Investing in Communities

Bringing real improvements to communities, tackling need and addressing inequalities

Facts about this funding programme
Areas	Application open/close dates	Minimum / maximum grants	Total available
Scotland	30 June 2010 - 30 June 2015	£10,000 - £1 million

Summary of the programme

There are three investment areas which make up Investing in Communities:

Growing Community Assets aims to help communities have more control and influence over their own future through ownership of assets
Life Transitions aims to support projects that help people at key times of change, helping them to make their lives better for the future
Supporting 21^st Century Life aims to support projects that build stronger families and stronger communities.

We want this funding to have a real impact on need and have therefore identified specific priorities and outcomes for our funding for each of these strands. These are set out in the Guidance Notes Automatically imported binary.
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We will also provide targeted support and/or development funding.

Equalities, environment and empowerment

In order to bring about lasting change, equalities, empowerment and the environment must be at the heart of the projects we support. We believe that they are connected and that communities and organisations that take them to heart will be stronger and achieve better outcomes in the long term. Before you apply we want you to consider equalities, empowerment and the environment in the design and delivery of your project. We will ask you about these as part of our stage two assessment, and we will work with funded projects to help improve practice in these areas.

Are you eligible?

We can fund a wide range of organisations including voluntary and community organisations, local authorities and community councils, social enterprises and private companies (provided our grants do not contribute to the profits they distribute). We cannot fund individuals or sole traders.

Please remember that there are additional requirements for organisations applying to Growing Community Assets

What to do next

Before you apply we strongly advise you to contact us on 0300 123 7110 or by email at enquiries.scotland@biglotteryfund.org.uk to discuss your idea. We will tell you if we think your project fits with our investment area outcomes and will advise you on the next step. If you think you are eligible to apply, look at our apply page .
Visit our applicant help area where you can find additional guidance on outcomes, full costs recovery and how to carry out an options appraisal.
Questions about Investing in Communities phase two? Find out more