Highland Coastal Communities Fund

Who can apply

Applications are welcomed from:

• Constituted community groups
• Local authorities or other public sector bodies
• Charities
• Voluntary and social enterprises
• Co-operatives and community ownership initiative
• Development trusts
• Private businesses
• Places of worship

Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible, projects must be located within 5km of the coast. However, an application located further from the coast may still be considered if it demonstrates benefit to coastal communities.

Decision making is taken by local members at area committees and variations to eligibility may apply according to local priorities. The following general information is provided as a guide. All projects must meet the below criteria.

Projects must address one of the following priorities:

• Economic recovery
• Community resilience
• Impact of the climate and ecological emergency
• Addressing the challenges of rural depopulation

Funding can be used to directly support COVID-19 recovery. However, all projects must align with the general purpose of the fund in delivering benefit to coastal communities.

Projects must:

• Be sustainable/viable
• Demonstrate value for money
• Demonstrate additionality
• Demonstrate local support and local benefit
• Be able to evidence positive impacts for coastal communities and/or the coastal/marine economy
• All projects should demonstrate that they have taken account of environmental sustainability, such as transition to a low carbon economy and/or how to mitigate, adapt or build resilience to climate change; and
• All projects should demonstrate consideration of equality issues and impacts

Intervention rates

Applications for projects with social aims can apply for up to 100% of project costs. However, applications must demonstrate that there is a need for this level of intervention and that match funding is not available. Businesses can apply for up to 50% of project costs.

It is generally expected that applications will be for between £5,000 and £100,000 although please be mindful of the overall allocation noted above for the area your project is located in.