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Denny and District Education & Training Fund

Grant size Up to £1,500
Area
Falkirk
Key dates Applications can be submitted at any time.

About this fund

The Denny & District Education & Training Fund benefits those living in the Denny & District Community Council area in Falkirk local authority who wish to engage in study or training. 

Launched in 2026, The Education & Training Fund is a scheme which forms part of the main Denny & District Community Fund provided by:

  • Nadara, which owns Earlsburn Wind Energy Limited (Earlsburn Wind Farm) and Kingsburn Wind Energy Limited (Kingsburn Wind Farm);
  • Netro Energy, which owns Falkirk Todhill Wind Ltd (Todhill Wind Farm).  

Purpose of this fund

The Fund provides grants to help local people with education and training courses, using local training facilities wherever possible, and creating job opportunities in the local area. It seeks to encourage lifelong learning, supporting residents of all ages to take up and progress through education and training courses, thereby increasing skills, qualifications and experience within the community.  

Grants are offered to help individuals to overcome financial barriers which might otherwise prevent them from starting, completing or participating fully in courses. 

Funding can be used to cover part or all of course fees, travel costs, essential equipment such as books or IT equipment, childcare and subsistence.

Please see 'additional criteria' below to see what levels of support are available.

Additional criteria

There is no restriction on the sector or subject chosen. The important thing is that you are committed to completing the study and showing how it will help you realise your employment ambitions.

Your course may be long-term (one academic year or more) or shorter (1 day or even less, or taught over a period of weeks or months). The level of grant will depend on the course you want to do and other funding available to you.

  • For courses of one year or longer (including apprenticeships), the fund can offer up to £1,500 towards the range of expenses incurred whilst studying during a particular academic year. Part-time students may receive a lower grant depending upon the costs that they may face. 

  • For short courses (lasting less than a full academic year), you can apply for part or all of the course fees plus travel costs, up to a maximum of £1,500. The fund may also assist with the costs of subsistence, at a rate of £8 per study day. The overall maximum award (combining fees and subsistence) is capped at £1,500, but awards are normally lower.

When completing the application, please include details of all costs you may incur while studying. This could include course fees, travel costs, resources or IT equipment required, childcare, etc.

Who can apply?

You can apply, if:

  • You are an individual aged 16 and over
  • You live in the Denny & District community council area
  • You are doing (or applying to do) a further education or training course to develop your skills and employability.

If you are currently employed and want to progress in your employment or explore new career options you can apply to the fund.  However we may ask, that your employer contributes up to 50% of the course fee. 

What can’t be funded?

Costs that are already covered by a school, college, the council or a trade association or similar.

Grants are normally limited to one grant per person each year. Exceptions may be considered if there are strong reasons to apply again, such as to progress through a training path or because you are exploring different career options.  Funds are limited and the intention is for as many people to benefit as possible. 

How are decisions made?

Complete the online application form, and provide any supporting documentation required, to Foundation Scotland.  We may get in touch to discuss your application before making a decision. 

If you are successful, Foundation Scotland will email you a Grant Offer which you need to accept by email.  We also request that you email us a copy of a recent bank statement or pay-in slip to verify your bank details. 

Frequently asked questions

  • What can I apply for?

    Your course may be an Apprenticeship/NC/HNC/HND or a shorter course taking place over a few days or weeks.  The most important thing is that you live in one of the above areas and want to improve your skills and qualifications.

    Here are some examples:

    Joe has had a few labouring jobs since leaving school but nothing long-term.  Now he’s seen an ad for agency driving jobs but needs a 1-week class-2 HGV licence.

    Jacqui has only had occasional casual work so far.  She’s been applying for bar jobs but feels she’d have more chance of an interview if she had the 1-day personal licence qualification.

    Dave’s being made redundant next month.  He’s heard of a warehouse job… all he needs is a 3-day fork-lift ticket.

    Margaret worked in admin before starting her family.  She needs to update her computer skills at evening classes to help her get back to work. 

    Shirley is keen to find work now her children are all at school.  She’s been accepted for the HND in Childhood Practice and hopes this will help her on a path towards becoming a Teaching Assistant. 

  • Can I apply if I’m still at school?

    If you are still at school but attending a college course for some of the week, you are only eligible to apply for costs that are not covered by your school, the college or the council.

  • What can I use the money for?

    An award towards short-course fees must be used for that purpose, and may be paid directly to the training provider.

    You can use awards for subsistence towards anything that will help you attend your further education or training course, such as: meals; childcare; study aids (e.g. laptop, software, stationery); or technical aids (e.g. specialist clothing related to the course, tools, textbooks, other specialist equipment).

  • My family help support me. Can I still apply?

    Yes, the fund does not apply a personal ‘means test’.

  • I receive other support. Can I still apply?

    Yes, but we do ask for details of other grants, bursaries, etc.  If we receive more applications than the Fund can support we may use this information to help us make the fairest decision.

  • Does it matter where the course is taking place?

    No, but we’d like to encourage applicants to use local training facilities if they are providing preferred courses and training opportunities.  Local providers and/or useful contacts include places like:

    Forth Valley College - https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/

    New College Lanarkshire - https://www.nclanarkshire.ac.uk/

    Canal College - https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/about-us/our-campaigns-and-innovations/canal-college/

  • How will I get the money?

    If you are successful, Foundation Scotland will email you a Grant Offer which you need to accept by email. 

    Where the grant is contributing to course fees, Foundation Scotland can pay the college or training provider directly.  For other costs we will pay the grant directly into your bank account.  We request that you email us a copy of a recent bank statement or pay-in slip to verify your bank details.

    For courses lasting a year or longer we will pay the grant in instalments and you will need to complete a form at the end of each term signed by someone from your college confirming you have been attending regularly.  If you are offered a grant but do not have a bank account, we will work with you to find a solution to ensure you can still benefit from the grant.

How to apply

Applications are submitted online using the link below. You will need:

  • A working email account that you can access - to set up an online portal account through which applications are submitted online.
  • A recent bank statement - because we often need to check account details are correct before we can pay out a grant.  A scanned or photographed or electronic copy will need to be uploaded during the application process.
  • Evidence of your home address - this could include a driving licence, SAAS letter or a bill (for example for your mobile phone). Any official letter (for example from the Scottish Exam Board, school correspondence, NHS appointment letters, tax letters or a payslip). If you are at college or university, they may be able to provide something suitable.

If you would like to review the questions you will be asked to answer before starting the form, you can see them here. 

If you have any problems applying online or setting up your portal, please email grants@foundationscotland.org.uk or call 0131 524 0300 (during office hours) and we will be pleased to help.

If you have already started an application and not completed it, please login here to resume. 

Applications can normally be submitted at any time except:

  • For courses lasting less than a year (which we call 'short courses): applications must be received at least 6 weeks before the course starts and/or at least 6 weeks before any course fees must be paid to the provider. If you need a decision more quickly, we will do our best to process your application immediately but cannot guarantee doing this in less than 6 weeks.  Please see 'what can't be funded' below regarding 'retrospective costs'. ]

     

  • For courses lasting one-year or more:  we can accept applications from students already on longer-term or multi-year courses, but we will not make grant payments for any full period before the application was received (for example, we can't contribute to year 1 of a course if you apply to us in year 2, we can only offer support for year 2 onwards).
Apply here

Contact information

For application process and technical enquiries

Central Systems Support

For criteria and fund priority enquiries

Mary Travers, Community Funds Adviser

Useful Links

Careers advice and training course listings are available from Skills Development Scotland (SDS) 

Information about other potential sources of funding:

Bus passes:

My World of Work

The Fund is provided by Nadara and Netro Energy.