Investing In Ideas
Funding to develop your promising ideas into successful projects
This programme is open to applications.
| Areas: | Application open/close dates | Minimum / maximum grants | Total available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 31 January 2006 - See programme details | £500 - £10,000 | £4.6 Million |
Summary of the programme
Do you have an idea that could help benefit your local community but do not know if it would work? The Big Lottery Fund has money to invest and we want to use it to turn your ideas into reality. We want to invest in Scotland’s communities – and we want you to come to us with ideas we can invest in.
The Scotland Committee is keen to continue funding the development of ideas, so Investing in Ideas will be open for applications using the current form and guidance materials until March 2010.
We have an additional £1.3 million to invest in the development of project ideas. So, would you like to start up a new activity for older people in your area but do not know if people would back it and make it viable? Investing In Ideas could help you carry out a survey and see if there is support for your idea.
Or maybe you want to bring an existing building into community ownership and need to explore the feasability of the project? Investing in Ideas could pay for a feasability study to help you find out if the idea would work.
Investing in Ideas can award grants of £500 to £10,000 to test and develop ideas that could eventually become fully-fledged projects. Investing in Ideas could pay for the things that can turn your basic idea into a well-planned project including:
- market research
- feasibility studies
- business planning
- training for your committee
- exchange visits in the UK to see how other projects work
- community consultation
- professional advice
- technical reports and scheme design studies
It is important that your idea has the potential to fit with one of our four areas of investment. More information on these can be found in the Investing in Communities section.
Please note that although Investing in Communities is now closed, projects applying to Investing in Ideas still need to demonstrate a fit with an investment area.
Got the idea?
What to do next
Questions about Investing in Ideas? Find out more.
Not eligible for a Investing in Ideas? Browse our other programmes
Contact
- If you’d like to discuss your idea to see if we’re likely to help you develop it, phone us on 0870 240 2391
- If you’d like to apply to Investing in Ideas and need a hardcopy of the application materials call 0845 606 11 99.
Application walkthrough
Get an overview of the application process.
