Introducing Dots – Dundee’s Alternative Currency Pilot

At Changemakers Hub Dundee, we believe that human activity doesn’t happen in isolation. Our lives, our communities, and our environment are all deeply interconnected. To create a thriving future, we need to nurture our economy, our social and community, and environmental wellbeing.

This is why we’ve launched Dots: Dundee’s Alternative Currency Pilot Project.

Why Dots?

Traditional economic systems often leave communities stuck in survival mode. Wealth and resources become concentrated, and opportunities to share or collaborate can be lost. In these situations, organisations and individuals alike may feel stretched, unable to explore new ways of working or give back to their communities.

The Dots project emerged from a simple but powerful idea: what if we reimagined how value flows in our city? What if we looked beyond money, and instead explored alternative currencies that recognise the skills, services, and surplus resources already available within our communities?

By testing a local system of exchange, we hope to uncover fresh ways of supporting one another, reducing waste, and building resilience across Dundee.

How does it work?

This pilot runs for 16 weeks with 13 participating organisations, representing a mix of community groups, charities, and social enterprises. Each organisation contributes a list of offers, things they can provide, such as workshops, room hire, food, or design advice. These are valued in Dots, the project’s alternative currency.

Participating organisations got together to discuss and vote on potential models. It was agreed to test the Basic Dundee Dot Exchange model:

• Each organisation offers 1–3 services or resources (e.g., design, room hire, training, resources).

• Each offer has a pre-agreed Dot value (●) (e.g., 2 hours of facilitation = 4 Dots, 3 hours of room hire = 4 Dots. These can be negotiated though).

• Everyone starts at 0 Dots — going into debt is part of the system.

• A shared Google Doc ledger tracks all exchanges.
  

Alongside offers, organisations can also share any upcoming needs, recorded as Dashes (–). These are ‘asks’ for support such as help running an event, sourcing specialist skills, or accessing resources.

What organisations said they wanted from the project

Before the pilot, we asked participants what they wanted to get out of the project. The top priorities were:

• Supporting trust and collaboration between organisations (80%)

• Discovering new ways to solve problems and challenges (80%)

• Practical exchanges being easy (70%)

• Building networks (60%)

When asked what success would look like, they said:

• “Increased collaboration and skills sharing. A tested local currency model that can be extended across a wide range of organisations across Dundee.”

• “It’s about connection and business development. This exchange could offer a low-risk way for people to experience working with others, helping build trust and understanding without the pressure of immediate (£) investment.”

• “Personally, I’d see success in forming new connections across Dundee, especially beyond the creative bubble, and expanding my own community. I want to build more trust, not just in my work but in people and in process.”

• “I hope to reflect on and better articulate the value I bring. It’s easy to forget what you offer until you step into something like this.”

The bigger vision

This pilot is just the start. By gathering insights, we aim to explore whether alternative currencies and resource-sharing systems could be scaled up in Dundee and beyond. Could this model help individuals as well as organisations? Could it inspire new ways of connecting businesses with communities?

At its heart, Dots is about more than currency. It’s about reframing how we see resources, skills, and relationships, and unlocking the potential that already exists within our city.