Grant News

The Scottish Government has launched a £1.5 million Improving Access Fund to improve access, inclusion, and equality for people with disabilities.

Organisations can apply for up to £80,000, or up to £5,000 if they are unincorporated.

Who can apply:

• Third sector organisations, grassroots or community groups, including unincorporated voluntary organisations, currently delivering disabled people led activity in Scotland
• This fund aims to support organisations that are constitutionally led by, and accountable to, disabled people, or organisations that can clearly evidence how disabled people are leading and involved in project design, delivery, evaluation and learning

The fund will focus on three priorities:

• Accessible financial advice and support
• Inclusive participation in communities and everyday life
• Better mental health and wellbeing

Examples of the types of projects that could be supported include:

• A project run by disabled people to provide accessible, peer-to-peer advice sessions on navigating the welfare and benefits system. It could include workshops, one-to-one appointments, and online sessions that help people understand entitlements and manage appeals.
• A series of training and mentoring sessions for disabled people to develop leadership and advocacy skills, enabling them to take part in local decision-making or advisory boards.
• An initiative to provide digital training and assistive technology to disabled people who face barriers to accessing online services or community life. It might also include small grants for adaptive equipment or software.
• A project led by disabled people to evaluate and improve accessibility in community buildings, cultural venues, or local businesses, followed by advocacy campaigns or collaboration with local authorities to implement improvements.

Jointly designed with Disabled People’s Organisations, the fund forms part of the Scottish Government’s Disability Equality Plan, and will support the delivery of activities from April 2026 to March 2027.

The fund is administered by Inspiring Scotland, which will accept applications until 12pm on 19 January 2026.

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