Impact Funding Partners is now welcoming applications for the Volunteering Support Fund.

The fund supports small- to medium-sized third sector organisations across Scotland to recruit additional volunteers for the delivery of a new, or the expansion of an existing, volunteering project.

Managed by Impact Funding Partners on behalf of Scottish Government, the fund aims to improve how volunteers are supported in their roles. When applying, organisations are encouraged to demonstrate how their project contributes to Scottish Government’s priority of ending Child Poverty.

The outcomes of the fund are to:

increase the diversity of the third sector’s volunteer pool, especially supporting more volunteers who are from a black and ethnic minority background, disabled or with a long term health condition, or those who would traditionally experience disadvantage or barriers to volunteering
improve opportunities for skills and personal development through volunteering
improve the third sector’s capacity to support, train and deploy volunteers
enhance the services organisations deliver to better meet the needs of the communities they serve
recruit volunteers with relevant skills to help strengthen the governance (e.g. improving leadership, increasing the number of young people sitting on boards) and financial knowledge of organisations
make a positive impact towards ending child poverty

The maximum grant amount for each applicant for the full fund period is £20,000; the funding period will run from Saturday 1 November 2025 to Wednesday 31 March 2027:

Year one: maximum grant of £6,000
Year two: maximum grant of £14,000

The deadline for applications is Monday 25 August 2025, with decisions issued from Friday 31 October 2025.

For further information, including how to apply, please visit the dedicated Volunteering Support Fund page (linked for your convenience).