Grant Directories

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money raised by the National Lottery to support local communities. The Climate Action Fund - Energy and Climate, provides funding of between £500,000 and £1.5 million over two to five for projects that encourage communities to use energy in an environmentally friendly way.

The Clean Growth Fund (CGF) invests in technology businesses that are driving the transition to net zero through developing disruptive products and services. The clean growth sector includes innovations that can improve the resource efficiency of industry and commerce, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, pollution or other adverse environmental impacts and also deliver substantial financial returns.  CGF will invest across the technology spectrum, including hardware, software, process systems, materials, deep tech and business model innovations, capable of driving real and rapid change on a global scale.

The Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) is designed to help businesses with high energy use, such as energy intensive industries, to cut their energy bills and carbon emissions through investing in energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies.  

Energy Saving Trust (EST) has been appointed by Ofgem to distribute payments from energy companies who may have breached rules. Through the Energy Redress Scheme the Trust provides grants to registered charities to deliver a range of new and innovative energy related projects designed to help vulnerable energy consumers and address households that may have been impacted by COVID-19.

The Edinburgh Airport Community Board provides a total of £140,000 a year of funding for projects which clearly benefit people in the communities around the airport. Projects are supported in the following areas: Sport, health and wellbeing; Environment – including biodiversity, wildlife and conservation management, the reduction of the carbon footprint of schools, community buildings and organisations; Education – this should not be a replacement for education authority funding; Community - projects which fall outside mainstream local or Scottish government service delivery, but which clearly benefit people in the communities around the airport. Schemes which demonstrate opportunities for social enterprising to allow an organisation or charity to become self-sufficient or fund other improvements are encouraged

The Warm Homes Fund is a £150million fund administered by Affordable Warmth Solutions (AWS). The fund aims to help make households warmer, healthier and cheaper to heat. Running over 3-years and providing capital funding for the installation of affordable heating solutions in fuel poor households who do not use mains gas as their primary heating fuel. The Fund is open to bids from local authorities, housing associations and their partners and is broadly split in to three categories focusing on urban, rural and health-related solutions. Successful proposals will highlight the number of fuel poor households supported; strategic fit with the Governments Fuel Poverty Strategy; value for money; the benefit created i.e. energy efficiency increases and bill savings; and strength of delivery plans, project management and assurance of delivery.

The Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) is a Scottish Government programme, managed and developed by Keep Scotland Beautiful. Grants of up to £150,000 are available through the Climate Challenge Fund for community-led organisations to run one-year projects that reduce local carbon emissions, improve their local areas and help them adapt to the impacts of climate change. The CCF has supported projects involving energy efficiency improvements to community owned buildings, energy efficiency advice, lower carbon travel options, community growing initiatives and schemes to tackle waste. Feasibility studies and community consultations directly related to the Fund outcomes are also eligible for funding.

The Resource Efficient Scotland SME loan scheme offers interest free loans of between £1,000 and £100,000 to eligible businesses, private sector landlords, not-for-profit organisations and charities, to help them to save businesses money while reducing their carbon emissions. The loans can be used to help fund a range of carbon reducing measures such as upgraded lighting, improved insulation, biomass boiler installation, the purchase of more energy-efficient equipment and projects to reduce the use of water and other raw materials. 

SME loans of up to £20,000 are available to help businesses to reduce their carbon emissions, save money and increase their competitiveness. Funded by the Scottish Government, the scheme aims to support businesses that are looking to reduce costs through improved energy, material resource and water efficiency. Resource Efficient Scotland provides advice and support to prospective applicants. The Energy Saving Trust administers the scheme and is responsible for the assessment and processing of applications. Last year the top seven projects receiving a loan were: Installation of a new biomass boiler; upgrading to energy efficient lighting; upgrading to energy efficient heating; insulation; installation of solar pv; upgrading glazing; voltage optimisation.

Naturesave Limited is an ethical insurance company providing funding to support environmental and conservationist projects. Financial assistance is available in the form of start up finance to new organisations which seeks to promote greater awareness of sustainable development or for existing companies and charities which are seeking funding for a specific project. The Trust has funded hundreds of projects since it's inception, ranging from installation of a wind turbines to the conservation of water voles in Dorset. The Trust prefers to provide start-up capital to small projects to get them going, rather than to contribute to the general administration costs of a larger charity or company.