diff --git a/app/models/location.rb b/app/models/location.rb
index 65e0466b3..64272d549 100644
--- a/app/models/location.rb
+++ b/app/models/location.rb
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ class Location < ApplicationRecord
   scope :search_by_postcode, ->(postcode) { where("REPLACE(postcode, ' ', '') ILIKE ?", "%#{postcode.delete(' ')}%") }
   scope :search_by_name, ->(name) { where("name ILIKE ?", "%#{name}%") }
   scope :search_by, ->(param) { search_by_name(param).or(search_by_postcode(param)) }
-  scope :started, -> { where("startdate <= ?", Time.zone.today).or(where(startdate: nil)) }
+  scope :started, -> { where("locations.startdate <= ?", Time.zone.today).or(where(startdate: nil)) }
   scope :active, -> { where(confirmed: true).and(started) }
-  scope :started_in_2_weeks, -> { where("startdate <= ?", Time.zone.today + 2.weeks).or(where(startdate: nil)) }
+  scope :started_in_2_weeks, -> { where("locations.startdate <= ?", Time.zone.today + 2.weeks).or(where(startdate: nil)) }
   scope :active_in_2_weeks, -> { where(confirmed: true).and(started_in_2_weeks) }
   scope :confirmed, -> { where(confirmed: true) }
   scope :unconfirmed, -> { where.not(confirmed: true) }
@@ -122,9 +122,7 @@ class Location < ApplicationRecord
   end
 
   def available_from
-    return startdate if startdate.present?
-
-    FormHandler.instance.earliest_open_collection_start_date(now: created_at)
+    startdate || FormHandler.instance.earliest_open_collection_start_date(now: created_at)
   end
 
   def open_deactivation
diff --git a/app/models/scheme.rb b/app/models/scheme.rb
index 9d760998d..a8a17ebdb 100644
--- a/app/models/scheme.rb
+++ b/app/models/scheme.rb
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ class Scheme < ApplicationRecord
   end
 
   def validate_confirmed
-    required_attributes = attribute_names - %w[id created_at updated_at old_id old_visible_id confirmed end_date sensitive secondary_client_group total_units deactivation_date deactivation_date_type]
+    required_attributes = attribute_names - %w[id created_at updated_at old_id old_visible_id confirmed end_date sensitive secondary_client_group total_units deactivation_date deactivation_date_type startdate]
 
     if confirmed == true
       required_attributes.any? do |attribute|
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ class Scheme < ApplicationRecord
   end
 
   def available_from
-    FormHandler.instance.earliest_open_collection_start_date(now: created_at)
+    startdate || FormHandler.instance.earliest_open_collection_start_date(now: created_at)
   end
 
   def open_deactivation
@@ -282,6 +282,7 @@ class Scheme < ApplicationRecord
     return :deactivated if open_deactivation&.deactivation_date.present? && date >= open_deactivation.deactivation_date
     return :deactivating_soon if open_deactivation&.deactivation_date.present? && date < open_deactivation.deactivation_date
     return :reactivating_soon if last_deactivation_before(date)&.reactivation_date.present? && date < last_deactivation_before(date).reactivation_date
+    return :activating_soon if startdate.present? && date < startdate
 
     :active
   end
diff --git a/app/services/merge/merge_organisations_service.rb b/app/services/merge/merge_organisations_service.rb
index 1599db5fa..a6a148b21 100644
--- a/app/services/merge/merge_organisations_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/merge/merge_organisations_service.rb
@@ -69,9 +69,9 @@ private
     merging_organisation.owned_schemes.each do |scheme|
       next if scheme.deactivated?
 
-      new_scheme = Scheme.create!(scheme.attributes.except("id", "owning_organisation_id", "old_id", "old_visible_id").merge(owning_organisation: @absorbing_organisation))
+      new_scheme = Scheme.create!(scheme.attributes.except("id", "owning_organisation_id", "old_id", "old_visible_id").merge(owning_organisation: @absorbing_organisation, startdate: @merge_date))
       scheme.locations.each do |location|
-        new_scheme.locations << Location.new(location.attributes.except("id", "scheme_id", "old_id", "old_visible_id")) unless location.deactivated?
+        new_scheme.locations << Location.new(location.attributes.except("id", "scheme_id", "old_id", "old_visible_id").merge(startdate: [location&.startdate, @merge_date].compact.max)) unless location.deactivated?
       end
       @merged_schemes[merging_organisation.name] << { name: new_scheme.service_name, code: new_scheme.id }
       SchemeDeactivationPeriod.create!(scheme:, deactivation_date: @merge_date)
diff --git a/db/migrate/20231204101105_add_startdate_to_schemes.rb b/db/migrate/20231204101105_add_startdate_to_schemes.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9299cb80a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20231204101105_add_startdate_to_schemes.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+class AddStartdateToSchemes < ActiveRecord::Migration[7.0]
+  def change
+    add_column :schemes, :startdate, :datetime
+  end
+end
diff --git a/db/schema.rb b/db/schema.rb
index 7eda570d1..ba197acb6 100644
--- a/db/schema.rb
+++ b/db/schema.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #
 # It's strongly recommended that you check this file into your version control system.
 
-ActiveRecord::Schema[7.0].define(version: 2023_10_23_142854) do
+ActiveRecord::Schema[7.0].define(version: 2023_12_04_101105) do
   # These are extensions that must be enabled in order to support this database
   enable_extension "plpgsql"
 
@@ -659,6 +659,7 @@ ActiveRecord::Schema[7.0].define(version: 2023_10_23_142854) do
     t.string "old_visible_id"
     t.integer "total_units"
     t.boolean "confirmed"
+    t.datetime "startdate"
     t.index ["owning_organisation_id"], name: "index_schemes_on_owning_organisation_id"
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/helpers/locations_helper_spec.rb b/spec/helpers/locations_helper_spec.rb
index da4b17322..fec1ce53b 100644
--- a/spec/helpers/locations_helper_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/helpers/locations_helper_spec.rb
@@ -214,6 +214,15 @@ RSpec.describe LocationsHelper do
 
           expect(availability_attribute).to eq("Active from 1 April 2022")
         end
+
+        context "when location was merged" do
+          it "displays merge date as availability date" do
+            location.update!(startdate: Time.zone.local(2022, 4, 16))
+            availability_attribute = display_location_attributes(location).find { |x| x[:name] == "Availability" }[:value]
+
+            expect(availability_attribute).to eq("Active from 16 April 2022")
+          end
+        end
       end
 
       context "with previous deactivations" do
diff --git a/spec/helpers/schemes_helper_spec.rb b/spec/helpers/schemes_helper_spec.rb
index 6aaa10260..ff3030932 100644
--- a/spec/helpers/schemes_helper_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/helpers/schemes_helper_spec.rb
@@ -303,6 +303,17 @@ RSpec.describe SchemesHelper do
         expect(display_scheme_attributes(scheme)).to eq(attributes)
       end
     end
+
+    context "when scheme was merged from another organisation" do
+      before do
+        FactoryBot.create(:location, scheme:)
+        scheme.startdate = Time.zone.local(2023, 1, 5)
+      end
+
+      it "returns correct availability" do
+        expect(display_scheme_attributes(scheme)).to include({ name: "Availability", value: "Active from 5 January 2023" })
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   describe "edit_scheme_text" do
diff --git a/spec/services/merge/merge_organisations_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/merge/merge_organisations_service_spec.rb
index b6168d57a..1c82318e5 100644
--- a/spec/services/merge/merge_organisations_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/merge/merge_organisations_service_spec.rb
@@ -305,6 +305,9 @@ RSpec.describe Merge::MergeOrganisationsService do
         context "and merging organisation schemes and locations" do
           let!(:scheme) { create(:scheme, owning_organisation: merging_organisation) }
           let!(:location) { create(:location, scheme:) }
+          let!(:location_without_startdate) { create(:location, scheme:, startdate: nil) }
+          let!(:location_with_past_startdate) { create(:location, scheme:, startdate: Time.zone.today - 2.months) }
+          let!(:location_with_future_startdate) { create(:location, scheme:, startdate: Time.zone.today + 2.months) }
           let!(:deactivated_location) { create(:location, scheme:) }
           let!(:deactivated_scheme) { create(:scheme, owning_organisation: merging_organisation) }
           let!(:owned_lettings_log) { create(:lettings_log, :sh, scheme:, location:, startdate: Time.zone.tomorrow, owning_organisation: merging_organisation) }
@@ -329,8 +332,12 @@ RSpec.describe Merge::MergeOrganisationsService do
             absorbing_organisation.reload
             expect(absorbing_organisation.owned_schemes.count).to eq(1)
             expect(absorbing_organisation.owned_schemes.first.service_name).to eq(scheme.service_name)
-            expect(absorbing_organisation.owned_schemes.first.locations.count).to eq(1)
-            expect(absorbing_organisation.owned_schemes.first.locations.first.postcode).to eq(location.postcode)
+            expect(absorbing_organisation.owned_schemes.first.startdate).to eq(Time.zone.yesterday)
+            expect(absorbing_organisation.owned_schemes.first.locations.count).to eq(4)
+            expect(absorbing_organisation.owned_schemes.first.locations.map(&:postcode)).to match_array([location, location_without_startdate, location_with_past_startdate, location_with_future_startdate].map(&:postcode))
+            expect(absorbing_organisation.owned_schemes.first.locations.find_by(postcode: location_without_startdate.postcode).startdate).to eq(Time.zone.yesterday)
+            expect(absorbing_organisation.owned_schemes.first.locations.find_by(postcode: location_with_past_startdate.postcode).startdate).to eq(Time.zone.yesterday)
+            expect(absorbing_organisation.owned_schemes.first.locations.find_by(postcode: location_with_future_startdate.postcode).startdate).to eq(Time.zone.today + 2.months)
             expect(scheme.scheme_deactivation_periods.count).to eq(1)
             expect(scheme.scheme_deactivation_periods.first.deactivation_date.to_date).to eq(Time.zone.yesterday)
           end