Recognising the impact of the cost-of-living crisis across Scotland, the Bank of Scotland Foundation’s ‘Empower’ grants programme for 2025 will focus on helping charities who support vulnerable groups/people.

Opening at 12noon on Monday 3 February, this programme offers a three-year unrestricted grant of £150,000 (£50,000 per year), providing charities with more stability and flexibility to use their funding in the best way possible to support vulnerable people. For example, funds could be used towards core costs, delivery costs, project costs and/or general running costs as unrestricted funding gives charities greater scope to cover all essential costs and deal with challenges quickly and effectively.

To be eligible for this programme:

Your charity must support vulnerable groups
Your charity must also be registered in Scotland with a charity number beginning SC0
Your charity must have a minimum of 3 years accounts lodged and checked at OSCR
Your records at OSCR (and Companies House if applicable) must not be overdue
Your OSCR record must say “it carries out activities or services itself” for the types of activity undertaken
Your charity income must be between £150k – £500k per year
Your charity must operate in Scotland

All applications must be submitted online by 12 noon on the closing date of Wednesday 12 February 2025. The online application system will automatically close at this time and the Foundation team will be unable to accept applications after this deadline.

For further information, please visit the Bank of Scotland Foundation website, or contact the Foundation team by email at: enquiries@bankofscotlandfoundation.co.uk