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Creative Lives Awards celebrate the creative groups that enhance people's lives in villages, towns, and cities across the UK and Ireland. The Awards recognise engagement, partnership, innovation and creative development across voluntary and community-led projects and groups.They cover the period from 1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024 and groups might take part in singing, dancing, painting, crafting, performing, playing music, or any other creative activity.

The National Fund for Acquisitions Special Funding Scheme helps museums which are struggling to raise match funding for acquisitions. It helps to raise match funding to make an application to the National Fund for Aquisitions.The scheme operates alongside NFA’s normal funding programme which will continue to consider applications for up to 50% of total purchase price for applicants who can raise match funding from their own or other funding sources.

Financial support is available to communities to utilise existing Community Right to Buy legislation, allowing communities to register an interest in acquiring land or buildings and have the first option to purchase if/when it's offered for sale.

The Youth Arts Open Fund supports artists or organisations to deliver arts activity for children and young people – primarily those who have traditionally found it hardest to access such opportunities.Funded projects are expected to engage children and young people in high-quality and accessible arts activity that empowers them through self-expression, enhances their health, wellbeing and personal development, and builds their confidence and skills.For full details on the outcomes and key target groups, please see the fund guidelines available on the YouthLink website.

The Scottish Government is awarding this grant to establish a single nationalpartnership of voluntary sector organisations to provide throughcare support to people, across Scotland, leaving prison after a short prison sentence or a period on remand.The support the partnership provides should be available to anyone leaving prison, whether after a short term prison sentence or a period being held on remand, and should be available across all of Scotland.The support provided by the partnership must be person-centred and needs led – this includes flexibility to provide different kinds of support at different times as needs arise and change in the weeks and months following release.Full guidance is available via the Community Justice Scotland website.

Fife Council’s Community Youth Work Grants Scheme offers assistance through three schemes:- Youth Work Project Grant: supports new and innovative pieces of work with young people aged 12-21- International Youth Experience Grant: supports youth work with an international focus for young people aged 16-25- Youth Work Volunteering Training Grant: assists and encourages volunteers over 16 into trainingEach scheme has slightly different criteria - check the Council website for full details.

The Community Empowerment Fund (part of the broader UK Shared Prosperity Fund or UKSPF) is a community capacity building initiative that aims to boost local community projects across the Falkirk area.There are two programmes:- Capital Facilities Improvement Grant: Up to £15,000 capital funding towards projects that result in the creation or significant improvement of a building/facility owned or controlled by a non-profit, community benefit organisation. - Small and Start-Up Grants: Funding to deliver new or expanded services within our communities, including activities, events and volunteering opportunities (up to £5,000).The UK Government have introduced a revised set of outcomes for the SPF programme. The 25/26 Outcomes for the Community Empowerment are listed below:- Number of amenities/facilities created or improved - Number of local events or activities supported - Number of people reached - Number of volunteering opportunities supported - Improved engagement numbers - Number of volunteering opportunities created as a result of support For projects aiming to be completed by 31 January 2026.

The Just Transition Fund (JTF) is a £500 million ten-year commitment that will support projects in the North East and Moray which contribute towards the region’s transition to net zero.This bidding round will focus on projects that deliver against the Just Transition Outcome on Jobs, Skills and Economic Opportunities, responding to identified needs in the region. This will ensure the fund is responsive to identified regional needs. It will also ensure fund investment maximises impacts delivering benefits for businesses, workers and communities as we transition to a net zero future.The project/programme must:- contribute to the transition to net zero in Aberdeen, Aberdeen City or Moray- help to diversify the regional economy away from carbon-intensive industries- capitalise on the opportunities, including jobs and prosperity, that the transition to net zero will bringdemonstrate delivery against the mandatory Just Transition Outcome on Jobs, Skills and Economic Opportunities.Whilst not mandatory, you may wish to outline other just transition outcomes that your project will deliver impact against within your application. Bids need to demonstrate that projects are able to receive, and spend the total amount of the funding bid in the 2025 to 2026 financial year. Multi-year bids can be made, and may be considered, if capital funding for the Fund becomes available beyond 2025 to 2026. Additional weighting will be given to bids that would be delivered on a co-funded basis. Previous projects have included energy measures and retrofitting, green jobs, community gardens and food growing, sustainable travel, and creating and restoring greenspaces. More examples of projects funded through the first round can be found on the Fund website.

The Scottish Government and NatureScot, working in partnership with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, have announced a grant scheme to support projects that shape and grow the use of private investment and market-based mechanisms to finance the restoration of Scotland’s nature. Through the Facility for Investment Ready Nature in Scotland (FIRNS), grants will be offered to organisations and partnerships to help develop a viable business case and financial model, to attract investment in projects that can restore and improve the natural environment.