Currently available and imminent funding and finance opportunities
CARES – Community Buildings Fund
Closes end October 2025. Provides grants to help community organisations reduce their building’s energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. It does this by funding the installation of renewable technologies like heat pumps, battery storage, and solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, as well as some energy efficiency measures.
National Lottery Awards for All Scotland
No deadline – applications ongoing. £300 – £20,000 for community-led projects, including improving community spaces and supporting those experiencing the cost-of-living crisis. Your project can be supported for 2 years and could fund things like one-off events, staff costs, running costs, small building projects and transport.
Community Learning Exchange
The Community Learning Exchange fund offers small sums of funding to enable visits which build mutual support across the community sector through peer to peer learning. The fund supports peer learning – virtually or in person – by covering the costs of a visit to another group or organisation to share learning and develop practice you would like to make happen in your community.
Bank of Scotland Foundation
2025 grants programme open for organisations addressing the needs and aspirations of vulnerable people – part of the 5 year strategy, Building a Brighter Future for Scotland. BOSF state that vulnerable people can be impacted by a range of factors such as their social, economic, geographic location, or physical circumstances.
Scotland’s Heat Network Fund
Open for expressions of interest with funding draw down by March 2026. Capital grants to develop heat network projects. Projects must contribute to Scotland’s zero direct emissions target and demonstrate social and economic benefits.
Paths for All – walking, travel, path improvements
No deadline – applications ongoing. £300 – £20,000 for community-led projects, including improving community spaces and supporting those experiencing the cost-of-living crisis. Your project can be supported for 2 years and could fund things like one-off events, staff costs, running costs, small building projects and transport.
Transport Grants – The Robertson Trust
Funding between £5,000 and £20,000 per year for 1-3 years. Rolling deadline.
For registered charities working in Scotland with an annual income of £30,000 to £2 million, that support people who are experiencing (or are at high risk of experiencing) poverty and trauma.
Transport Scotland – Network Support Grant
A discretionary grant that subsidises commercial and community bus routes. It aims to keep fares at affordable levels and networks more extensive than would otherwise be the case.
A payment is made per kilometre per bus to contribute to costs of running services.
The Pebble Trust
Up to £10,000. Ongoing.
Grants for projects which support a more sustainable and equal society, where reducing fossil fuels leads to a more localised economy with stronger, more resilient, communities that take account of climate change and the wider environment.
SafeDeposits Scotland Community Fund
This year the SafeDeposits Scotland Community Fund will award grants up to a maximum value of £5,000 to organisations who commit to deliver a project that meets at least one of five criteria, namely:
Sustainability and the environment; Employability and career skills; Social inclusion; Technology and digital inclusion; Improving the local community.
Local Area Funding
Check availability of targeted funding in your local area
Democratic Finance Scotland
Supports communities to raise money locally to take ownership of important community assets and run democratic, community-led businesses. Helps communities develop long term, independent income sources and foster community power and control.
DFS can support communities to secure local sources of money in the form of community shares, community bonds, grassroots legacy giving, local philanthropy and on-off community lotteries. Finance and investment training is also available.
Community Shares Scotland
Community members buy shares in enterprises providing goods and services that meet their needs. In turn, the enterprise is controlled and governed by the community it serves. Community shares have helped to launch and grow a wide range of thriving community businesses.
Most community share offers run for a limited time, allowing a sustained campaign to engage with the community and encourage them to invest.
Foundation Scotland
An independent funder, Foundation Scotland distributes funding and delivers social investment support, a form of tailored blended finance comprising loan and grant, to charities and community groups across Scotland.
They work in partnership with communities to maximise financing opportunities including local community benefit schemes.
Foundation Scotland also connect donors with communities to maximise meaningful value for both parties.
Triodos Bank Crowdfunding
Finance covers capital, revenue and core costs. The programme helps charities, social enterprises and community groups connect directly with investors to raise finance, e.g. charity bonds, community share and bond offers, secured and unsecured debt in the form of bonds.
Business Energy Scotland – SME loan scheme
Ongoing. £1,000 – £100,000 for heating, ventilation & aircon upgrades; lighting systems fitted; building fabric; water saving; waste reduction installs.
Open to SMEs, not-for-profit organisations, and charities.