Information about various funding sources
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The Big Lottery Fund and ITV are looking for new projects that will improve local places and the lives of people in your community. In November 2013, ITV regional news will feature two great project ideas in each region each night for three nights, competing for viewers’ phone votes. At stake is up to £50,000 from the Big Lottery Fund. To have a chance of winning you’ll need to inspire local people to get involved with your project. It’ll also need to capture the public’s imagination and persuade them to vote for you. There’s £3.8 million in the pot and BIG expect to make four awards in each ITV region. Deadline: Monday 13 May
Sport Scotland has announced a new £4 million fund to support people to celebrate their part in the Commonwealth before, during, and after the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Lottery funding of up to £10,000 is available to arts, heritage, sports and community groups to hold one off events. These can range from holding a Reggae Burns Night or a Come and Try Sports Open Day. As long it’s linked to the Commonwealth Games and people can get involved. The funding us available to community and voluntary groups as well as statutory bodies such as a school, local authority or health board. Applications must be submitted at least three months before the start date of the planned activity.
Grants of £250 are available to support voluntary groups and individuals to kick start environmental projects that will boost Scotland’s natural habitats. Local Nature Reserves can apply for enhanced grants of £500 to attract new volunteers through practical and educational activities. CSV Action Earth grants are available from May to December 2013
The scheme aims to encourage anyone with an interest in orchards – including communities, schools, public agencies and landowners - to plant and manage orchards, use them for learning or celebrations, or use the fruit more productively. Grants of between £100 and £500 are available for designing and creating new orchards, managing traditional or other existing orchards, enhancing orchard biodiversity, and developing orchards as a learning ground. The deadline for the receipt of applications is 9 am on Monday 30 September.
Heritage Lottery Fund: Catalyst heritage: building fundraising capacity
The Catalyst heritage programme of small grants of £3,000 to £10,000 is now live. The Catalyst small grants programme is open to organisations and partnerships who look after or engage people with heritage. Through this programme, HLF wants to support organisations that look after or engage people with heritage to access funding from private sources, such as individual and corporate donors, trusts and foundations, and to diversify their income sources (this may also include in-kind donations, or income from trading)
If you would like to make an application, you can express your interest online. HLF will let you know if your application is suitable for this programme and you can then decide whether to go ahead. Next closing date for a Catalyst small grant is 16 August 2013.
For schemes led by partnerships of local, regional and national interests which aim to conserve areas of distinctive landscape character throughout the UK. Awards will start at £100,000 with an upper limit of £3m. First-round applications must be received by 31 May 2013 for decisions in October 2013.
To help people across the UK explore, conserve and share all aspects of the history and character of their local area. Grants between £3,000 and £10,000 will be available to groups who want to discover their local heritage. Projects are expected to cover a wide spectrum of subject matter but could include identifying and recording local wildlife and protecting the surrounding environment, conserving sites or items of local significance, managing and training volunteers, and holding festivals and events to commemorate the past.
The Scottish Government’s Junior Climate Challenge Fund (JCCF) gives young people the funds and support they need to take action on climate change in their community. If you have an idea for a project to reduce the carbon footprint of your community and are 18 or under the JCCF can help by offering you funds for your project and the support of a development officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful who administer the scheme. Find out how to apply here
There are currently opportunities to join the 'Youth Grants Panel.' If you are aged between 12 and 18 and would like to be a member of the panel that decides which projects receive JCCF funding please see The Young Scot website
The Climate Challenge Fund application deadlines have been announced for 2013.
Grant Panel 15, 18th Sept 2013: Deadline for draft applications is 5th July 2013. Deadline for final application is 31st July 2013.
Development Grants of £750 to help disadvantaged communities and young people develop a full CCF application were announced on 27 November and can be applied for directly through the Funding available, information and criteria webpage
The Fund will support third sector organisations to create new volunteering projects, increasing the diversity of volunteers, especially those from disadvantaged groups and improving opportunities, skills and personal development through volunteering. The Fund will also support third sector organisations to enhance their services and improve their capacity to deploy, support and train volunteers.
The following grants for activity of up to 12 months will be available: Volunteering Cluster Support Grant (up to £30,000 for a cluster of organisations) and Volunteering Support Grant (up to £10,000 for an individual organisation). Application packs with further information and application forms are available on the website
SNH are looking for Community Action Grant applications and Natural Project Proposals that deliver both SNH funding priorities and their priorities specific to the Year of Natural Scotland 2013.
The £10 million Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund, part of the Scottish Government's Commonwealth Games Legacy 2014 programme, will give communities across Scotland more and better places to be active. Grants between £10,000 and £100,000 are now available to help build or upgrade local facilities such as new bike or skate parks, outdoor adventure facilities, walking routes, or new projects within school estates.
At the first UK Parks Summit on 25 October, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and BIG Lottery Fund (BIG) announced they will invest £100million for public parks over the next three years. The new-look Parks for People programme aims to get local people more involved in the management of their parks and, for the first time, will provide funding to conserve historic cemeteries and offer help and advice about long term park maintenance. The programme has been simplified so that local authorities, community trusts and friends groups will be able to access funding in a more streamlined way. Grants range from £100,000 to £5million.
Grants of between £10,000 and £250,000 are available to communities in Scotland to improve the appearance, functionality, accessibility, effectiveness and sustainability of local spaces and places. This can include: developing and improving local parks, community paths, gardens; play parks, allotments, community centres and village halls
Up to £10k available for projects that improve the quality of life of children (pre-birth to 8 years) through greater access to early learning, play and child and maternal health support. Big Lottery and Scottish Government have joined forces to provide up to 100% of project costs including materials, training costs, overheads and sessional staff.
The BIG Lottery in Scotland have announced a brand new fund which will use dormant bank account money to fund projects which support Scotland’s children and young people. Young Start aims to create opportunities for children and young people aged between 8 and 24 to help realise their potential.
Grant programme designed to engage young people aged 11-25 with their heritage. Young Roots projects stem directly from the interest and ideas of young people, who are supported by youth and heritage organisations to develop skills, build confidence, and connect with their local communities.
The Skills for the Future grant programme is open for applications from October (with a deadline of January 2013). This grant programme is for organisations looking to create work-based training places to help fill heritage skills’ gaps.
For more information please contact Development Officer Louise Hastie or on 0131 240 1583.
The Healthy Communities small grants programme awards grants of between £5,000 and £10,000 to local community and voluntary groups. The programme aims to support grassroots activity that will help local residents live longer healthier lives. Healthy Communities (Healthshine) is currently open in the following local society lottery areas: Glasgow, Renfrewshire, East and West Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, and Inverclyde HealthKind in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Higland, Moray, Nah-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles) Shetland and Orkney Islands (re-opened) and HealthEngage in Dumfries and Galloway, North,East and South Ayrshire, Scottish Borders, and North and South Lanarkshire (re-opened)
SNH community grants are now available for application. They are focussed on getting more people and communities involved in outdoor recreation, volunteering and outdoor learning; action to improve, protect and manage habitats, species and landscapes; and citizen science and biological recording.
Awards for All Scotland puts lottery money back into local communities by giving grants of between £500 and £10,000. We fund projects that improve opportunities for people to take part in arts, sport and community activities and can fund a wide range of organisations.
The Scottish Community Foundation operates a number of grants programmes:
Scotland-wide programmes - grants to eligible organisations anywhere in Scotland: Express Grants (up to £2,000); Grants for Women's Projects
Local programmes - support for projects in specific areas of Scotland. The nature and purpose of these funds vary considerably and each has its own application process.
Voluntary Action Fund is an independent grant-making body investing in voluntary and community based organisations throughout Scotland. The funding and support VAF provides enables community based organisations to undertake projects that challenge inequalities and overcome barriers to being involved in community life. The grant programmes meet the needs of disadvantaged communities through encouraging volunteering and tackling discrimination. VAF currently manages grant programmes that are funded through the Scottish Government.
The Funding Scotland website records information about grants and funding programmes accessible to organisations operating in Scotland. Funding Scotland operates as a social enterprise.
Public sector bodies, charities and other not-for- profit organisations can apply for environmental projects. Restrictions apply and projects should be within a defined radius of landfill sites.
Up to £10,000 is available for UK Charities working to help disadvantaged people through one or both of these charitable priorities - education and training, or financial capability. Visit any Santander branch and complete a simple nomination form. More
The Merlin Trust offers financial support to people aged 18-35 to develop a career in horticulture. Support can be used for study visits in the UK or overseas.
The Rank Foundations support groups working with young people engaging with young people to foster their development; develop the skills of people working with young people; communicate good practice with other organisations and groups.
This Fund for not for profit organisations, charities and community groups located within ten miles of a SITA UK site that wish to improve the local public amenities. Up to £50,000 is available for local community improvement projects.
Biffaward is a multi-million pund fund that helps to build communities and transform lives through awarding grants to community and environmental projects across the UK. The fund offers four levels of support
Main grants - community (£5000 to £50,000). For projects that provide and improve community facilities
Main grants - biodiversity (£5,000 to £50,000). For projects that conserve wildlife species and habitats
Small grants - community (£250 - £5,000). For projects that enable communities to improve local amenities and conserve wildlife
Flagship (£150,000 - £500,000). For regionally significant projects which improve biodiversity and cultural facilities