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The Digital and Technology Adoption Capital Grant can provide organisations based in the Highlands and Islands region funding to support digital transformation ambitions. Introducing digital technology into your business has many advantages, including cutting costs, speeding up processes, improving customer insights, creating the ability to make faster business decisions, reduce carbon emissions and increase revenue.HIE recommend that organisations applying for this fund should have a digital action plan or feasibility study in place before making an enquiry.Community and Voluntary Organisations in the Highlands and Islands can apply for a capital grant based on their requirements.Digital technologies that may be supported with a capital grant include:- Robots / robotics / cobotics- Sensor technologies- Internet of Things- Data innovation- Artificial intelligence- Cyber security- Software development- Augmented reality / virtual reality / 3D visualisations- Additive manufacturing and laser machining- Cyber security solutionsProjects that have an element of ‘deep tech’ will also be considered, for example, blockchain, photonics, aerospace and space technologies, electronics, cyber threat intelligence and quantum computing.

Years 5 & 6 of the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults offers financial support to local community projects that improve the mental health and wellbeing of people living in the Western Isles.This money will be distributed to groups who provide community support and connections for people who have experienced distress, disadvantage, isolation, or whose mental health has been negatively impacted by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. The overarching aim of the Fund is to promote and develop good mental health and wellbeing while mitigating the impact of distress and mental ill health within the adult population (aged 16 or over) with a particular focus on prevention and early intervention. Key priorities include:- Addressing mental health inequalities within ‘at risk’ groups.- Tackling social isolation, loneliness, suicide prevention, and poverty and inequality, with a focus on responding to the cost-of-living crisis.- Supporting small grassroots community groups and organisations in delivering activities.- Fostering connections, building trusted relationships, and revitalising communities.In previous years the fund has supported projects as diverse as arts, recreation, sporting memories, advocacy and counselling.For further information and advice, contact the relevant local TSI:- Third Sector Hebrides (Lewis): enquiries@tshebrides.org.uk- Outer Hebrides Social Economy Partnership: enquiries@tshebrides.org.uk- Volunteer Centre Western Isles: manager@volunteercentrewi.org- Harris Voluntary Service: manager@harrisvs.org.uk- Uist Council of Voluntary Organisations: info@ucvo.org.uk- Voluntary Action Barra and Vatersay: eoin@vabv.org.uk

This new cultural funding programme is an important action of the recently launched Visitor Levy Scheme which aims to sustain Edinburgh's status as one of the world's greatest cultural and heritage cities.The fund’s main purpose is to provide revenue grant funding to local cultural organisations to improve resilience, support programming innovation and enhance cultural output through short-to-medium term projects that deliver innovative approaches to supporting the city’s cultural infrastructure.Project proposals should also align with the named purpose of the Visitor Levy Scheme and thus deliver activities which:- Support programming innovation by adopting new art forms, digital tools, and community-centred business models by introducing/furthering interdisciplinary collaboration, immersive digital engagement, and co-created public programming respectively- Enhance cultural output by diversifying programming, adopting digital tools, and fostering inclusive leadership ensuring greater equality of access to culture for lower socio-economic groups through large-scale public celebrations/installations outwith the city centre.- Improve resilience by adapting business models, introducing new governance models , diversifying income, and fostering workforce well-being. Key strategies include financial diversification, operational flexibility, and strong community engagementEligible costs:- Additional staffing costs to deliver the proposed activity.- All project costs directly related to the delivery of the proposed activity.- Professional fees directly related to delivery.- Project management and monitoring costs (capped).

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.

The Culture & Business Scotland Fund is designed to encourage collaboration between business and culture by enabling not-for-profit organisations to give their for-profit business sponsors additional rights or benefits, helping to enhance the impact and reach of the sponsorship and cultural activity.Not-for-profit organisations delivering cultural activity for the benefit of public audiences in Scotland can apply to the Fund for up to £1 for every £1 of business sponsorship. Organisations can apply up to two times in the financial year, provided the total Fund investment does not exceed £10,000.They welcome applications which relate to one or more of the following cultural forms:- Animation - Archaeology - Archives & Collections - Art & Health - Combined Arts - Community Heritage - Craft - Dance - Design - Fashion - Festival - Film & TV - Galleries - Historic Buildings & Monuments - Industrial, Maritime, Transport - Intangible Cultural Heritage - Land & Biodiversity - Libraries - Literature - Museums - Music - Street Arts - Theatre - Visual ArtsFunding must support cultural activities that directly engage a public audience, such as performances, exhibitions, productions, seasons of work, or public presentations.Fund investment cannot be used for capital projects (for example, building or renovation work). However, a business sponsor may contribute to those costs if the matched Fund investment is used for audience-facing cultural activity.

The Glasgow Climate Action Hub with support from Foundation Scotland are making funding available for projects in Glasgow to be delivered between November 2026 and June 2027.Adaptation is anything that makes communities more resilient and able to cope with these changes. The simplest example of adaption is planting trees. If it’s done right, they can provide shade in the summer and help reduce flooding after storms.

Running from August 2026 to December 2027, the New FWDF initiative contributes to Scotland’s mission to increase earned incomes and eradicate child poverty by investing in colleges. This targeted investment equips colleges to upskill in-work parents, carers, young people and other priority groups, boosting household incomes for those in, or at risk of, in-work poverty. Simultaneously, it helps employers to close skills gaps, adopt Fair Work practices, and drive business productivity.This fund is specifically aimed at low-income parents, carers, disabled and care-experienced young people within the workforce, and employer partnership is essential.The key objectives of this funding are to:- **Break the cycle of poverty:** Support parents/carers in low-income households to enter, sustain, and progress in employment by providing college-based, employment-focused learning opportunities. These should be timetabled in a family-friendly way. This should equip people with skills to enter or progress in work, fostering collaborative multi-agency partnerships, and supporting existing ESOL provision in colleges.- **Provide “wraparound” support:** Deliver holistic “Whole Family Support” to address structural barriers like childcare and transport, ensuring learner choice and direct upskilling opportunities for low-paid workers are available to drive career progression.Funding is for 2026-27 only at this stage. Future funding is subject to confirmation by the Scottish Government.

The Community Enterprise Fund is a funding programme that helps community organisations to start trading or set up social enterprises in Scotland. It offers grants to be spent over 6 months. Funding comes from the Scottish Government’s Social Entrepreneurs Fund (SEF).The Community Enterprise Fund is for you if your group wants to begin trading activities or set up a social enterprise so you can generate income, become more financially resilient, reduce reliance on grant funding and be better equipped to support your community.Your community group is ready to apply for a CE award if it can demonstrate:- A strong business model- showing how the idea will generate income, so it does not rely on grants in the long term.- A clear social impact– demonstrating that your group has identified a social or environmental issue they want to tackle.- A determined and motivated team – SEF focuses on the people involved in the idea, so we want you to tell us about the skills, knowledge, and passion within their team for the issue they are tackling and how these will help to make the idea a success.Your proposal must:- Be or plan to be a social enterprise – i.e. an asset-locked organisation where all profits will be reinvested into the business and its social aims (no private individuals or bodies can benefit from the assets or uncapped dividends of the business)- Be in the early stages of development – i.e. the ‘start-up’ phase and not yet regularly trading- Request eligible costs associated with starting up a social enterprise- Cover a 6-month period, with a timetable for spending the funds by the end of that period- Detail how the enterprise will become financially sustainable through trading as opposed to grant income.- Provide direct, measurable social impact to individuals, communities, and/or the environment- If the proposed social enterprise requires premises before it can start trading, demonstrate that you have found suitable premises and obtained an agreement in principle from the owner/landlord.The grant can be used for most start-up and development costs -- see website for details.

Go See Share is a small fund for individuals, organisations and creative businesses to explore new ways to expand their business activity and make them more financially sustainable. The aim of this fund is to help recipients undertake trips or remote meetings, allowing them to gain knowledge and insight, build relationships, and to share this knowledge back in Scotland.They are looking to support visits that will help you to consider the ways you could expand your business activity and increase your economic sustainability. This learning should also help the creative communities you will share with to do the same. Examples include:- Local, national and international trips to see examples of best practice or new business models in operation- Remote meetings which help you to research best practice or alternative business models- Relevant event, festival, and professional development opportunities that will support your business development, business practices or business sustainability- Visits to a person, organisation or business, to explore new ways of workingFunding can be used to support business sustainability, such as:- Travel and accommodation costs- Relevant event or conference tickets- Time to attend meetings with other businesses or individuals you feel you can learn from- Time to prepare presentations and materials for sharing Proposed activity should take place between May to October 2025.

The Childcare Support Fund is a single-year grant for 2026 to 2027 designed to support low-income families who are living in poverty or at risk of living in poverty by helping them manage the cost of childcare and reduce financial pressures at key times.This grant funds short-term, flexible childcare through registered childcare providers, to support low income families living in, or at risk of, poverty at key times when childcare costs create financial pressure or are a barrier to employment, training or learning.Funding will be used to fund flexible, short-term childcare through registered childcare providers at key points of transition or challenge. This includes circumstances such as disruptions to existing childcare arrangements, changes in working or family circumstances, or where support is needed to access education or training.You can use this funding for: - paying a childcare provider who is registered with the Care Inspectorate, for services provided to families who are participating in this project. This payment will result in a subsidised or fully funded place for a child - some staff costs, including those required to engage and support families, agree childcare requirements, and co-ordinate provision of and payment for childcare services- other reasonable project delivery and equipment costs All funding must be spent by 31 March 2027.