Insight wins consultancy role in Scotland’s AI adoption program
The reseller will assess AI readiness for Scottish businesses under a government-funded program. The fee is undisclosed, and Insight is contracted for the advisory element only
- Insight says it works with more than 8,000 technology partners
- Lee Hughes is Insight’s general manager for the UK
- Derek McCamley, head of business scaling services at Scottish Enterprise, said many Scottish businesses lack a framework to move beyond AI experiments
The move to copy is taking the advisory seat in a publicly funded program, which puts a firm in the room when priorities are set and before any budget is spent. Paired with trimming non-billable roles, it looks like a deliberate shift of cost toward work clients pay for directly. The risk is credibility: an adviser that later sells what it recommended will need to show the roadmap was neutral, or public buyers may open later stages to competition.
“Our role is to help Scottish organisations understand where AI genuinely creates value, not to sell technology for its own sake.”Lee Hughes, general manager UK, Insight
Insight said on 14 September that Scottish Enterprise has appointed it to deliver the consultancy element of the AI Scaling Adoption Programme, across all three of the program’s lots. The work is funded by the Scottish Government and also involves Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise. Neither the contract value nor its length was disclosed.
Participating businesses get an AI readiness assessment, help to pick and validate use cases, guidance on data, governance, security and skills, and a roadmap for their priority projects. Insight says the program builds on the Scottish Government’s AI Strategy 2026–2031.
Scottish Enterprise said on 19 August that the national AI adoption program for small and medium-sized businesses had £1.8m of continued funding for a second year, after a £1m first year that it says helped more than 1,000 businesses. Neither organization has said how Insight’s contract relates to that budget.
The win comes as Insight trims costs elsewhere. Insight told IT Channel Oxygen, in a report published on 25 September, that it is offering a voluntary separation scheme to staff in “select non-billable back-office roles” in the US, UK and Canada. IT Channel Oxygen also reports that revenue at Insight Direct (UK) fell 10% to £456.6m in 2025 while gross profit grew 16%, as the business shifts toward services.
