After great interest and uptake, the Kelvin Valley and Falkirk Community Led Local Development Fund is now CLOSED for applications. Thank you to all groups who took the time to create and develop applications and ideas on how to support their communities.

More information, including the distribution of the fund, will be uploaded through our usual communication channels in due course. We are pleased to announce that applicants can expect to receive their application’s result by the start of February 2025.

For other funding support, please contact our team by email: info@cvsfalkirk.org.uk

Thanks to additional investment from Scottish Government, CVS Falkirk & District is delighted to announce that the Kelvin Valley and Falkirk Community Led Local Development (CLLD) Fund (the Fund) has now reopened, with £120,000 available for small grants! Offering another tranche of funding for the financial year 2024/2025, applicants may request a grant of up to £15,000. Projects can take place between 1 February – 21 March 2025, with final reports submitted to CVS Falkirk & District by 31 March 2025.

Provided by the Scottish Government’s CLLD programme, the Fund will once more be overseen by the Kelvin Valley and Falkirk Local Action Group (LAG) and administered by CVS Falkirk & District as the Accountable Body. The four priorities remain:

Supporting community facilities and eligible organisations to contribute to the achievement of net zero
Sustaining, improving, and adding initiatives in rural communities that are most isolated, most disconnected, most in need of investment or most likely to experience inequalities
Helping communities to address the cost-of-living crisis and eradicate poverty for individuals and families
Enabling communities to carry out research, engagement, feasibility studies or other activities supporting the development of rural communities

Eligibility

Applicants may ask for a contribution of up to £10,000 for an item of movable equipment where they can demonstrate the equipment can be purchased and support delivery of community activity within eligible timescales. Please note that applicants may NOT be awarded funding for any type of capital works projects i.e. building, developing, renovating, repairing projects, activities or costs to improve or create long-term/permanent assets.

Previous applicants are welcome to make another application including where their previous application was successful. Where the previous application was not successful, the applicant can make an application for a new project or for the same project, where the application has been significantly developed (with additional information about the proposed project and evidence of need, clarity about the intended outcomes of the project, and identifying how the project aligns with the Fund’s ethos of contributing to community-led local development).

Making an Application

There are some small changes to the guidance for the Fund so please read the provided information carefully before developing and submitting your application.

The fund is open to organisations based within the Kelvin Valley and Falkirk Rural Communities who are:

Third Sector Groups and Organisations, for example: constituted community groups, charities, SCIOs, parent councils and social enterprises
Public Sector Bodies, for example: local authorities, schools and early learning settings and NHS Boards
Partnership Applications where respective partners meet the eligibility criteria are welcomed, but not essential

The Kelvin Valley and Falkirk Rural Communities include: Banton, Queenizeburn, Croy, Twechar, Torrance, Lennoxtown, Milton of Campsie, Kirkintilloch (north of the Canal only), Banknock, Dennyloanhead, Bonnybridge, Denny, Fankerton, Dunipace, Airth, Slamannan, Shieldhill, Avonbridge and Whitecross – with this round expanding eligibility to also include Kinneil.

To support your application process, please view the following information documents:

Further information and guidance about the fund is available from CVS Falkirk & District. All applications must be submitted through CVS Falkirk & District’s Grant Funding Portal.

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Thursday 9 January 2025. Applications submitted after this time will not be considered for any reason.

For further information, please contact CVS Falkirk & District directly, by emailing info@cvsfalkirk.org.uk.