The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) Scotland has issued a direct call to the Scottish Government to prioritise support for small and medium-sized (SME) building firms in this week's Budget.

The trade body argues that local builders are essential to resolving the national housing crisis and achieving net zero targets, but are currently hampered by rising costs and administrative delays.

Gordon Nelson, Director of FMB Scotland, highlighted that the industry requires over 3,500 new entrants annually through to 2029 to meet current demand. Despite this, he warned that apprenticeship funding has remained stagnant while the financial burden on employers has increased.

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Mr Nelson stated: "The FMB wants the Scottish Government to use this Budget to invest in the future of small building firms in Scotland. Apprenticeships, skills, and planning reform are all vital for a thriving construction sector and one that will deliver homes and infrastructure.

"It's vital that proceeds from the UK Apprenticeship Levy are fully ring-fenced for training and directed towards small and medium-sized employers to help them build a skilled future workforce."

The FMB also pointed to a significant "delivery deficit" in the housing sector, estimating a shortfall of approximately 100,000 homes across Scotland. The federation noted that the market share of small builders has declined sharply over the last three decades.

To reverse this trend, the FMB's Growth from the Ground Up manifesto calls for targeted investment in local authority planning departments. The federation contends that under-resourced departments are a primary cause of the planning delays that prevent SME builders from bringing new sites forward.

"The Scottish Government must invest in under-resourced local authority planning departments to tackle delays," Mr Nelson added. "Small builders now deliver far fewer homes than they did 30 years ago, and we must address the barriers preventing them from boosting local economies."