GrantRadar

The City of Edinburgh Council

Source to Ocean Action Recovery (SOAR) grant

Grants of £2,500 to £10,000 from the City of Edinburgh Council for community organisations running projects that inspire and educate residents about the ocean and Edinburgh's marine, coastal and watercourse environments, improving 'ocean literacy'. Applications open 19 October and close at midday on 30 November 2026; grants are paid in one up-front payment, and projects must start before March 2027 and finish by the end of 2027. Projects meeting more than one of the five assessment criteria, and applicants with relevant past projects, score higher.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£2,500 – £10,000
Deadline
41 days left
30 November
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Community organisations based in or operating within the City of Edinburgh that are involved with projects and initiatives about the sea, coast, marine or watercourse environments, including charities, community benefit organisations, sports clubs, heritage groups, conservation groups, parent councils, CICs and companies limited by guarantee
  • You must be a registered charity, company or unincorporated organisation with a constitution or articles showing charitable purposes or community benefit, that funds and assets go to another community benefit organisation on dissolution, and appropriate financial management (for example a bank account in the group's name needing at least two authorised signatories)
  • You must have capacity to start the project before March 2027 and complete it by the end of 2027

What it funds

Staff and material costs directly related to a defined project that inspires and educates residents about the importance of the ocean and Edinburgh's marine, coastal and watercourse environments. Examples include:

  • Beach-clean programmes that include an educational element for participants or space to reflect on their connection to the ocean (including costs for staff time during the defined project and associated equipment that can be kept for future reuse)
  • Interpretive signage for ocean, water and ecological literacy (this can include artist installations and sculptures)
  • Restoration events or habitat creation (hibernacula, basking banks, roosting platforms, birdboxes)
  • Community planting initiatives (staff time, materials for planting, plants and trees, tools and equipment)
  • Community environmental art workshops (staff time and materials for connection to nature sessions)
  • Citizen science workshops for Bio Blitz or species recording (staff time, venue hire, materials, equipment, monitoring)
  • Development of educational materials for source to ocean education
  • Education sessions with schools or young people

How to apply

  1. Download the SOAR application guidance, grant fund specification and application form
  2. Complete the application and specification documents in full and add the additional information requested
  3. Email everything as a Word document to climatechange@edinburgh.gov.uk by midday on 30 November 2026
  4. Successful applicants are notified from 16 December 2026, sign a funding agreement and receive one up-front payment
  5. Submit an end-of-project report (activity, outcomes, participant feedback, spend, lessons learned) within 2 weeks of the project ending and before the end of 2027

Have ready

  • SOAR application form (Word)
  • SOAR grant fund specification (Word)
  • Constitution or articles

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