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Small Eco Awards provide accessible grants for communities in Scotland to take local, practical action to protect the environment.The programme supports community-led projects that can help to:- improve local places- protect nature- reduce waste- support climate resilience- connect people with the environment- create greener, healthier and more sustainable communitiesThis could include:- making community spaces more accessible and greener- growing food locally- reusing and upcycling old clothing and textiles- engaging in climate education- protecting nature and supporting local wildlife- introducing local, sustainable transport optionsSee fund guidance for full priorities.You don’t have to be an environment organisation to apply. Small Eco Awards is for community groups with practical ideas that can make a positive difference to where they live.

Local Place Plans offer communities the chance to shape their local area.These are community-led plans that focus on the existing and future use of land and set out proposals for potential developments in the community.A Local Place Plan might consider:- improvements in town and local centres- local initiatives to promote active travel or community food-growing- conservation of the natural and built environments- sites or areas of land which could help - tackle climate-change (such as renewable energy, flood mitigation, or tree planting)- sites for housing development (including affordable housing and housing for particular needs or groups), local employment, or new tourism and community facilities- retaining, improving, and expanding open space, green and blue infrastructure (such as footpaths, water networks, and drainage or flooding measures), and play facilities.Once completed and registered by the planning authority, Local Place Plans will be considered when the Council is preparing a new Local Development Plan.The fund can cover costs including:- research- community consultation- professional services, such as planning consultants or graphical support- website or document productionvenue hire.

For Bute runs a charity thrift shop to raise funds to support local groups and individuals in Bute. It supports a wide variety of causes.

The Inverclyde Windfarm Fund is a 10-year grant scheme partnership between Inverclyde Renewables LLP and Inverclyde Community Fund. It provides grants for community groups and voluntary organisations to progress projects within their local communities. The Fund must be used to provide funding or grants to projects which support and promote at least one of the following causes:- Environmental- Renewable Energy- Energy Efficiency- Sustainable Development- Charitable- Educational- Community- Sport and Recreation- General community amenity schemes

The Co-op Local Community Fund gives money to local causes, helping to bring people together and make a difference. They give preference to projects run by small, local organisations that make a real difference to people in their community.You can apply if your project supports People or our Planet in the following ways.They're looking for projects that:- enable people to access food- create opportunities for young people- improve people’s mental wellbeing- promote community cohesion- build sustainable futures.They’re also keen to support projects that promote and celebrate diversity and inclusion.

The Blacklaw Windfarm Community Benefit Fund is open to communities living closest to the windfarm development through a community and environmental grants scheme. The Fund provides funding through three different grant schemes: a community grant scheme, a small grants programme and main grants scheme.Community grants aims are:- Provide or improve a public green space- Encourage positive use in public green spaces- Remove litter and waste from public green spaces- Provide or improve biodiversity in public spaces- Encourage environmental education and engagementSmall grants aims are:- Provide or improve a park or other public amenity for leisure or recreational purposes- Conserve biodiversity at a specific site- Maintain, repair or restore a place of worship or building of historical or architectural significance- Improve energy efficiency- Reduce fuel povertyMain grants aims are:- Remediate contaminated land or water- Reduce or mitigate the effects of pollution- Provide or improve a park or other public amenity for leisure or recreational purposes- Conserve biodiversity at a specific site- Maintain, repair or restore a place of worship or building of historical or architectural significance

The fund supports capital projects that create or improve places that people take part in sport and physical activity. Awards are available for sports facility projects within club & communities, school & education or performance sport environments. In clubs and communities they will support: - new, upgraded or extended sports facilities; Inclusive changing facilities- facilities that provide or improve access for outdoor sport and adventure activities- floodlights that increase capacity at appropriate sports facilities- major items of sports equipment. They will provide enhanced support to projects within or serving the most deprived communities, according to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD). They focus participation and progression and prioritise projects where there is a commitment to equalities & inclusion, people development, collaboration & impact.Greater prioritisation will be given to projects and applications supporting Return to Sport objectives and outcomes following the Coronavirus Pandemic. As well as those that can clearly demonstrate an embedded inclusive approach such as Changing Lives Through Sport and Physical Activity and target participants in/from SIMD areas or Disability, BAME or other protected characteristic groups.

Community-focused or charitable activities which:- Sustains and develops the local community- Represents value for money – evidence that the project has a high impact for the amount of grant- Shows community involvement – evidence that the community is engaged in the development and implementation of the project - Is financially viable – evidence that the project will be maintained beyond the period of grant funding (if applicable)Grant requests to support a wide range of costs and activities will be considered, for example equipment costs, consultations, maintenance, or refurbishment of community facilities etc.All 18 community councils are allocated funds from the Viking Community Fund on a share basis. The areas hosting the wind turbines are allocated 5 shares and all others are allocated a single share:The five-share areas are Delting, Nesting and Lunnasting, Sandsting and Aithsting and Tingwall, Whiteness and Weisdale. Single share areas are Bressay, Burra and Trondra, Dunrossness, Fetlar, Gulberwick, Quarff and Cunningsburgh, Lerwick, Northmaven, Sandness and Walls, Sandwick, Scalloway, Skerries, Unst, Whalsay and Yell.Applicants applying to a specific community council area should complete a Tier 1 or Tier 2 application.For applicants whose projects cover more than three community council areas, complete a Tier 3 application.

The priorities for the Dumfries and Galloway CLLD grant funding for 2026-27 are:- Supporting community facilities and eligible organisations to contribute to the achievement of net zero.- Sustaining, improving and adding initiatives in rural communities that are most isolated, most disconnected, most in need of investment or most likely to experience inequalities.- Helping communities to address the cost-of-living crisis and eradicate poverty for individuals and families.- Enabling communities to carry out research, community needs assessments and feasibility studies as part of local place plan development.Organisations can make one application per project and there is no limit to the number of applications they can make. Applications can be made for 100% of the eligible project costs.Projects must take place between August 2026 and March 2027.

The Shetland CLLD Programme is a grant fund provided by the Scottish Government. The delivery of Shetland CLLD is overseen by the Shetland Islands Local Action Group (LAG) – a group of representatives from organisations with economic, social, environmental and community interests in Shetland. The CLLD grant fund is administered by Shetland Islands Council on behalf of the LAG. The principal focus for activity is to support sustainable projects which can be reflected within the programme’s four priority areas:- Helping families and services through the cost-of-living crises, including helping to address the drivers of child poverty- Increasing community capacity to address rural challenges- Transforming the economy to deliver net zero- Creating sustainable local servicesProjects that support one or more of the programme priorities will be considered for funding.