Current Funding Opportunities
Working alongside the Scottish Government Forestry Grant Scheme, and the Woodland Carbon Code, the Future Woodlands Fund (FWF) offers land managers in Scotland a simple, low risk way to plant or regenerate native trees. Three options are open to applicants:
Woodland Creation (3-5ha)
Woodland Creation (3-100ha)
Ghost Woodlands option
Deadline:
Community Learning Exchange - Scottish Community Alliance
The Community Learning Exchange offers small pots of funding to support local community groups connect and share peer learning across Scotland. The best way to test and develop new ideas is to learn from people who are already on the journey themselves. It's also a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with new networks and partnerships. The programme funds individual and group visits up to £1000 per exchange, including a fee for the host organisation you'd like to visit. To be eligible, applicants can access the fund through the network organisations that comprise the Scottish Community Alliance.
Deadline:
Scottish Forestry Community Fund
This Community Fund supports groups and organisations that encourage people to use woods more. 2 levels of funding are available; 1 below £1000, and 1 above.
Deadline:
The Community Ownership Fund
The Community Ownership Fund is a £150 million fund over 4 years to support community groups across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland to take ownership of assets which are at risk of being lost to the community. It forms part of a substantial package of UK wide levelling-up interventions building opportunity and empowering communities to improve their local places.
Deadline: 31st March 2025
Highlands & Islands Community Climate Action Fund
The relaunched Community Climate Action Fund is now open. The fund supports either new community climate action projects, new groups to form or is available for community engagement on climate action. Up to £500 of funding is available per project. You can also request the support of your local development or community engagement officer to lend capacity to your project.
Also launching is the discretionary fund which doesn’t have a specific limit on the availability of funds. For discretionary funding we are looking for new and innovative projects which solve a community or climate emergency need.
Deadline:
Scottish Government Nature Restoration Fund (NRF)
The Nature Restoration Fund streams, Helping Nature, for grants of £25,000 to £250,000 and Transforming Nature, for grants of £250,000 upwards, including development phase funding, are both now open for Expressions of Interest.
Deadline: A rolling programme of funding
SSE Renewables Funds
SSE Renewables operates 38 community investment funds across the United Kingdom. Please click on the link below and located the Highlands and Islands drop down menu to find out about the funds in this area and how to apply for funding.
Deadline: Various
Foyle Foundation - small grants scheme
Our Small Grants Scheme is designed to support charities registered and operating in the United Kingdom, especially those working at grass roots and local community level, in any field, across a wide range of activities. Online applications can be accepted from charities that have an annual turnover of less than £150,000 per annum.
Deadline: Ongoing
The Schroder Charity Trust makes grants of up to £5,000 towards core and project costs to charities registered in the UK who deal with Arts, Culture and Heritage, Education, Training and Employment, Environment and Conservation, Health and Wellbeing, or Strengthening Communities.
Deadline: Ongoing
Ian Findlay Path Fund - Paths for All
This is a £1.5 million fund for the improvement of path networks to increase walking, wheeling and cycling, for a happier, healthier, greener Scotland. This grant fund is supported by Transport Scotland to improve paths, to make active travel easier and more attractive. This will encourage people to leave their cars at home for short journeys which will in turn benefit air quality, reduce CO2 emissions and improve our physical health and mental wellbeing. Grants from between £10,000 and £100,000 are available with 30% match funding required (15% can be in kind).
Deadline: Ongoing, however budget is restricted to each financial year so the earlier you get your application in, the better.
SafeDeposits Scotland Community Fund
Grants of up to £2,000 to organisations meeting at least one of five criteria:
Sustainability and the environment
Employability and career skills
Social inclusion
Technology and digital inclusion
Improving the local community
Grants will be awarded on a quarterly basis and interested parties are invited to submit an application to be considered for funding. Application form, rules, guidance and FAQs can be found at the link above.
Deadline: end March 2024.
Love Your Network grant – Sustrans
Do you have part of the National Cycle Network close to your community woodland? Funded by Scottish Government, for community groups to improve or enhance the spaces along their local National Cycleway Network (NCN) route for people or wildlife. Apply for equipment, training and expert advice.
Deadline: 5 Feb 2024
Mathew Good Foundation - Grants for Good Fund
Smaller community groups (income less than £50K in previous 12 months) can apply for grants of £2000 to £5000 for projects that have a positive impact on communities, people or the environment.
Deadline: Ongoing - £15 000 is shared between 5 shortlisted projects every 3 months