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The Argyll and the Islands Community Led Local Development (CLLD) Fund has been provided by the Scottish Government's CLLD programme. The delivery will be overseen by the Argyll and the Islands Local Action Group (LAG) and will be administered by Argyll and Bute Council as the Accountable Body. The principles of bottom up, partnership, integration, innovation, co-operation, networking, and area-based approaches will apply to the fund.Projects must demonstrate that activity will advance inclusion, equality, and diversity, and support one or more of the main fund priorities for 2024/25 which are: - Eradicating child poverty - Growing the economy- Tackling the climate emergency- Ensuring high quality and sustainable public services Applications will be managed via Aspiring Places. Aspiring Places is a new digital space for community groups and organisations across Argyll and Bute to share information about projects that they would like to carry out. The Council's vision is to create a vibrant bank of community projects that supports joint working and connects community groups to funding, making Argyll and Bute an even better place to live, work, and visit.

Through the Kelvin Valley and Falkirk Community Led Local Development Fund (the CLLD Fund), grants of up to £15,000 are available for eligible applicants based in defined Kelvin Valley and Falkirk communities for 2025/26. Communities include: Airth, Avonbridge, Baldernock, Banknock, Banton, Bonnybridge, Colzium, Croy, Denny, Dennyloanhead, Dunipace, Fankerton, Kinneil, Kirkintilloch (north of the Canal only), Lennoxtown, Milton of Campsie, Queenzieburn, Shieldhill, Slamannan, Torrance, Twechar, Waterside, and Whitecross.The Fund will once more be overseen by the Kelvin Valley and Falkirk Local Action Group (LAG) and administered by CVS Falkirk & District as the Accountable Body. Funded activity should take place by Saturday 28 February 2026, with final reports submitted to CVS Falkirk & District by Saturday 14 March 2026.The fund will focus on four key priorities:- Supporting community facilities and eligible organisations to contribute to the achievement of net zero- Sustaining, improving, and adding initiatives in rural communities that are the most isolated, disconnected, in need of investment, or 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, engagement, feasibility studies, or other activities supporting the development of rural communities

Small Grants focuses on work that addresses the impacts of poverty and trauma under one or more of the following themes:- Financial Security- Education Pathways- Work Pathways- Nurturing RelationshipsThey seek to fund work that: meets people's immediate needs, provides earlier help, tests new approaches or does more of what work, and is universal or targeted. See website for details of target groups.

The fund provides grants that preserve and develop the area of Larbert, Stenhousemuir & Torwood as a great, friendly place to live, supporting activity that improves the look and feel of the area, brings people together and enhances the community for future generations. The fund’s priorities are to support charitable activity that:- Improves the physical appearance of the community (including the town centre) and makes better use of our public spaces;- Develops community services, events and facilities to better meet the diverse needs of local people; - Preserves and enhances the natural environment for the benefit of those who live in the area;- Builds the skills, capacity and sustainability of community organisations serving the area.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 so on.The Panel is particularly keen to receive applications from:- Groups that haven’t applied to the fund before;- Groups that are providing services or activity that benefits the elderly;- Groups that are planning projects which will increase provision currently available;- Groups planning activity that will increase participation in community activity.Applicants are also required to consider some cross-cutting issues appropriately and proportionately relative to their project; see fund website for full details.

The Council has a number of settlement trusts which support projects under a wide range of categories including education, arts, local communities and the environment.Check the website for a full list of trusts and for contact details for each.You can apply for funding from a Settlement Trust if it falls under the following categories:- Prevention of Poverty- Advancement of Education- Advancement of Religion- Saving of Lives-Advancement of Citizenship- Advancement of Arts- Advancement of Public Participation in Sport- Provision of Recreational Facilities- Advancement of Human Rights- Promotion of religious or racial harmony- Promotion of Equality- Advancement of Environmental Protection- Relief of Those In Need- Advancement of Animal Welfare- Analogous Purposes- Advancement of Health

Muirden Energy is committed to ensuring their renewable energy projects bring lasting value to the communities in which they are developed. They work closely with local residents and stakeholders to deliver tailored community benefit packages that support local priorities—whether through funding for local initiatives, support for schools and community groups, or investment in environmental and recreational projects. Their goal is to foster long-term partnerships that contribute positively to local well-being and sustainability.They welcome applications for projects that support community development, environmental initiatives, education, wellbeing, heritage, or recreational activities. Projects must demonstrate a positive and lasting local impact.They currently asset manage over 30 wind turbine sites across the Scotland, with a strong focus in Aberdeenshire. See website for locations: your group must be located within a 10-mile radius of one of their turbines to apply.

Zero Waste Scotland is Scotland’s Circular Economy Body. Their strategic aim is to rewire Scotland’s economic system, increasing the uptake in business adopting or applying circular economy practices and, in turn, driving a reduction of our consumption of natural resources through increased circularity. As part of their ongoing programme of support, grant funding is available to early-stage projects potentially capable of delivering at scale or delivering interventions with the potential to be replicated across a sector, industry or region.Projects must also align with one or more of the following objectives:- Help people care by advocating for change and demonstrating how we can do it. Projects will deliver activity to increase society’s demand for circular practices through stimulating the development and uptake of technologies, products and services to support a circular economy in Scotland.   - Make circularity easier and do more where it matters most by identifying and addressing the conditions supporting circularity in Scotland. Through encouraging the collaboration of organisations across value chains, including enterprises and academia, projects will implement circular economy strategies, principles and practices in high-impact sectors - Improve the infrastructure needed to accelerate the adoption of circular economy practices by keeping materials in use in Scotland’s economy through using less, using for longer, using again, and/or switching to regenerative material use. Projects will support the creation of valuable markets to optimise materials management and processing in Scotland.

The ORIT Cumberhead Community Fund supports community projects benefiting those living in the Community Council areas of Coalburn and Lesmahagow. The Fund is provided by Cumberhead Wind Energy Limited, the company which owns and operates the Cumberhead Wind Farm in South Lanarkshire, under the auspices of Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust (ORIT).The Fund provides grants to support charitable activities that benefit the residents of the Coalburn and/or Lesmahagow areas; anything which enhances the economic, social or environmental sustainability of these communities. Most of all, the Fund aims to ensure that successful applications are translated into real projects that make a material difference and deliver a lasting legacy. The Fund is keen to encourage environmentally responsible and sustainable practice amongst applicant groups and within communities.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 so on. Grants must normally be spent within one year of being awarded

This fund supports charitable activity benefiting people living in the community council areas of Benarty, Cardenden and Kinglassie in Fife.The fund provides grants to support charitable activities that:- Enhance quality of life for local residents.- Contribute to vibrant, healthy, successful and sustainable communities.- Promote community spirit and encourage community activity.Grant may support a wide range of costs, e.g. equipment costs, running costs for local groups, staff or sessional workers, consultations and maintenance or refurbishment of community facilities.Different criteria and amounts apply for each fund. See the area-specific pages on the Foundation Scotland website.

This fund supports not-for-profit groups providing charitable activities that benefit people living in the community council area of Strathpeffer. Specifically, it will support projects that:- Enhance quality of life for local residents- Contribute to vibrant, healthy, successful and sustainable communities- Promote community spirit and encourage community activity.Applicants should demonstrate how their project relates to the themes of:- sharing and connecting- visitors staying longer and - an even better place to live.