North-east communities urged to apply for Crown Estate funding
A £425,000 fund designed to support projects and ideas which benefit the environment and local communities has opened for its fifth round of applications.
Crown Estate Scotland’s Sustainable Communities Fund, set up in 2020, has already delivered more than £1.4 million in valuable support to people across the country, including 12 affordable housing projects which have shared in more than £400,000.
The Fund consists of two grant programmes:
• Community Capacity Grants - open to all communities within five miles of Scotland’s coastline, or one of Crown Estate Scotland’s four rural estates. Early-stage financial support is available for community projects that will contribute to local regeneration and sustainable development. Grants will range between £20,000 and £50,000, with a total of £300,000 being made available in this year of the programme.
• Environment Grants - available to Crown Estate Scotland tenants, providing grants of between £5000 and £20,000 for projects which can deliver demonstrable environmental benefits within 18 months of an award being made. A total of £125,000 is available this year.
The success of the fund in bringing about major improvements to communities across the country has led Crown Estate Scotland to increase the level of funding, with an extra £100,000 being made available in recent years.
A wide range of projects and initiatives have benefitted from the Sustainable Communities Fund in recent years.
Penny Coles, head of partnerships for Crown Estate Scotland, said: “Over the past four years the Sustainable Communities Fund has provided an incredible £1.4 million in the form of practical support to a diverse array of projects across Scotland, helping people and their communities to achieve the priorities most important to them locally.
“We’re now looking for new applications so that even more people can get the support to turn their aspirations and ideas into reality.”
Full details on the application process and how grants will be allocated can be found here.
The deadline for Expressions of Interest for the Community Capacity Grants Programme, which is administered by Foundation Scotland, is Monday, September 23.
The deadline for the Environment Grants Programme, which is administered by Crown Estate Scotland, is Monday, October 23.
