Scottish Government Launches £11.5m Investing in Communities Fund

The Scottish Government has launched a new fund as part of its Empowering Communities Programme. The funding is intended to empower Scotland’s communities so that they can tackle poverty, inequality and disadvantage on their own terms, in turn supporting inclusive growth.

The fund supports a range of activity through a staged funding approach, enabling communities to:

Build community capacity and strengthen community anchor organisations.

Better understand and identify their local aspirations and priorities.

Increase active inclusion and develop opportunities for enhanced engagement for groups who are more vulnerable and harder to reach.

Create local plans and proposals in collaboration with partners.

Prioritise local budgets and access funds.

Develop local assets, services and projects that respond to the needs of the people in their communities.

Deliver community-led solutions that tackle priorities that matter most to communities.

Develop local interventions which offer opportunities and pathways for social and community integration.

Successful applications for new projects awarded in 2019/20 will be expected to commence in autumn 2019 and end no later than 31 March 2022.

The total fund value for each of the years 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 is approximately £11.5 million, subject to confirmation following the outcome of the annual spending reviews.

Grants of up to £250,000 are available over three years recognising the need for longer term planning in some projects. The minimum grant is £3,000.

Eligible applicants include community anchor organisations, community councils and third sector organisations that promote or improve the interests of their local communities, and community social enterprises that re-invest profits generated for the sustainable and lasting benefit of the local communities being supported.

Commenting on the new fund, Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said:

“We know that the best people to decide how to tackle local challenges are the people who live and work in the area.

“The introduction of this flexible, multi-year fund is the result of listening to the views of people in many different communities. It will enable community groups to make sustainable and impactful changes by providing them with the resources they need, when they need them.

“It will empower communities to have more control over of their own affairs and take forward more of the activities they have identified as being vital to their local area.”

The deadline for applications is 14 June 2019 (6pm).

More information about this funding opportunity and the application process is available on the GRANTfinder funding information platform. GRANTfinder provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on funding news and policy. To find out more about how GRANTfinder can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.