GrantRadar

The National Lottery Community Fund

Fairer Life Chances

The National Lottery Community Fund's Scotland programme for projects that help children, young people and families thrive, or help people have better relationships, connections and physical or mental health, focusing on people experiencing poverty, disadvantage or discrimination. Grants are £20,001 to £500,000 for up to 5 years; most will be £250,000 or less, and around £100,000 for organisations that have not had long-term funding before. Projects must be designed with the people they serve, and you start by contacting a funding officer.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£20,001 – £500,000
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Heavy
budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

  • Organisations running projects in Scotland: constituted voluntary or community organisations, constituted groups or clubs, registered charities, SCIOs, not-for-profit companies, community interest companies, community benefit societies and public sector bodies such as local authorities
  • All need at least 3 unrelated board or committee members
  • Organisations of all sizes and levels of experience can apply
  • Not eligible: individuals and sole traders, organisations based outside the UK, companies that can pay profits to directors, shareholders or members (including companies limited by shares), applications on behalf of another organisation, and applying to more than one Fund programme for the same project over the same period
  • Current holders of Community Led, Improving Lives or Cost of Living Support Scotland grants should get in touch about 6 months before their funding ends

What it funds

New or existing projects in Scotland meeting at least one outcome:

  • Children, young people and families thrive
  • People have better relationships, connections and physical or mental health
  • Projects should support people experiencing poverty, disadvantage or discrimination, for example children and young people affected by poverty, mental health issues, disability or social exclusion (including care-experienced and homeless young people), and adults who are isolated or lonely, unpaid carers, disabled or living with health conditions, in financial hardship, survivors of abuse, or socially excluded
  • Projects must be designed, delivered and led with the people they are for
  • Costs can include:
  • Equipment
  • One-off events
  • Staff
  • Training
  • Transport
  • Utilities
  • Volunteer expenses
  • A fair share of overheads (full cost recovery)
  • Capital of up to £50,000 for minor building repairs and improvements, though projects cannot be mainly capital

Match funding is preferred for larger grants but not required.

What it will not fund

  • Projects centred on campaigning
  • Employability projects
  • Legal advice
  • Therapy-only services
  • Healthcare that should be provided by the NHS
  • Mainly capital projects (capital limited to £50,000)
  • Costs already incurred
  • Alcohol
  • Contingency
  • Paying someone to write the application
  • Fundraising costs
  • Recoverable VAT
  • Religious activities (secular community projects run by religious organisations are allowed)
  • Statutory services
  • Tutoring during school hours
  • International travel or projects outside the UK
  • Profit-making activities
  • Cash payments to individuals

How to apply

  1. Contact the Fund's Scotland team to discuss your idea (email advicescotland@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk or call 0300 123 7110, 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday); no preparation is needed
  2. A funding officer gets back to you within 10 working days and discusses the amount and length of funding; if eligible you are sent a link to the online application
  3. Complete the application with organisation details, latest accounts (or 12-month projections if under 15 months old), annual income and expenditure, and details of 2 unrelated UK-resident contacts
  4. Agree to the terms and conditions and submit
  5. A decision usually takes around 12 weeks
  6. If successful, sign the funding agreement, send recent bank statements and complete an induction call before starting

Support with applications is available from local authorities and Third Sector Interfaces.

Have ready

  • Latest annual accounts, or 12-month financial projections if the organisation is under 15 months old
  • Safeguarding policy if working with children, young people or vulnerable adults

Recent bank statements are needed after an award, before the project starts.

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