrshire’s results feed directly into the wider UK Quarterly Economic Survey, ensuring the experiences, challenges and opportunities of local businesses actively shape national economic intelligence and debate.
The results will:
- Highlight the challenges and successes facing Ayrshire businesses
- Ensure the region’s voice is heard in national economic discussions
- Help shape policy, attract investment, and support strategic planning
Together, this work represents a powerful new platform for Ayrshire grounded in data, informed by lived business experience and focused on shaping a stronger economic future.
First established in 1989, the Quarterly Economic Survey is the UK’s largest and longest running independent business sentiment survey, giving Ayrshire a trusted and influential voice within a nationally respected framework.
Quarter 4 2025 report: www.ayrshire-chamber.org/wp-content/uploads/NEQES-2025-Q4-Ayrshire.pdf
Introducing Ayrshire Chamber Refreshed Membership Tiers
Every business grows differently, and your membership should grow with you.
The refreshed Protect, Connect, Engage and Influence membership tiers are built around what matters most to the local business community, today and into the future.
Each tier has been refreshed to offer our members clearer tiers, more tailored support, stronger benefits and services, more opportunities to raise your profile, and more ways to connect and grow.
PROTECT: Essential support to protect and safeguard your business, with core membership benefits designed to give you peace of mind and exceptional value.
CONNECT: Build partnerships and unlock opportunities. Take your business further with enhanced visibility and networking opportunities.
ENGAGE: Gain visibility and engage with decision makers. Position your business at the forefront of Ayrshire’s business community.
INFLUENCE: Exclusive access to leaders and strategic forums. Join a leading circle of business leaders influencing regional policy and strategy.
