The Forth Green Freeport (FGF) has confirmed a joint agreement that unlocks £25 million in seed funding from the UK Government to drive reindustrialisation across Edinburgh, Fife and Falkirk, with the programme expected to leverage £7.9 billion of public and private investment over the next decade.

At the Port of Leith on 15 January 2026, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland, Kirsty McNeill, and Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, joined FGF chair Dame Susan Rice DBE, CEO Sarah Murray, and councillors Altany Craik (Fife), Allan Nimmo (Falkirk) and Jane Meagher (City of Edinburgh) to mark the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UK and Scottish Governments. The MoU releases the £25 million seed pot, which will be match funded by project leads, taking the initial investment to more than £50 million.

The seed funding will prepare key sites across the FGF area and enable delivery to begin on priority projects designed to attract significant inward investment across sectors including offshore wind, hydrogen, sustainable fuels, modular manufacturing and logistics. The overall programme aims to support reindustrialisation and large-scale regeneration across Central Scotland.

FGF has been operational since 12 June 2024 and, supported by a package of tax and customs incentives, is set over the next 25 years to attract new businesses and jobs to Burntisland, Grangemouth, Leith and Rosyth.

An economic impact assessment projects the freeport will generate £7.9 billion of investment, raise gross value added by £8.1 billion and create up to 34,500 well-paid, skilled jobs, with around 16,000 of these being direct roles within target sectors and designated tax sites.

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Dame Susan Rice DBE, Chair of FGF said: "This is a momentous day for the entire Forth Green Freeport team as we mark the MoU agreement and release the £25 million of seed capital from the UK Government to help attract significant inward investment. We are grateful to both Ministers, our Local Authority partners and FGF consortium members for being here today and we look forward to delivering this important project for Scotland."

UK Government Minister Kirsty McNeill said: "This is a pivotal moment in the UK Government's mission to boost economic growth right across Scotland. The Forth Green Freeport will transform the economy of Central Scotland, as well as playing a key role in our clean energy future. Supported by £25 million of UK Government investment, and a range of UK Government tax incentives, this important collaboration between governments and local partners will deliver tens of thousands of high-quality jobs and attract billions in investment."

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: "This milestone is the culmination of years of partnership working to transform the region, including the Grangemouth industrial cluster, by attracting billions of further public and private investment. Forth Green Freeport will bring well-paid jobs, regeneration and make significant steps towards achieving Scotland's net zero ambitions.

"The Scottish Government is committed to driving investment and innovation to support fair, green economic growth which will put more money into people's pockets and help the places they live to prosper.

"That's why we are supporting offshore wind with £500 million investment over five years to grow the supply chain and we have launched our new online portal InvestScotland which showcases large-scale investment opportunities, including in renewable energy."

Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities, Miatta Fahnbulleh, said: "This is what real partnership looks like. Working with the Scottish Government, we're investing £25 million to create thousands of skilled green jobs across Edinburgh, Falkirk and Fife – giving the Central Belt a real stake in the country's clean energy future."

The event took place at the Port of Leith, which has been transformed through significant private investment by owner and FGF consortium partner Forth Ports into a renewables hub. It is currently hosting the Inch Cape Offshore Wind project, marshalling foundation components for the 72‑turbine wind farm being built off the Angus coast.

FGF said a dedicated team is in place to deliver its ambitions, with a focus on attracting investment while maintaining strong governance and adherence to the freeport's Fair Work and Net Zero charters.