The fund, which supported nine community groups in 23/24, has been developed and is funded through the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

The fund will again provide financial support to allow community groups and organisations to appoint specialist consultants or undertake development services for the initial stages of potential future capital projects, such as preparation of survey information, project feasibility assessments, business case development etc.

The principal aim of the fund is to remove some of the barriers faced by community groups and organisations when developing ‘good ideas’ into viable projects which meet the necessary funding criteria and can progress to applying for, and securing, project delivery capital grant funding.

The supported projects must be able to demonstrate how the development funding will assist with the delivery of the wider capital project aims, including the vision for the long-term benefits for the local communities and wider East Lothian population, aligned with both the East Lothian Plan objectives and East Lothian Council Climate Strategy Outcomes.

A maximum grant of £3,000 will be available per community group or organisation towards project development costs. As the available funding is limited grant applications will be assessed and scored competitively against a set of published eligibility criteria.

The fund is anticipated to have a single funding round, with the deadline for submission of applications being 5pm on Friday, 26 July 2024.