GrantRadar

The National Lottery Community Fund

National Lottery Awards for All Scotland

Grants of £300 to £20,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund, delivered in partnership with sportscotland and Creative Scotland, for community-led projects in Scotland lasting up to 2 years. Projects focused on sport or the arts can get up to £10,000 for work lasting up to 12 months. Funding can start or continue an activity, help an organisation adapt, or run one-off events, and can cover the organisation's running costs. It is open all year with decisions within 12 weeks, and organisations with smaller incomes are prioritised.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£300 – £20,000
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Constituted voluntary or community organisations, constituted groups or clubs, registered charities, CIOs (including SCIOs), not-for-profit companies, CICs, community benefit societies, schools (only if the project benefits the wider community, not just the school), and statutory bodies including local authorities and town, parish and community councils
  • There is no income limit, but organisations with smaller annual incomes are prioritised and those with larger incomes are less likely to be funded
  • Applicants must have at least two unrelated board or committee members or directors (not married, in a civil partnership, in a long-term relationship, living together or of the same family); the senior contact, who is legally responsible for the grant, must not be related to the main contact
  • The funder's general requirements are a governing document, a UK bank or building society account in the organisation's legal name managed by at least two unrelated people, and yearly accounts (organisations under 15 months old without accounts can still apply)
  • You cannot apply while you hold an unfinished grant from this programme or are awaiting a decision on another application to it; you can reapply once your project is complete if you have received less than £20,000 from the programme in the last 12 months
  • Organisations already funded by Creative Scotland should email Communities@creativescotland.com before applying
  • Projects must take place in Scotland

What it funds

Community-led projects that do at least one of:

  • Bring people together to build strong relationships in and across communities
  • Improve the places and spaces that matter to communities
  • Help more people reach their potential by supporting them at the earliest possible stage
  • Support people, communities and organisations facing more demands because of the cost-of-living crisis

Funding can start a new activity, keep an existing one going, help an organisation adapt to new or future challenges, run one-off events, or help communities connect with nature and be more environmentally sustainable.

Eligible costs include running costs for your organisation, one-off events, equipment, staff and training costs, transport and utilities, volunteer expenses and small land or refurbishment projects.

Some non-party-political campaigning can be funded.

Sports projects (up to £10,000, 12 months) are prioritised when they involve people on low incomes or experiencing poverty, people with mental health conditions, people over 50, ethnic minority communities, girls and young women, or disabled people.

Arts, film or creative projects (up to £10,000, 12 months) are prioritised when they reduce barriers to access, come from people or places that receive less Creative Scotland funding, and pay artists at least the recommended rate; projects that only ask for equipment or materials are less likely to be prioritised.

What it will not fund

  • Costs you have already paid for
  • Alcohol
  • Contingency costs, loans, endowments or interest
  • Paying someone else to write your application
  • Activities that make a profit or raise money
  • VAT you can reclaim
  • Religious activities (religious organisations can be funded if the project benefits the wider community and has no religious content)
  • Statutory services or activities
  • Schoolwork support during school hours
  • Overseas travel, or projects that take place outside the UK
  • Activities that make a private profit
  • Giving cash directly to individuals
  • Projects where political activities are the main purpose, or party-political activity
  • School curriculum activities, anything that should happen during the school day, improvements to school buildings, grounds or equipment, school staff training, school trips, after-school clubs or alternative learning environments
  • Applications from individuals, sole traders, for-profit companies (including companies limited by shares), organisations based outside the UK, or organisations applying on behalf of another organisation
  • Applications written for you by private businesses or consultants
  • Applications from organisations with an unfinished Awards for All Scotland grant, or waiting for a decision on another application to this programme
  • Applying to more than one of the funder's programmes for the same project
  • Applying to this fund and another Creative Scotland fund for the same project
  • More than £20,000 in total from this programme in any 12-month period
  • More than £10,000, or work lasting more than 12 months, for arts or sports projects

How to apply

  1. Read the National Lottery Awards for All Scotland guidance pages (who can apply, who cannot apply, what we need to know, what you can spend the money on) and check your organisation and project are eligible
  2. Involve your community in shaping the project (for example surveys, meetings or talking to local organisations), as the form asks how the community is involved
  3. Optionally review the complete list of application questions on the funder's preview page
  4. Create or sign in to an account on the funder's online application portal and complete the online form (you can save and return); it covers the project, costs by category, organisation details, a senior contact and a main contact, bank details and EDI monitoring
  5. Upload a bank statement dated within the last 3 months, agree to the terms and conditions and submit, at least 12 weeks before you need the funding
  6. The funder reviews the application and may contact you to discuss it; a decision is given within about 12 weeks
  7. If successful you are emailed and the grant is paid into your account within 14 days; you can start the project once you receive the award email

Do not start the project or spend money before approval; costs already paid for are not funded.

If you cannot use the online form, Easy Read, PDF and British Sign Language versions of the form and guidance are available on request. You can also describe your project by video.

For help deciding what to apply for or how, email AdviceScotland@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk or speak to a Funding Officer on 0300 123 7110.

If your organisation already receives Creative Scotland funding, email Communities@creativescotland.com before applying.

Have ready

  • Bank statement dated within the last 3 months, in the organisation's legal name, showing the address it is sent to, the bank's name and logo, account number and sort code and the date range (a bank welcome letter is accepted for accounts opened in the last 3 months, or a transaction listing with the same details)

Nothing else is uploaded, but you need a governing document, a safeguarding policy if working with children, young people or vulnerable adults, your financial year end and latest annual income, and names, home addresses, dates of birth and separate email addresses for two unrelated contacts (a senior contact who is a board/committee member or director, and a main contact), both living in the UK, for identity checks. If you do not own land or a building you are working on, you need a lease of five years or more (or a letter promising one) and the owner's written permission.

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