Perth & Kinross External Funding

26/09/2025

14/08/2025

The Scotland Loves Local Awards are closing - ONE WEEK LEFT TO APPLY. We have many fantastic projects that have been developed on the back of the Rural Perth & Kinross Community-Led Local Development Community Action Plan Programme (RPK CLLD CAP) as well as lots of other projects that showcase Perth & Kinross 😍

SCOTLAND LOVES LOCAL 2025
The deadline is fast approaching - celebrate your community champions before it's too late!

With Scotland Loves Local Week (23rd-30th August) just around the corner, time is running out to recognise the people, places and projects making a real difference where you live. This year's theme is People Make Places. This is the perfect opportunity to not only encourage people to and get behind businesses in your community, but to shine a spotlight on the people whose livelihoods they are supporting by doing so.

Nominations for the 2025 Scotland Loves Local Awards close at 11.55pm on Wednesday 20th August. Whether it's a dedicated volunteer, an inspiring local leader, an enterprising community initiative or your town as a whole, make sure they get the recognition they deserve.

Now in their fifth year, the Awards celebrate all that's great about Scotland's towns and neighbourhoods - recognising remarkable dedication, creativity and commitment to building vibrant, sustainable and fair places.

This year's categories are:
• Town of the Year
• Most Enterprising Community
• Place Leader of the Year
• High Street Hero (8 regional winners: Central Scotland, Glasgow, Highlands and Islands, Lothian, Mid Scotland and Fife, North East Scotland, South Scotland and West Scotland).
Winners will be honoured at a special Scotland Loves Local celebration in Edinburgh on 5th November.

Help us recognise the true champions of local Scotland - nominate before the deadline!

NOMINATE NOW

• Take a look back at previous winners for some inspiration here.
• If you have questions, please get in touch with Alison Luke-Jones: [email protected]
• It is the responsibility of the nominator to ensure that all names and details, including spelling, are accurate. The information provided will be used as-is in official announcements and public communications

We look forward to seeing your entries!

The shortlist for the 2025 Scotland Loves Local awards will be announced in mid September, with the winners announced in late October.

SCOTLAND LOVES LOCAL WEEK:
On top of that, you can demonstrate how that support helps to create better places for us all. More details - and ideas for how you can get involved - will be with you in the coming days. If you'd like to chat in the meantime, drop an email to [email protected]

VISIT THE WEBSITE: https://lovelocal.scot/awards/

10/07/2025

A major new project is set to help shape future policy in Scotland’s rural communities.
SRUC are leading a review of three core elements of the Scottish Government’s existing funding and support: Community Led Local Development (CLLD), Scottish Rural Action (SRA), and the Scottish Rural Network (SRN).
The work will propose options and recommendations for future community support which will inform the delivery of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024.
They are keen to hear from people living and working in rural communities, including those who are familiar with CLLD, SRA and SRN, as well as those who are not. If you have applied to CLLD in recent years (either successfully or unsuccessfully), and would like to take part please click on the link below which will take you to the dedicated website where the applicant survey is contained: https://www.sruc.ac.uk/all-news/review-to-help-shape-policy-in-rural-communities/ SRUC

A major new project is set to help shape future policy in Scotland’s rural communities.

04/07/2025

There are a number of ways to participate in the Scottish Rural Communities Policy Review.    The following are current ways to participate.  All of the fieldwork is explained on our fieldwork page. 

04/07/2025

Perth and Kinross Council’s External Funding Team, on behalf of the Rural Perth & Kinross Community-Led Local Development (RPK CLLD) Local Action Group (LAG), is reopening the Community-Led Local Development 2025-2026 fund.

Please note the CLLD 2025-26 allocation is predominantly capital, therefore we are only accepting applications for capital projects with a minimal revenue request (if required at all).

All CLLD funded projects must:
• have a direct alignment with the Rural Perth & Kinross Community Action Plan (CAP) Programme. Rural Perth & Kinross boasts 25+ CAPs, which demonstrate that communities with an action plan produce better quality funding applications, approach regeneration and socio-economic development projects in a structured approach ensuring they get delivered and have wider community and public sector support.
• align with other local and national policies such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as well as Perth & Kinross local priorities such as PKC Corporate Plan, Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP) and Economic Action Plan (EAP).
• come from community-led, third sector and small & micro-enterprise organisations (including social enterprises) across Rural Perth & Kinross to bid in for funding to deliver quality, economic regeneration projects against the priorities/themes of their local Community Action Plan.
• MUST have all statutory consents in place; including (but not limited to) planning permission, building warrant etc.
• MUST be fully spent and delivered by 31 March 2026.

Please contact [email protected] to request guidance and an application form.

Please note we are operating on a rolling decision-making basis. This means the application window remains open throughout the next few months, but we have 3 dates scheduled for applications to be with us and a final date for decision to be shared with applicants – see table below for dates of the three funding rounds:

Round 1 - application submitted by 11.07.25 - decision by 25.07.25
Round 2 - application submitted by 01.08.25 - decision by 22.08.25
Round 3 - application submitted by 29.08.25 - decision by 19.09.25

Any applications received after the full application submission date will be considered in the next funding round.

Please note – any applications that have already been submitted are currently being assessed and a decision will be issued by the 18 July 2025.

01/07/2025

18/06/2025

Supporting the Scottish Government’s SME and Third Sector Procurement Action Plan, this new move will enable access to revenue streams & move beyond traditional grant funding to more sustainable contract-based income whilst building long-term relationships with public sector buyers across Scotland

In addition, these improvements help public bodies to fulfil their responsibility to consider how their procurement processes can facilitate the involvement of third sector bodies under the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 and the Sustainable Procurement Duty

PCS now features several valuable updates designed to make it easier to identify third sector suppliers.

09/06/2025

Rural Perth & Kinross Community-Led Local Development (RPK CLLD) Local Action Group (LAG) have launched the fund for 2025-2026.

Due to the nature of the fund (being primarily capital this year) we are offering online (via Teams) sessions to provide an overview of the fund priorities, strategic alignment. and the fund requirements.

The sessions are scheduled for:
Tuesday 10 June at 9.30 am – 11.00 am
Wednesday 11 June at 1.00 pm – 2.30 pm

To book a session email: [email protected] with your preferable session. Both sessions will be the same, so you only need attend one.

Please note: the CLLD 25/26 funding application window will close at 5 pm on Sunday 15th June 2025.

03/06/2025

Perth and Kinross Council’s External Funding Team, on behalf of the Rural Perth & Kinross Community-Led Local Development (RPK CLLD) Local Action Group (LAG), is launching the 2025/2026 application window for the Community-Led Local Development.

The application window will close at 5 pm on Sunday 15th June 2025.

Please note the CLLD 2025-26 allocation is predominantly capital, therefore we are only accepting applications for capital projects with a minimal revenue request (if required at all).
All CLLD funded projects must:
• have a direct alignment with the Rural Perth & Kinross Community Action Plan (CAP) Programme. Rural Perth & Kinross boasts 25+ CAPs, which demonstrate that communities with an action plan produce better quality funding applications, approach regeneration and socio-economic development projects in a structured approach ensuring they get delivered and have wider community and public sector support.
• advance, equality, diversity & inclusion (EDI) as well as align with other local, regional and national policies such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), Scottish Governments Performance Framework as well as Perth & Kinross local priorities such as PKC Corporate Plan, Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP) and Economic Action Plan (EAP).
• come from community-led, third sector and small & micro-enterprise organisations (including social enterprises) across Rural Perth & Kinross to bid in for funding to deliver quality, economic regeneration projects against the priorities/themes of their local Community Action Plan.
• have all statutory consents in place; including (but not limited to) planning permission, building warrant, event licences etc. due to the short delivery window.
• be fully spent and delivered by 31 March 2026.
• advance Scottish Government’s CLLD overarching funding themes (see below)

Scottish Government’s CLLD overarching funding themes:
• Equality: by tackling poverty and protecting people from harm: helping families and services through the cost-of-living crisis and eradicating child poverty.
• Opportunity: through a fair, green and growing economy: transforming the economy to deliver net zero.
• Community: by prioritising our public services: creating sustainable public services.

Please note: the application window will close at 5 pm on Sunday 15th June 2025. Any applications received after this time will not be accepted.

Please contact the Perth and Kinross External Funding Team: [email protected] for an application form and guidance. This applies to all previously funded and new applicants.

The Team is available to support you throughout the application process.

Many thanks,
External Funding Team