Grants for community groups
Local Employability Partnership Employability Funding for Midlothian
The Local Employability Partnership (LEP), Employability Funding Midlothian is a Scottish Government fund. Midlothian Council invites applications from community groups, charities, social enterprises, public sector bodies and private employability providers who can provide employability support in Midlothian.
All applications will be assessed to ensure that they do not contradict relevant legislation and can demonstrate that have suitable delivery, monitoring, and evaluation processes in place.
Areas of need and partnership working will be prioritised.
Community groups or charities must be constituted and have a bank account, alternative governance documentation will be accepted for public or private sector. You must have prior experience of providing employability support to these age groups outlined below.
Criteria and Guidance
Eligibility: (Please see information appendix A Q2, you can only submit one application per eligibility/client category group).
- All-Age Employability Support (16- to 67-year-olds (pensionable age) who are experiencing barriers to employment
- Tackling Child poverty (Priority Families with children in relative poverty)
Please note the eligibility reflects the guidance from Scottish Government and is unique to this funding stream. In addition, programmes must be deliverable within timeframe May 2025 to March 2026.
The closing date for applications is 23:59 on 20 March 2025. Late applications will not be considered.
Place-Based Investment Fund (PBIF)
The Scottish Government have given Midlothian Council an indicative allocation of £370,000 for 24/25 but this is not yet confirmed.
Community Ownership Fund
The Community Ownership Fund has published a new prospectus introducing positive changes to the Fund.
Read the prospectus and find out how to apply to save your community asset.
UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF)
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF or the Fund) is a central pillar of the UK government’s ambitious Levelling Up agenda, and a significant component of its support for places across the UK.
It provides £2.6 billion of new funding for local investment by March 2025, with all areas of the UK receiving an allocation from the Fund via a funding formula rather than a competition. It will help places right across the country deliver enhanced outcomes and recognises that even the most affluent parts of the UK contain pockets of deprivation and need support.
The UKSPF is one strand of a suite of funding which succeeded the old EU structural funds. This money will invest in the following priorities set by the UK Government:
- Communities and Place
- Support for Local Businesses
- People and Skills.
There is also a pot of funding called Multiply, which focuses on improving numeracy for those aged 19 plus.
Midlothian Council will receive funding through the UKSPF to be distributed locally. The Midlothian Investment Plan which sets out how the money will be spent was signed off by the UK Government in December 2022.
Small Grant Fund
We regret that as part of its budget savings, Midlothian Council has withdrawn its small grant funding programme. Unfortunately, as a result, we can no longer consider applications.
Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF)
The Regeneration Capital Grant Fund, delivered in partnership with COSLA and local government, supports locally developed place based regeneration projects that involve local communities, helping to tackle inequalities and deliver inclusive growth in deprived, disadvantaged and fragile remote communities across Scotland.
RCGF is for larger capital projects that community groups are seeking to progress, applications are invited on an annual basis.
For more information visit Capital investment for regeneration on gov.scot website.
Let’s Do Net Zero Community Buildings Fund
The Community Buildings Fund helps community organisations reduce their building energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions by installing renewable technologies such as heat pumps, batteries, and solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, along with energy efficiency measures.
Grants of up to 80% of eligible costs up to a maximum of £80,000 are available and they plan to run the fund until the end of March 2025, subject to funding availability.
For more information visit Let's Do Net Zero Community Buildings Fund on the Local Energy Scotland website.
Other funding
- Funding Scotland provides information on over 1200 funds which support Scottish projects including charities, community groups and social enterprises
- SCVO also provides information on funding at: Funding (scvo.scot)