Grant News
Funding to Enable Disadvantaged Young People to Reach their Potential (Scotland)
Voluntary or community organisations in Scotland can apply for grants of between £20,001 and £100,000 to support children and young people aged 8 to 24 in achieving their full potential.
The Young Start programme, administered by The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, provides funding for projects that aim to make children and young people confident, healthy, connected, or enterprising.
The funding will support work that achieves at least one of the following three outcomes:
- children and young people have better physical, mental and emotional wellbeing
- children and young people have better connections with the wider community
- children and young people get access to new skills and training opportunities which will help them to get a new job or start a business
Grants are available for up to three years and can be used to support a wide range of costs including:
- staff
- activity costs
- training
- volunteer expenses
- equipment
- premises costs
- evaluation
- overheads
- minor building refurbishment or landscaping work as part of your overall activity
The funding is available to:
- Voluntary organisations
- Community groups
- Social enterprises
- Housing associations
- Sports organisations
- Co-operatives
- Charities
The application window closes on 19 December 2025 and will reopen in spring 2026.
3rd November 2025