Community-Led Local Development Funding

Please watch this space for announcement of the funding application going live on the 8th April 2025.

The Highlands & Islands Climate Hub is working in partnership with Highland Third Sector Interface and The Highland Council Community Regeneration Fund to deliver the Community-led Local Development Fund through April to May 2025.

The Community-led Local Development Fund gives communities the power to tackle their own challenges by building knowledge, skills and supporting new ideas, and encouraging co-operation. Community-led Local Development Funding can help to create viable and resilient communities.

The funding available from the Highlands & Islands Climate Hub is small grants of up to £10,000 for third sector organisations operating community-led local projects, aimed at delivering the follow themed activities:

Resilient Communities

  • Resilience community planning

  • Emergency resilience equipment

  • Measures which address adaptation to climate change e.g. flooding, coastal erosion

  • Infrastructure to support community resilience

Sustainable Communities

  • Addressing a Just Transition to Net Zero

  • Circular economy

  • Enhancing biodiversity

  • Energy efficiency

  • Active Travel

Highland Third Sector Interface and the Highlands & Islands Climate Hub are hosting CLLD Information Briefings on the CLLD Fund. Each session will cover further guidance on the fund and any queries about the fund.

HTSI Briefing Session - 3rd April - 10:00am - 11:00am

Hub Briefing Session - 3rd April - 10:00am - 11:00am

Applicants looking to fund activity under the following themes should apply directly to Highland Third Sector Interface:

Enterprising and Growing Communities

  • Connectivity

  • Entrepreneurial activity

  • Social Enterprise

  • Infrastructure that facilities work, e.g. childcare

  • Employability

Inclusive and Engaged Communities

  • Tackling economic poverty

  • Addressing economic or social inequality

  • Creating inclusive spaces

  • Enhancing understanding of diversity

  • Engaging typically unengaged individuals

Who can apply?

Any constituted third sector organisation, charity or community group operating or delivering services in a rural setting within the Highland Council area, excluding projects focusing on communities in Inverness City or Badenoch & Strathspey.

All groups applying must have a bank account and accounts from the previous financial year which provide evidence to deliver their plans.

Applications can be accepted from:

  • Scottish Charitable Organisations (SCIO)

  • Companies Limited by Gaurantee

  • Trusts

  • Not-for-profit company or asset lock company or Community Interest Company (CIC)

  • Cooperative or Community Benefit Society

  • Community councils

Can I apply for a collaborative project?

We actively encourage collaborative approaches, and those including organisations from other sectors are not excluded, but a third sector organisation needs to be the accountable and lead member of the collaborative project.

The project lead must be a constituted group or registered charity/community groups. Businesses and individuals are not eligible for this fund.

Applications open on the 8th April 2025 and close on the 30th May 2025. Late submissions will not be accepted. Projects must be completed by the end of December 2025. If you have any enquires at this stage, please email funding@hiclimatehub.co.uk and a member of the team will be in touch.

Full funding application forms, guidance, and criteria will be released in due course. Any news of the Community-led Local Development Funding will be advertised by the Highlands & Islands Climate Hub and Third Sector Interface.

Please see below example projects for funds administered by the Highlands & Islands Climate Hub under the themes Resilient Communities and Sustainable Communities:

Resilient Communities - Example 1

  • A community who is subject to flooding propose to put in place a Flood Action Group and have identified small scale measures which would assist the community in a flooding event including inflatable sandbags and other flood prevention small scale equipment.

  • The Community also wish to take a proactive approach to managing surface water in the community and would like to offer water butts. Some small resource would enable them to do some community engagement around the flood prevention and form a further action plan through community engagement.

Sustainable Communities - Example 1

  • A rural community has recognised that food waste is an issue but will not receive a statutory food waste collection due to their remote and rural nature.

  • The community wants to address food and other organic waste through the provision of community composting facilities. The project will involve community engagement and promotion to the community through learning events along with the provision of community composting facilities. The project promotes the circular economy.

Resilient Communities - Example 2

  • A community has recognised and received information in coastal erosion reports that the sand dunes on their coastline are subject to erosion.

  • With evidence from reports they wish to carry out community planting of maran grass to make the dunes more secure. However, the area in which they wish to plant has ‘desire paths’ which the community use and extensive community engagement would be needed to ensure that the community will protect and avoid using the area if planted to ensure the grasses will come back through. They are seeking funding for the maran grass planting, community engagement, signage and expert experience from a consultant regarding the planting.

Sustainable Communities - Example 2

  • A community hall has recognised that their heating system is not efficient and would like to make improvements to the building however they require expert assistance to help them plan a capital programme of works as do not have any of that experience within their voluntary board.

  • They would like to employ a consultant to assist them with feasibility for a programme of capital works. Funding at this stage would help them to identify the improvements they could make and help them to identify further capital funding to progress the project.