Search

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.

The Scottish Government’s Ecosystem Fund is designed to back programmes and organisations that help new businesses start, grow and scale, and plays a central role in strengthening the entrepreneurial infrastructure across the country. It provides grants to organisations that are driving entrepreneurial growth and innovation across Scotland.Funding is available to support projects that:- Expand access to entrepreneurship for underrepresented groups.- Deliver skills development, mentorship, and collaboration.- Boost Scotland's visibility as a global hub for startups.- Increase access to funding and investment opportunities.- Encourage innovation.The Fund is opportunity-focused, seeking initiatives that do not duplicate existing activity but fill gaps in the current ecosystem offering in Scotland. It is committed to supporting initiatives that enhance diversity, inclusion and accessibility within Scotland's entrepreneurial community. All proposed activity must be delivered, and all project costs incurred by 31st March 2026.

The Social Enterprise Just Transition Fund aims to finance organisations, businesses, communities and individuals to transition to net zero, creating jobs in low carbon industries and contributing to the region’s future prosperity.Applicants must deliver at least one of the following outcomes:- Decarbonisation and efficiencies: contribute to resource efficient and sustainable economic approaches that actively encourage decarbonisation, support low-carbon investment and infrastructure, and avoid carbon 'lock-in'- Citizens, communities and place: support affected regions by empowering and invigorating communities and strengthening local economies;- Jobs, skills and education: equip people with the skills, education and retraining required to support retention and creation of access to green, fair and high-value work- Fair distribution of costs and benefits: address existing economic and social inequality by sharing the benefits of climate action widely, while ensuring that the costs are distributed on the basis of ability to pay- Business and economy: support a strong, dynamic and productive economy which creates wealth and high quality employment across Scotland, upholds the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and continues to make Scotland a great place to do business- Adaptation and resilience: identify key risks from climate change and set out actions to build resilience to these risks, ensuring our economy is flexible, adaptable and responsive to the changing climate- Further equality and human rights: address fuel poverty and child poverty in a manner consistent with Scotland's statutory targets on each, while furthering wider equality and human rights across all protected characteristics- Environmental protection and restoration: commit to act within our planetary boundaries while protecting and restoring our natural environment.

The Community Choices Small Grants programme offers community groups the opportunity to suggest project and activity ideas they want to make happen and to receive public funds in their ward to do it. The programme supports groups with a project idea that will make a difference to people living in the Falkirk area.The priorities for community grant funding are:- People: Projects that foster good community relationships between people. Projects working with people who are disadvantaged or with protected characteristics are more likely to be successful particularly if the application can provide evidence of how people are coming together to improve relationships between people and communities.- Place: Projects that encourage people to take pride in their community. Projects that clearly set out the history or culture of the community they are celebration are more likely to be successful. - Partnership: Projects that support the Council's approach to early intervention by providing services so that people can live full, independent and positive lives.

The fund welcomes applications from organisations that make a difference across a range of areas: - Community Buildings – projects which maintain and develop buildings being used and run by the community, especially projects which help ensure their sustainability for the future.- Community transport initiatives.- Conservation, wildlife and animal sanctuary projects – in particular those which improve communal land.- Education and skills development.- The elderly – projects focused on improving access to activities and services.- Energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.- Health and sport – projects that help provide access to services that aim to improve the health and well-being of the local community.- Heritage – projects that celebrate protect and promote local culture, history and heritage.- Regeneration – community projects that help to reduce crime levels, increase employment, housing or the physical environment.- Self-help groups – community groups that deliver basic services.- Vulnerable people – projects which enable increased access to services and facilities for people with disabilities, the homeless and those disadvantaged.- Young people – projects which focus on improving access to services where young people can play a key role in decision making.The community fund is open to applications from groups and projects which benefit the communities living in the following community council areas: Crathes, Drumoak and Durris; Newtonhill, Muchalls & Cammachmore; North Kincardine Rural; Portlethen and District; Stonehaven and District.

The Early Years Parenting Fund will support organisations that improve the development of children most at risk of poor early childhood outcomes, by investing in effective, culturally grounded parenting support.The Fund aims to improve the development of children most at risk of poor Early Childhood Development (ECD) outcomes, by investing in effective parenting support. In this round they want to fund work that can clearly demonstrate its contribution to improving early childhood development for children aged newborn to five.The Early Years Parenting Fund is part of the Getting Started funding priority, which supports families to give young children a strong start in life. In this fund, ‘parents’ includes any caregiver.Starting where ECD outcome gaps are largest to support charitable organisations that do the strongest work in this space. There is significant evidence from UK Governments and What Works centres that shows that specific communities experience multiple barriers, including discrimination, lack of cultural sensitivity of services and limited outreach, in accessing and benefitting from mainstream early childhood services. Early years services and programmes have often focused on the widest audiences and change at scale rather than a targeted, community appropriate approach. This contributes to the high risk of poor early child outcomes that has persisted for specific groups over the past two decades. The Foundation aims to support improved outcomes for two groups: - Children from Black (Caribbean or African, Any Other Black), Pakistani, and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.- Children growing up in high levels of poverty, i.e. live in areas ranked within the most deprived 20% nationally. This is year one of a five year programme focussing on improving children’s outcomes via parenting support. They expect to adapt this fund during the next five years, for example, the next round in 2027 will focus on organisations with the same strong community connections but with developing evidence bases. Future rounds might focus on different parent groups.

This fund supports professional theatre and dance productions of varying scales to tour across Scotland. It aims to bring high quality performances to more places and people across Scotland, supporting a mix of artists, producers, venues and companies to develop audiences for Theatre and Dance. This includes outdoor, circus, interdisciplinary and site-specific work. It also aims to reduce risk for producers of tours by providing sufficient funding to cover all touring costs, and to reduce risk for venues and presenters by offering tours on a no-fee basis with a favourable box office income split. The fund supports the touring of brand-new productions and shows in development as well as providing an opportunity for work that has already been produced to be seen by a wider audience or to tour again. Funded work must be offered to venues at no cost, helping reduce risk and increase access.

The Glasgow Wellbeing Fund provides small grants for projects that improve mental wellbeing for adults in the city. The fund aims to support small to medium sized community groups, voluntary organisations and social enterprises to deliver mental wellbeing projects across the city’s diverse communities. It is resourced by the Scottish Government, and part of the national Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund.The fund’s primary focus is to support projects that help and support mental health and wellbeing. Counselling or therapy can be included, but priority will be given to more community-focused activities.Projects funded through the Glasgow Wellbeing Fund will need to demonstrate how they build one or more of seven wellbeing drivers: emotional resilience, strength and mindfulness; connection to others within the community; a sense of security, trust and being included; mobility and physical activity; a sense of purpose and being valued through volunteering, helping others, or paid work; support for people who are in distress; access to learning opportunities and the development of new skills and knowledge.Applicants should consider how their proposal contributes to promoting people’s human rights. Priority will be given to projects demonstrating that they work with groups of people who are routinely disadvantaged or excluded in society or have been particularly affected by the cost of living crisis. Community is the key word for applicants. Bringing people together to connect with and support each other is an absolute priority for the fund. Activity funded by the grant must last at least six months and be completed within 18 months from the award date.

Young people across the Scottish Borders are full of inspiring ideas to help tackle the climate crisis and promote community climate action– and SBCAN is here to help bring those ideas to life. They're inviting youth groups, schools, clubs and voluntary groups to apply for grants to run a project that makes a difference in your community. This fund will support projects or activities that include: - Community Action which benefits our planet- Developing Sustainable practices- Encouraging Climate Resilience and Adaptations- Learning new skills and discovering natureThey are particularly keen to support projects which show:- Youth-led projects where young people are involved in taking ownership and deciding what they want;- Collaborative working between groups;- Inter-generational working;- Groups that promote inclusive activity with under-represented groups;- Projects which support the young people to achieve recognition for their achievements- for example Dynamic Youth Award Climate Action Challenge/ John Muir Award/ Saltire Awards- A long-term vision for Climate Action within your school/ group.

The ARIA Fund empowers local communities to address their unique challenges. As part of the Scottish Government's Community Led Local Development (CLLD) programme, ARIA operates through a bottom-up decision-making process, with funding priorities and project selections determined by representatives from the local area who form the Local Action Group (LAG).There are 2 funds: the Main Fund, and Community Asset Maintenance Fund.Main Fund:Projects must demonstrate fit with at least one of the ARIA Fund priorities. These include:- Community Wealth Building- Quality of Life- Community Led Tourism (CLT) - Enterprise- Net ZeroCommunity Asset Maintenance Fund:The Community Asset Maintenance Fund supports the production of a property condition register (also known as a repairs register). This assesses the internal and external condition of the building and includes a costed schedule of repairs alongside a proposed maintenance plan with indicative dates for periodic upkeep (e.g., external decoration, gutter clearance, etc.). ARIA also offers a £2,000 sinking fund to help finance repairs.