FOCUS ON – FUNDING

Local Support Micro Grants
Micro Grants is for grassroots and community-based groups in Scotland which deliver frontline services to support people affected by alcohol and drugs, people who are in recovery and/or their families. The fund is open to Scottish charities, social enterprises or constituted community / voluntary groups that operate on a not-for-profit basis, with an annual income of up to £75,000 and organisations can apply for between £1,000 and £15,000 per year to fund work until April 2029. Access the fund

Energy Saving Trust
The fund aims to build the capacity of the community energy sector and deliver impactful renewable energy projects. It seeks to demonstrate how a transition to net zero can benefit everyone. The scheme will fund new projects through multiple funding streams: The Main Fund, The Impact Fund, The Small Project Fund, the Innovation Fund, Carbon Emissions Reduction Fund and Just Transition fund. Access the fund

AMW Charitable Trust
The trust has a wide range of areas they focus on and include: religion, education, training, instruction and culture, promotion of wellbeing, relief of poverty, misery, neglect, suffering, sickness, infirmity, age distress, physical and mental disabilities. The funder gives priority to applications from the West of Scotland. Apply via email to the trust outlining your project aims. Email Alasdair: alasdair.stratton@kpmg.co.uk

The Traditional Arts and Culture Fund
Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland works to promote, develop, and sustain traditional music, song, storytelling, dance and crafts across the country, supporting artists, communities, and organisations at all levels. Applications to the Traditional Arts and Culture Fund are welcome from both organisations and individuals. The fund is designed to support traditional artists and organisations to create, perform, tour, and showcase work, as well as to develop professional skills and learning opportunities. The fund offers small grants of up to £1,200. You can access the Access the fund 

£3.5m to support underserved businesses
Social Investment Scotland has secured £3.5 million from the British Business Bank to provide loans to smaller businesses in underserved communities across parts of Scotland. The Edinburgh-based lender will use the funding to offer loans of between £25,001 and £125,000 through the Bank’s Community Enable Funding programme. SIS has become the eighth Community Development Finance Institution accredited under the programme, and the first with a specific focus on Scotland. The organisation provides debt finance and business support to charities, social enterprises and smaller firms that can struggle to access mainstream lending. The pilot phase will target Glasgow, Argyll and Bute, West Dunbartonshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, East Ayrshire and Inverclyde. Read more here

The Robertson Trust – Supporting Resilience Fund
The Supporting Resilience Fund is the Robertson Trust’s latest Funder Plus support offer to their grant holders. Open to existing holders of Small Grants, the fund offers funding of between £2,000-£10,000 for one year. The fund is focused on supporting their grant holders to become strong and resilient organisations which can embrace opportunities and overcome challenges. Funding will enable organisations to invest internally for their growth and development. To access higher levels of funding (£7k–10k), they ask organisations to provide a comprehensive plan of work that addresses the root causes of the issues they face. They will only fund work which addresses organisational resilience and/ or staff resilience and wellbeing. You can read the full guidance here