Ventient Energy Glenkerie Wind Farm Community Fund
| Grant size | No fixed amount |
| Area |
Scottish Borders
South Lanarkshire
|
| Key dates | |
| Application deadline: | 11/04/24 |
| Decision: | End June 2024 |
| Application deadline: | 11/07/24 |
| Decision: | End Sept 2024 |
| Application deadline: | 19/09/24 |
| Decision: | End Nov 2024 |
About this fund
Ventient Energy Glenkerie Wind Farm Community Fund supports community projects benefiting those living within 15km of the Glenkerie Wind Farm, including those in the Upper Tweed and Tweedsmuir Community Council areas and parts of Biggar, Symington, Stobo, Skirling, Roberton, Lamington and Wiston. For a map of the area of benefit please see 'Who can apply' section below.
This fund is provided by Ventient Energy, the owner of the Glenkerie Wind Farm, opening in 2014. An annual amount of at least £57,200 per year, rising in line with inflation, will be paid into the fund for the operating life of the wind farm which is expected to be 25 years.
Grant Size
- Small grants between £250-£2,000
- Medium grants between £2,001 and £10,000
- Large grants over £10,000
Purpose of this fund
The overall aims of the fund are to support activity which will sustain and develop the life of the community and ensure that the area is an attractive and vibrant place to live, work and visit. To achieve this the Fund will support activity that will lead to the following outcomes:
- Adequate access to services for all community members
- Improved local transport
- Opportunities to grow the local economy
- Developed or maintained community assets.
Please note that applications which do not clearly meet one of the above outcomes are still welcome. The outcomes are simply a guide as to how applications may be prioritised by the Panel.
Grant requests to support a wide range of costs and activities will be considered, such as equipment costs, running costs for local groups, staff or sessional worker costs, consultations, and maintenance or refurbishment of community facilities.
Additional criteria
Grants can be multi-year in nature, usually for no more than three years. A multi-year request totalling more than £10,000 should follow the application process for large grants.
Grants of over £50,000 will only be awarded in exceptional circumstances.
As well as demonstrating a fit with at least one of the outcomes above, priority for grants can be given to projects that demonstrate the following additional criteria.
- Match funding: That other possible funding sources for the project have been explored. This might include applicants raising some funds through their own fundraising efforts. The fund should not displace funding that could be obtained from other sources but should help lever-in additional funds if possible. Additionally, it should not reduce community-based groups’ commitment to organising local activities that contribute to a vibrant community calendar and promote community spirit. Ideally, applicants can demonstrate that a percentage of the total project cost will be sourced from other funding sources, including the applicant organisation itself, which might be in a position to contribute to the project cost. In exceptional circumstances 100% funding may be considered.
- Local procurement: That local suppliers will be used for the provision of goods and services, where appropriate (e.g. in terms of quality of products / services available) and feasible (in terms of availability and cost). (‘Local’ will vary depending on the nature and availability of the item/service in question. In some cases, it could be taken to mean within Upper Tweed and the surrounding area, but in others the Scottish Borders or indeed the South of Scotland might be most appropriate).
- Sustainable development: That consideration has been given to helping achieve sustainable development, including minimising the environmental impact of projects and reducing the applicant organisation’s ‘carbon footprint’.
- Local consultation: That the organisation has consulted an appropriate number of the intended beneficiaries of the project as appropriate and can demonstrate they are supportive of the proposal.
- Partnership working: That the organisation has considered whether delivering their project in partnership with other organisations / groups will add value (financial, capability, or other). This could involve working with voluntary, private, or public sector bodies that operate at local, regional or national level.
Who can apply?
Groups and organisations working to benefit people in any of the eligible communities can apply. Your group/organisation must meet our standard eligibility criteria. You don’t need to be registered charity to apply.
Applications must be for projects which benefit the fund area. Applications from groups/organisations located out with the fund area will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must demonstrate clear benefit for residents within the fund area.
What can’t be funded?
Information on what the fund cannot support is provided here.
How are decisions made?
A Community Panel, made up of people who live, work or actively volunteer within the fund benefit area and comprises a mixture of community councillors and other members of the community, makes recommendations on grant awards from the fund.
The Panel has up to 11 members. Each member of the wider community serves between three and five years, with members retiring on a phased basis to ensure knowledge and expertise are retained. Opportunities to become a Panel member are openly advertised when these arise, both locally and on this website, and are selected through a fair and transparent process. Previous Panel members may stand again after a period of at least one year.
The Panel meets at least twice a year. Minutes of Panel meetings can be requested from the Community Funds Adviser (details below)
More information on the award making process is available here
Frequently asked questions
-
How many grants can I apply for?
Groups can apply for more than one grant in any single round and hold more than one award at a time.
It is recognised that in some areas with smaller populations there may be one main organisation or group which operates sub-committees for different activities. In such cases, we will accept separate applications to any one round, as long as they are for clearly differentiated activities. In other cases, a single application with separately itemised project costs may be a more straightforward approach. -
What if my project needs less than the minimum grant amount?
If you are an individual or group looking for up to £500 for charitable activities of benefit to any of the above communities, you may be able to apply for a micro-grant. For more information, please contact your community council directly.
How to apply
For small and medium grants, please complete the online application form below.
For large grant applications, there is a two-stage application process. In the first instance, please submit a short enquiry form. The Panel will review this, then agree whether or not to invite a full application. Please be aware that large applications can take longer to process, as they may need to be considered across two Panel meetings.
Completed applications and supporting documents must be received by the application deadline.
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 accessing the forms, please email grants@@foundationscotland.org.uk or call 01557 814927, and we can help.
Contact information
Central Systems Support
Niome Lucjan, Community Fund Adviser
Useful links
- Help for applicants
- Evidencing value for money
- Fund bulletin 2022
- The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) provides a range of useful resources for setting-up a voluntary organisation or running your organisation. It also helps organisations develop their digital potential.
- Additional information and resources about developing a Safeguarding policy include Foundation Scotland guidance, NSPCC's safeguarding checklist, OSCR's Safeguarding Guidance and SCVO's advice.