The Scottish Government

Charity Number: CUSTOM_F43A6149

Annual Expenditure: £1000.0M

Stay updated on changes from The Scottish Government and other funders

Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.

Free Email Updates

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1+ billion to voluntary sector
  • Success Rate: 47% (Scottish Welfare Fund Community Care Grants, 2024-25)
  • Decision Time: 2 days to 3 months (varies by program)
  • Grant Range: £59.75 - £200,000+ (varies significantly by program)
  • Geographic Focus: Scotland-wide, with some programs targeting disadvantaged/island communities

Contact Details

Website: https://www.gov.scot

Main funding database: https://funding.scot (managed by SCVO)

Scottish Welfare Fund: Contact local council (administered locally)

  • North Lanarkshire: 0300 555 0405, swf@northlan.gov.uk
  • Aberdeen City: 0800 03 04 713

Pre-application support: Available through SCVO and local council officers depending on the program

Overview

The Scottish Government is Scotland's devolved government, operating since 1999. It provides over £1 billion annually to the voluntary sector, making it the single most important funder for Scotland's third sector organizations. The government administers numerous grant programs across diverse policy areas including community empowerment, marine conservation, energy efficiency, social care, education, and poverty reduction. In February 2025, the Scottish Government announced a landmark Fairer Funding pilot providing £61.7 million in 2025-26 and £63.2 million in 2026-27 through multi-year funding agreements to 45 organizations, marking a strategic shift toward providing greater financial stability to charities. Led by the Minister for Public Finance, the government emphasizes clear strategic vision, measurable outcomes, and targeting Scotland's most disadvantaged communities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Fairer Funding Pilot (2025-27)

  • £61.7m - £63.2m annually across 45 grants
  • Multi-year funding for organizations working on child poverty, health, education, and culture
  • Application method: Invitation-based pilot
  • Recipients include Scottish Refugee Council, Homeless Network Scotland, Poverty Alliance, MCR Pathways, Dyslexia Scotland, Samaritans

Investing in Communities Fund (ICF)

  • £10,000 - £250,000+ over three years
  • Distributed almost £30m to 276 projects (2019-22)
  • Targets Scotland's most disadvantaged communities
  • Application method: Competitive rounds when open (currently closed)

Aspiring Communities Fund

  • Total fund: £24.8 million
  • Supports community bodies and third sector organisations in deprived and fragile communities
  • Application method: Competitive rounds when open (currently closed)

Volunteering Support Fund 2025-27

  • Up to £20,000 over two years
  • Requires recruitment of minimum 21 volunteers (13 experiencing disadvantage)
  • For small to medium third sector organisations
  • Application method: Online application

Marine Fund Scotland 2025-26

  • Grant amounts vary
  • Supports fishing businesses and marine organizations
  • Deadline: First round closes 22 July 2025
  • Projects must complete by 31 March 2026
  • Application method: Marine Scotland Funding Portal
  • Quote requirements: 2 quotes for £1,500-£5,000; 3 quotes for £5,000-£50,000

Scottish Welfare Fund

  • Community Care Grants: Variable amounts for household items, moving costs
  • Crisis Grants: Emergency payments, £59.75 Winter Heating Payment
  • Decision time: Crisis Grants within 2 working days; Community Care Grants within 15 working days
  • Application method: Through local councils, rolling basis

Autistic Adult Support Fund

  • £40,000 - £200,000 per year
  • Runs October 2025 to March 2028
  • Facilitated by Inspiring Scotland

Learning Disability Support Fund

  • Runs October 2025 to March 2028
  • For Scottish not-for-profit organisations

Energy Efficiency Programs

  • Resource Efficiency Support Programme: For charities reducing energy, material, and water costs
  • Scotland's Heat Network Fund: For district and communal heat systems
  • Recent awards: £41,000-£60,000 annual savings achieved by funded projects

Ecosystem Fund

  • Up to £40,000
  • For organisations driving entrepreneurial growth and innovation

Priority Areas

  • Child poverty eradication: Primary focus of Fairer Funding pilot
  • Community empowerment: Projects in disadvantaged and fragile communities
  • Climate and sustainability: Marine conservation, energy efficiency, net zero transition
  • Social care: Adult social care, learning disabilities, autism support
  • Health and wellbeing: Mental health, crisis support
  • Education: Early learning, childcare, free school meals
  • Volunteering: Supporting volunteer recruitment and development
  • Island communities: Infrastructure and development projects
  • Innovation and enterprise: Entrepreneurial growth in Scotland

What They Don't Fund

Scottish Welfare Fund Exclusions:

  • Debts (except pre-paid fuel meter emergencies)
  • Arrears of rent, mortgage, local authority tax, Scottish Water charges
  • Educational or training needs (school uniforms, equipment, tools, school meals during holidays)
  • Expenses covered by other statutory duties
  • Reapplications within 28 days for same items without change of circumstances

General Exclusions:

  • Projects outside Scotland
  • Activities covered by statutory duties of public bodies
  • Retrospective funding (work must not have started before application)
  • Projects with insufficient evidence of need or community support
Helpful Hinchilla

Ready to write a winning application for The Scottish Government?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

Minister for Public Finance: Tom Arthur MSP oversees grant funding and budgetary matters

Key Quote from Tom Arthur on Funding Strategy:

"I think it's always the case for all investors, not just the government, but the private sector, the community sector when you have a strategy and you have a clear vision that provides certainty and it provides something to measure against as well. So what this vision, this strategy provides is that collective buy-in from the partners who are going to be key to delivering that so that helps you provide certainty."

On Budget Values:

The 2024-25 Scottish Budget is “a budget built on our values - setting out, in tough times, to protect people, sustain services, and take pragmatic steps to addressing the climate emergency.”

On Tax and Public Services:

“I want people to understand the taxes they pay, why they pay them, and how their contribution funds the public services we all rely on.”

The Scottish Government works in partnership with multiple delivery organizations including:

  • SCVO (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations): Manages Funding Scotland database
  • Inspiring Scotland: Delivers Autistic Adult Support Fund and other programs
  • Impact Funding Partners: Manages wellbeing and equality grants
  • Local authorities: Administer Scottish Welfare Fund
  • Foundation Scotland and other intermediaries

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Application methods vary significantly by program:

Online Portals:

  • Marine Fund Scotland: Marine Scotland Funding Portal
  • Most major grant programs: Specific online application forms
  • SCVO-managed funds: SCVO Grantmaking website

Through Local Authorities:

  • Scottish Welfare Fund: Apply directly to your local council
  • Opening hours typically 8:30am-5:00pm weekdays

Required Pre-application Steps:

  • Must apply before project starts (no retrospective funding)
  • For Marine Fund: All legal permissions, licences, and outline planning permission required
  • Demonstration of solvency and ability to complete project
  • Evidence of community support through letters of support

Documentation Requirements:

  • Organizational accounts (appropriate to scale)
  • Multiple quotes (2-3 depending on amount)
  • Project budget and timeline
  • Evidence of need and community engagement
  • Letters of support from relevant bodies

Decision Timeline

Fast-track programs:

  • Crisis Grants: Within 2 working days
  • Community Care Grants: Within 15 working days

Standard programs:

  • SMART Scotland Grant: Funding released within 30 days of claim approval
  • Studies must last 6-18 months

Longer-term programs:

  • Marine Fund Scotland 2025-26: Application deadline 22 July 2025, projects complete by 31 March 2026
  • Multi-year programs: Decisions typically 2-3 months from deadline

Notification methods:

  • Written notification with record of decision
  • Information on review/appeals process included
  • For unsuccessful applications, reasons provided

Success Rates

Scottish Welfare Fund (2024-25):

  • Community Care Grants: 47% success rate (37,695 awards from 80,465 applications)
  • Note: This represents a decrease from 53% in 2022-23

Investing in Communities Fund (2019-22):

  • 276 projects funded from almost £30m available funding
  • First round grants ranged £10,000 - £250,000+

Overall context:

Success rates vary significantly by program and are influenced by:

  • Quality of strategic alignment
  • Strength of community support
  • Clarity of need and outcomes
  • Completeness of application
  • Geographic targeting (disadvantaged areas prioritized)

Reapplication Policy

Scottish Welfare Fund:

  • Cannot reapply within 28 days for same items unless change of circumstances
  • Full application history (12 months) reviewed for exceptional circumstances determination
  • Can submit new application without completing review process on previous application

Creative Scotland programs (Scottish Government funded):

  • Can reapply after unsuccessful application
  • If unsuccessful twice for same project, cannot apply to that fund again for that project
  • No fast-tracking for reapplications

General approach:

  • Most programs allow reapplication
  • Encouraged to seek feedback on unsuccessful applications
  • Strengthened applications with additional evidence welcomed
  • Check specific program guidance for waiting periods

Application Success Factors

Clear Strategic Vision and Measurable Outcomes:

As Minister Tom Arthur emphasized, “when you have a strategy and you have a clear vision that provides certainty and it provides something to measure against.” Applications must demonstrate clear goals and how success will be measured.

Evidence of Community Need:

The government prioritizes projects addressing poverty and disadvantage “on their own terms,” meaning community-led solutions based on local understanding of needs. Letters of support from community members and relevant bodies strengthen applications significantly.

Read Criteria Carefully:

As funding advisors emphasize, "organisations apply for funding, they are successful, but they've not properly read the criteria of the funding application." Ensure complete alignment with stated priorities and all requirements met.

Correct Documentation:

“Make sure you have the correct accounts in place” before applying. Missing documentation is a common cause of delays or rejections.

Financial Planning:

“A lot of business support grants are paid in arrears, so you often still need to have enough investment upfront.” Demonstrate organizational capacity to manage cash flow.

Alignment with Government Priorities:

Recent funded projects demonstrate clear alignment with:

  • Child poverty eradication
  • Net zero and climate goals
  • Community empowerment in disadvantaged areas
  • Energy and resource efficiency
  • Marine sustainability
  • Social care workforce support

Recent Successful Projects (Examples):

  • Dundee and Angus College: £260,000 annual energy savings through LED lighting replacement
  • NHS Ayrshire and Arran: 718,733kWh annual savings across five sites
  • 45 organizations in Fairer Funding pilot including Scottish Refugee Council, Homeless Network Scotland, MCR Pathways

Language and Terminology:

Use terms like “disadvantaged communities,” “tackling poverty,” “sustainability,” “measurable outcomes,” “community-led,” “long-term solutions,” “empowerment,” “net zero transition.”

Common Reasons for Rejection:

  • Incomplete applications or missing documentation
  • Insufficient evidence of community need or support
  • Lack of alignment with stated priorities
  • Inadequate financial planning or organizational capacity
  • Project already commenced (retrospective funding)
  • Falls within exclusion categories

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Multi-year funding is the future: The Fairer Funding pilot signals a strategic shift toward longer-term funding agreements. Position your organization for sustainability and long-term impact to align with this direction.
  • Geographic targeting matters: Programs explicitly target Scotland's “most disadvantaged” and “fragile” communities. Use data (SIMD - Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation) to demonstrate your community's need.
  • Think beyond individual programs: The Scottish Government funds over £1 billion across diverse areas. Explore multiple programs on Funding Scotland database - you may be eligible for several simultaneously.
  • Partnership with SCVO is key: The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations manages many programs and provides the Funding Scotland database. Engage with SCVO for guidance, application support, and funding intelligence.
  • Budget planning is critical: With many grants paid in arrears, demonstrate financial capacity to deliver before reimbursement. This is especially important for smaller organizations.
  • Demonstrable outcomes over process: Minister Arthur emphasizes “something to measure against.” Focus on clear, quantifiable outcomes aligned with government priorities (child poverty, net zero, community empowerment).
  • Local authority relationships matter: Many funds are administered locally. Build relationships with council officers who can provide guidance on Scottish Welfare Fund and other locally-delivered programs.

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.

Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.

✓

Data privacy and security by default

✓

Your organisation's past successful grants and experience

✓

AI analysis of what reviewers want to see

✓

A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours

Get Beta Access NowLearn More

References