Progress continues with Mountain Bike Innovation Centre project

News release from South of Scotland Enterprise  

The next step for the Mountain Bike Innovation Centre will be made next week, when the full business case for the project is formally presented to Scottish Borders Council.

The project – which received outline business case approval in 2022 – is due to be discussed by Councillors on Thursday 29 January. This is part of the full business case approval process, with the full business case also being reviewed by the UK and Scottish governments.

If the Councillors and governments endorse the business case, it will be presented to the Borderlands Partnership Board for its final approval in February.

The Mountain Bike Innovation Centre and Trail Lab is in line for a £15million investment from the UK Government as part of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, an additional £4m could later be allocated towards the Tweed Valley Adventure Bike Park. 

Proposed Mountain Bike Innovation Centre

The presentation of the full business case to UK and Scottish governments and the Borderlands Partnership Board is part of the standard governance process which applies to all growth deal projects. If the necessary approvals are secured, construction of the main building will begin as scheduled in spring 2026, with the aim for the new Centre in Innerleithen opening its doors in 2027.

South of Scotland Enterprise is leading on the project, with support from Scottish Borders Council and Edinburgh Napier University.

Early works update

The demolition of the former Caerlee Mill building was completed last year and enabling works are now taking place on site, all being led by delivery partner Hub South East Scotland and main contractor Morrison Construction. 

Other completed works include the chimney stack being repaired. The contractor is currently investigating the site under the demolished building and carrying out utilities works.

The Innovation Centre and Trail Lab is predicted to contribute £86m in Gross Value Added and create over 225 jobs in the Scottish Borders over ten years. These figures do not include the expected benefits from the Adventure Bike Park investment, which is not ready for final approval.

The Centre will include bike engineering workshop space, brand experience units, events space, offices, meeting rooms, innovative lab facilities and teaching space.  

It will focus on research and development and offer a place for businesses - both local and international.

Activities and research update

With SOSE and Edinburgh Napier University having now reached an agreement on delivering the Centre’s services, activities and research associated with the project have begun to ramp up.

These include the First Tracks programme for outdoor start-up businesses, the annual Women in the Bike Industry summit as well as supporting several bike companies to grow directly.

The project will host academics and research by Edinburgh Napier University across the cycling sector. An exciting update on the Trail Lab facility will also be released in the coming weeks.

To support the Centre ahead of opening, Edinburgh Napier have undertaken a number of research collaborations including with Strava and Trash Free Trails.

Edinburgh Napier is also working with German Cycle Industry Association (ZIV) and the UK's Bicycle Association (BA) to expand their market data service into Germany.

The £350m investment in the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, from the UK and Scottish Governments, is made up of £150m for Scotland (£85m from the Scottish Government and £65m from the UK Government) and up to £200m for England from the UK Government. This will be supported by over £100m of funding from local partners. 

Regular updates including community newsletters and FAQs are available at www.southofscotlandenterprise.com/mtbcentre.  

Notes to Editors 

The main Council paper on the Mountain Bike Innovation Centre is being taken in private due to commercially sensitive information within it. A presentation is being made in the public section of the meeting.

Images of the proposed Mountain Bike Innovation Centre are available to download here.   

About Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal 

• The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal was signed in March 2021 supporting over £450m worth of projects.  

• The £350m investment in the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, from the UK and Scottish Governments, is made up of £150 million for Scotland (£85m from the Scottish Government and £65 million from the UK Government) and up to £200m for England from the UK Government. This will be supported by over £100m of funding from local partners. 

• The Borderlands Partnership works across Cumberland, Dumfries and Galloway, Northumberland, Scottish Borders and Westmorland and Furness to drive inclusive and sustainable growth. 

• For more information on the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal and the programmes and projects the Deal aims to deliver visit www.borderlandsgrowth.com 

About Mountain Bike Innovation Centre 

• The Mountain Bike Innovation Centre and Trail Lab is in line for a £15million investment from the UK Government as part of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, an additional £4m could later be allocated towards the Tweed Valley Adventure Bike Park. 

• This funding is available, subject to the Full Business Case being completed and approved. 

• The Mountain Bike Innovation Centre will become a hub for the cycling sector and support Scottish, UK and international companies to develop innovative products and services and train and test athletes within the mountain biking and wider cycling industry.  

• The services are expected to be delivered by both Edinburgh Napier University and private sector partners.  

• The investment will deliver increased Gross Value Added of £208m over ten years at a UK level, and £86m over ten years at a Scottish Borders level. This would result in net ten-year employment impact of 525 jobs across the UK, and 225 in the Scottish Borders.