Scottish Cycling secures £1m to deliver Tour de France social impact programme

Scottish Cycling has been awarded £1 million from the Scottish Government to deliver a Tour de France social impact programme.

Scotland will host the opening stage of the 2027 Tour de France Grand Départ. To leverage this opportunity, Scottish Cycling will work with local authorities and community organisations to deliver a range of projects focused on three core areas: tackling inactivity and improving mental wellbeing, making Britain more productive and prosperous, and supporting communities to thrive.

The projects aim to create a “long-lasting impact”, while also aligning with the wider UK-wide social impact programme led by British Cycling.

The £1 million funding is part of the Scottish Government’s £9.25 million package to support the 2027 Tour de France Grand Départ.

“This £1 million investment will ensure communities feel the benefits across Scotland, supporting people to become more active, improving wellbeing and helping local areas to thrive long after the race has left,” said Richard Lochhead, Scotland’s Minister for Business and Employment.

“Today is a huge milestone on the journey towards the 2027 Tour de France Grand Départ and underlines the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensuring this is more than just a bike race, and that it positively impacts the people of Scotland,” said Nick Rennie, Chief Executive of Scottish Cycling. “We’re very proud that the Scottish Government sees us as a trusted delivery partner and will be doing everything we can to get people from all walks of life on their bikes.”

The Grand Départ will begin in Edinburgh on Friday 2 July 2027 before travelling through Midlothian, the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway, finishing in Carlisle.