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North Ayrshire's Participatory Budgeting scheme is aimed to provide funding for a group or project to undertake activities that make a difference across three themes: Youth, Locality, and Community Wealth Building. The specific criteria vary for each theme, see Council website for details.Each year, a Participatory Budgeting Event is held in each locality:- Arran - Garnock Valley - Irvine - Kilwinning - North Coast and Cumbraes- Three TownsLocal residents are invited to decide which projects to fund from a short list of applications made by local individuals and groups. They vote for the projects that they believe will most benefit their community and support their local priorities.

The Community Led Local Development Fund is an annual grant fund dedicated to improving life for people living in the Scottish Borders. The fund has been running for over 20 years. Themes funded vary each year but always include looking projects related to social and environmental issues.The fund offers grants for projects that are centred around tackling at least one of the following themes:- Net-Zero- Poverty Alleviation- Improved Public Services and Tackling ExclusionAll grants must be spent by 28 February 2027.The decision making panel (Local Action Group) is made up of local residents and organisations and membership is open to all.The LAG particularly encourages applications that advance Net Zero ambitions, support skills development and apprenticeships, strengthen leadership capability, foster partnership working, or deliver mentoring initiatives.

Edinburgh Community Solar Co-operative raises capital from the public to place solar panel installations on City of Edinburgh Council buildings (schools, leisure centres and other council owned buildings). As well as paying annual returns to investors, they allocate part of their profits to community causes that benefit the people of Edinburgh.Grants are now available for community-focused organisations in Edinburgh that wish to:- install small-scale solar panels to their premises (strand 1)- purchase equipment (strand 2)- provide additional activities (strand 2)- provide education to reduce carbon (strand 2)- make environmental improvements to their buildings (strand 2)You can download the [guidance for applicants](https://www.edinburghsolar.coop/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ECSC-Communtiy-Benefit-2026-grants-text-for-ECSC-website-FINAL-VERSION.pdf) and an application form from their website.

The Community Fund was established to ensure local communities benefit from Edinburgh Airport activities. It provides financial support to community groups and charities that are committed to improving the opportunities, facilities and services available to local people.The fund will consider applications from Edinburgh, Falkirk, the Lothians and Fife. Priority will be given to applications which reflect the four pillars of the airport’s Greater Good sustainability strategy - Zero Carbon, Enhancing Scotland, Scotland’s Best Business and Trusted Neighbour.Initiatives could include: - The mitigation against and reduction of the effects of a changing climate.- The reduction of local, negative environmental impacts.- Supporting local biodiversity, rewilding, and/or restoration of the natural world.- The enhancement of local business, community groups and long-term sustainable partnerships in the airport’s surrounding area.- Improving healthy working lives and increase upskilling and employment opportunities for the socially isolated, economically deprived, and/or otherwise disadvantaged persons.- Improving care, expanding opportunity, providing shelter, and enabling rehabilitation of vulnerable groups in the community.- Providing urgent, targeted, local support during the cost-of-living crisis.

The fund provides grants to support charitable activities in Moorfoot that:- Enhance quality of life for local residents.- Contribute to vibrant, healthy, successful and sustainable communities.- Promote community spirit and encourage community activity.Grants may support a wide range of costs, such as equipment, staff or sessional workers, consultations, running costs for local groups, maintenance or refurbishment of community facilities, and so on.

Community organisations based near eligible electricity transmission infrastructure projects can apply for local and grassroots grants to deliver initiatives supporting local communities.If your community is based within one of the eligible areas, you will be able to apply for upskilling events and tailored workshops that can help your community build capacity and explore bespoke solutions to local challenges.Applicants will be asked to align their projects with at least one of the following themes:- Strengthening financial resilience and educational inclusion- Supporting employability and skills development- Promoting wellbeing, active lifestyles, social and digital inclusion- Improving community spaces and buildings- Enhancing green spaces and access to nature- Sustainable and inclusive transport

SSE's network in the north of Scotland will play a leading role in the clean energy transition, connecting and transporting renewable electricity from wind, hydro and marine generation. SSE's Community Benefit Fund will allow a share of the benefits to go directly to those communities hosting this new infrastructure. It aims to kickstart impactful projects or initiatives that will bring meaningful benefits to communities.The fund has two streams:**Regional**: for projects benefiting communities located within the SSEN Transmission network area. Any successful application must meet one or more of the following themes:- People: Focusing on skills, training and employability; - Place: Emphasising the community and culture of the north of Scotland;- Alleviating fuel poverty: Looking at strategic ways to help people across the region.**Local**: for projects benefiting communities situated close to SSE infrastructure.

The Green Community Grants Programme offers one-year flexible funding for not-for-profit groups in England, Scotland and Wales.Your organisation's main aims and objectives must fit with one of the two funding themes: - Contributing to nature recovery and responding to the climate emergency- Improving nature-rich spaces and access to themWhilst your organisational aims and objectives should fit one of these two themes, funding can also be used for a wider range of sustainable activities, including recycling, litter picking, beach cleans or sustainable transport.

Soirbheas provide grants mostly funded by the Corrimony windfarm. The Tier 2 & 3 funding the objectives are: - improving the energy efficiency of the housing within our communities- strengthening the local economy by encouraging new businesses and encouraging employment and training opportunities; protecting our environment for future generations- improving the quality of life of the elderly and vulnerable, including young people, within our communities. The beneficiaries of projects must be resident in the Glen Urquhart or Strathglass Community Council areas.

Partick and Thornwood Ideas Fund is a Participatory Budgeting initiative funded by the Scottish Government Investing in Communities fund.The fund gives individuals and groups an opportunity to apply for grants to realise their ideas which will deliver a positive change for local people in the community. Everyone living or working in the Partick and Thornwood area will have the opportunity to vote and decide which projects are funded. Funds must be used to benefit the community of Partick and/or Thornwood. Funds can be used for a wide range of things from training, buying equipment, starting you own group, group running costs, activities, running events or trips.