Search

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.

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.

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.

Dumfries and Galloway Council has established the Regionwide Community Fund, which is a source of funding open for applications from community groups and projects anywhere in the region.The Fund was launched in 2019 to distribute funding contributed at the discretion of windfarms in the region. It is a source of funding to support applications aimed at: -Fund priorities:-Skills Development-Community-Environment-Culture & Heritage-Community Led Tourism-Affordable Housing-Community Transport-Digital Connectivity-Poverty & Inequalities-Working Towards Net Zero (climate)- Cost of livingThe Fund encourages applicants to support fair work standards where applicable

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.

The Auchrobert Wind Farm Community Fund supports community projects benefitting those living in Blackwood and Kirkmuirhill and Boghead. The fund is provided by Renantis, the owners of Auchrobert Wind Farm in South Lanarkshire. The fund provides grants to support a wide range of community activity and development that are broadly charitable. All projects must clearly be benefitting those who live within the area of benefit.Grants may support a wide range of costs, for example, the costs of equipment, staff or sessional workers, consultations, running costs for local groups, maintenance or refurbishment of community facilities and more.

Funding for community groups supporting people living with dementia and their unpaid carers.Age Scotland, supported by funding from the Scottish Government, is offering grants to community-based organisations across Scotland that support people living with dementia and their unpaid carers. This funding is for activities and programmes taking place 1 April 2027 - 31 March 2028.The fund aims to:- Strengthen the resilience and sustainability of community-based dementia support.- Help people living with dementia and unpaid carers stay connected to their communities.- Improve health, wellbeing and quality of life.- Support local organisations to respond to the needs of people affected by dementia in their area.The Encouraging and Supporting Grassroots Activity (ESGA) Fund helps local groups deliver activities that reduce isolation, improve wellbeing and strengthen community support for people affected by dementia.They are looking to fund projects and activities that make a meaningful difference to people with lived experience of dementia and those who provide unpaid care. The fund welcomes applications from organisations working in:- Rural and remote communities- Areas experiencing multiple deprivation- Ethnic minority communities- LGBTQ+ communities- Communities with protected characteristics

The Fund is provided by Lairg Wind Farm Ltd, the operator of the Lairg Wind Farm - the three turbine site at Cnoc Na Inghinnin to benefit the Lairg Community Council area. The Fund will provide grants to support charitable activities that:- Enhance quality of life for local residents- Contribute to vibrant, healthy, successful and sustainable communities, and- Promote community spirit and encourage community activity. Grants may be requested to support a wide range of costs and activities, such as equipment costs, running costs for local groups, staff or sessional workers costs, consultations, maintenance or refurbishment of community facilities.Awards will be prioritised that can demonstrate significant added value through, by example:- Levering in additional funding from other sources. - Working in partnership with other groups and organisations to scale up projects and increase opportunities.- Projects that have reach beyond one particular group or demographic that have potential to benefit the whole community.

Grants are available for community and environmental projects which address carbon reduction and help progress towards “net zero”. All projects must be located in or be delivered to benefit communities within Keith and the wider Strathisla boundary. Examples of projects that could, therefore, be considered for grants include:- Energy efficiency audits of community buildings and facilities to identify and prioritise important capital improvement works- Costs associated with the above findings. This might include thermal insulation, solar panels and battery storage, ground source heating, double / triple glazing improvements, more efficient heating, micro wind turbines etc…- Educational activities that promote the net zero movement, i.e. costs of school trips to renewable facilities, school or community educational sessions / workshops / events- Training for voluntary / community groups to help reduce their own carbon footprint- Environmental and habitat species conservation which protects and / or enhances a public space (may include tree planting for example).- Electrical vehicle charging point installations, in public locations- Other projects that deliver energy efficiency upgrades such as lighting improvements (i.e. not necessarily in public / community buildings)