Search

The National Lottery Open Fund for Organisations aims to support organisations who seek funding to undertake creative activity such as a specific project or production, a programme of creative work, or a period of research and development. The fund can also support business change and development projects, such as those that make the organisation more financially sustainable or focus on broader organisational development.The fund is intended to support creative activity such as a specific project or production, a programme of creative work, or a period of research and development. Examples of the types of activity that can be supported are:- Development, curation, production, presentation of new work- Networking and collaborative opportunities- Research and development - Organisational development activity, where the activity is likely to contribute to greater organisational sustainability, public engagement, environmental sustainability or the development of knowledge/skills within the organisation- Professional development (training, mentoring, skills development)- Activity that supports artists and addresses inequalities- Audience development- Widening participation and engagement in creative activity.For full details, see the Fund guidelines available on the Creative Scotland website.

This option has two distinct aims.1) Provides support for new access infrastructure that will bring small scale, undermanaged woodlands or inaccessible woodlands back into active management with the following aims: - to improve the economic value of forest and woodland through timber production- to increase the area of woodland in Scotland that is in sustainable management - to improve the environmental and social benefits of woodland.2) To provide support for new access infrastructure to new woodlands as part of the Sheep and Trees initiative. This initiative is aimed at raising awareness of the many opportunities woodland can bring to land managers.

Funding for youth-led projects that work with young people experiencing inequality to engage with them on the climate emergency. Eligible costs include:- Work that is currently underway and will continue into the grant funding period- Running costs, including overheads and energy costs.- Staff costs.- Equipment necessary to deliver the work you’re requesting support for.- Training costs for staff, volunteers and children and young people.- Venue hire.- Travel costs.- Other costs associated with removing barriers to access for children and young people.- Volunteer expenses.- Budget for young people-led project development.- Small scale capital costs.

The YMI Access to Music Making Fund supports individuals and organisations working in the youth music sector to create and deliver high-quality music making opportunities for children and young people across Scotland that address inequity.Activity will reach children and young people who are less likely to participate, this could include children and young people who:- reside in areas of social and economic deprivation, for more information visit the Scottish Government website- are experiencing or at risk of experiencing harm and neglect- are care experienced, for more information visit The Promise Scotland- are in the early years (0-5) of their life- are of the global majority and/or ethnic minorities- have disabilities/learning disabilities- are neurodivergent including autism, ADHD, Tourette's syndrome- are experiencing mental health illnesses such as depression, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, bipolar, schizophrenia, PTSD, eating disorders and addictive behaviours- have experience of the criminal justice system- are young carers (as defined by the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016) and/or young parents- are experiencing homelessness or who have been homeless.

The YMI Strengthening Youth Music Fund supports freelance individuals and organisations working in the youth music sector to deliver activities that will improve, develop and strengthen the sector, and the services offered to benefit children and young people across the country. It does not support music making activity directly with children and young people – this support is offered through the [Access to Music Making Fund](https://funding.scot/funds/a0Rb0000007YdkVEAS/).This fund can support applications that propose any type of activity intended to strengthen, improve and develop Scotland’s youth music sector and services for children and young people, which meet the purpose and criteria of the fund are welcomed. This activity could include, for example: - Partnership working between formal and non-formal sectors supporting networking at local or national level - Conferences, seminars or events sharing good practice or exploring issues pertinent to the youth music sector in Scotland - Development and/or pooling of resources that will widen access to music for children and young people - Delivery of action research projects that develop new approaches or methods of working - Activity that explores ways of creating progression opportunities for children and young people through partnerships between formal and non-formal sectors - Development of technology that will widen access to music for children and young people.

The Scottish Connections Fund offers funding to organisations to set up new projects to promote Scotland’s reputation and interests. It is open to individuals and organisations who consider themselves to have a Scottish connection.You must also be able to demonstrate that your project:- has a clear link to at least one commitment in the Scottish Connections Framework- bring together or contribute to interests across sectors of activity (live/work, study, visit, do business, culture) - those multiple links will attract additional weighting during the scoring process- will increase vibrancy, visibility or connectivity between Scottish diaspora communities outside Scotland, or with Scotland itself- has a credible communications plan that promotes Scotland’s reputation as a place to live, work, visit, study, and do business- promotes inclusion and diversity, for example working in historically marginalised communities and groups, such as with minority ethnic Scots and LGBTQ communities, or encouraging participation of women and young people- is co-funded, where possibleYou can use funding to pay for things directly related to the project, for example:- venue rental- IT hardware and software- learning materials- equipment and implementation costs- travel and accommodation costs where justifiableProjects must be completed by the end of March 2026.

The Scottish Government is clear that no one should suffer disadvantage as a result of military service. The Scottish Veterans Fund (SVF) was established by the Scottish Government in 2008 and has a broad remit to support projects that benefit ex-Service personnel and their families in Scotland. The SVF is particularly aimed at those projects that will help the veterans community to overcome any disadvantage experienced as a result of service; those supporting veterans and their families to achieve a successful transition to civilian life; and projects that aim to make Scotland the most attractive place to be for those leaving Service life.There are two funding streams for small scale / larger projects.

The Public Engagement Grant Scheme (PEGS) aims to support the IOP Limit Less campaign by improving the relationship with physics of young people and their influencers, including their parents and carers. This could be by showcasing relatable role models of those doing physics, actively challenging stereotypes and preconceptions, sharing positive messages about physics, and more!The grant looks to prioritise projects that reach families with young people under the age of 16 who identify with one or more of the following groups currently underrepresented in the physics community:- Girls and young women- Disabled young people- LGBT+ young people- Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds- Black Caribbean young people

The SURF Awards for Best Practice in Community Regeneration are organised and delivered by SURF in partnership with the Scottish Government.The purpose of the SURF Awards process is:- To recognise and reward best practice in communityregeneration;- To promote and disseminate best practice acrossScotland as means of sharing knowledge and experience, and thereby enhancing future policy and practice;- To highlight the important role that regeneration projects have in improving the wellbeing of individuals and communities.There are five categories of entry in the2026 SURF Awards:- Improving Scotland’s Places- Housing and Regeneration- Creative Regeneration- Removing Barriers to Employability- Community Led Regeneration

The Voluntary Sector Development Fund (VSDF) contributes to the costs associated with meeting required registration qualification criteria set by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and to help employers in achieving a qualified workforce.The fund contributes to costs associated with staff meeting the required registration qualification criteria set by the SSSC. They would particularly like small and medium-sized organisations to apply. Workers eligible for support this year are: social care workers at the level of support worker, practitioner and supervisor, providing care at home service, housing support service or care home service for adults.Funding is available for SVQ Social Services and Healthcare at SCQF level 6 or 7. For 2026-2027, the SSSC and Scottish Government would encourage level 7 applications to support supervisors who have had an extension to their qualification condition and still have to gain their practice qualification.