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Funding Opportunities
Search our list of open funds available to groups and organisations in Orkney. We add new ones when we come across them all the time.
VAO Managed Funds
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Other Funders
Peatland Action is a peatland restoration project run by Scottish Natural Heritage and funded mainly by Scottish Government. The funding primarily supports on-the-ground restoration activities.
Grants of £60,000 over two years are available for registered charities delivering innovative, long-term solutions that support vulnerable young people, aged 18 years old and under.
Two-year grants of £10,000 (£5,000 per year) for UK charities tackling key societal issues affecting young people. The awards are unrestricted; they can be used for any purpose that supports your organisation.ect.
One-off grants up to £500 made via safeguarding professionals to meet a critical need of an individual child in care, facing abuse, addiction, homelessness or carer responsibilities.
The Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) is supporting community and faith organisations to install solar PV and battery storage in their buildings. This is a short-term pilot, funded by the Scottish Government and Great British Energy, with funds needing to be spent and claimed by 31 March 2026.
The Trust focuses primarily on grant funding for environmental projects, and also funds sustainability advice for SME’s together with a long running tree planting program.
Marine conservation is the theme for the January - February funding window.
The Alliance for Youth Organising will provide 5 grants of £15,000 for projects exploring gaps in action or understanding for the youth organising field. These grants will use an action learning approach.
SCVO's HR for Ctreatives Programme which is supported by Creative Scotland offers free HR support and development to 35 arts, screen and creative industry employers for 12 months.
The fund supports the conservation of cultural heritage of recognised national or international importance, such as objects and works of art in museums, libraries, galleries, historic buildings or landscapes accessible to the public.
The fund supports work with disadvantaged young people who are not engaging with education or who are leaving school without a positive destination, and who are furthest from the labour market. This includes helping young people re-engage with school, progress to further education or training, develop skills for work, and move towards employment.
Go See Share is a small fund for individuals, organisations and creative businesses to understake trips and explore new ways to expand their business activity and make them more financially sustainable.
The fund helps recipients undertake trips or remote meetings allowing them to:
- gain knowledge and insight
- build relationships
- share the knowledge back in Scotland
The VocTech Activate grant fund supports the development of new ideas that use digital tools and approaches to transform how people gain skills for work.
They encourage ideas which have the potential to transform how vocational learning happens, rooted in a real-world understanding of the problems, issues and opportunities in the vocational sector. Projects will need to show how the idea is novel.
The Foundation provides grants to help organisations and clubs involved in 'on water' elements of the sport of rowing. Most of their grants are awarded to UK rowing clubs but they also support any club or organisation involved in “on water rowing-type” activities.
The Innovation Fund supports museums to develop innovative, ambitious, and experimental activities that directly improve the museum’s financial position. Both Accredited and non-Accredited museums can apply for grants between £20,000 and £250,000.
The Unlocking Potential Fund supports museums to address issues that are currently preventing them from building financial sustainability. This can include outdated systems, poor website functionality, or a skills deficit. Both Accredited and non-Accredited museums can apply for grants between £10,000 and £100,000.
The British Heart Foundation is giving out a limited number of free defibrillators to community groups in the UK.
Applications are welcome from charities and organisations whose purpose fits with the objects of the Delamere Dairy Foundation for the benefit of the public.
The Community Enterprise Fund is a funding programme that helps community organisations to start trading or set up social enterprises in Scotland. It offers grants of up to £5,000, to be spent over 6 months. Funding comes from the Scottish Government’s Social Entrepreneurs Fund (SEF).
The Social Innovation Challenge (SIC) is a grant-funding and support programme that seeks innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges of our times. The winner will receive a £50,000 grant and tailored support for the duration of their award to help them kick-start their solution. The other finalists will receive £25,000 each, in addition to signposting or introductions to alternative sources of funding or capacity-building programmes.
The PF Charitable Trust's funding policy is to support work at community level and the foundation provides a valuable service in targeting appropriate groups.
The Esmee Fairburn Foundation is one of the largest independent grant-makers in the UK. They also offer social investment.
As well as making direct investments into organisations seeking to create impact towards their aims, the foundation also invests into impact funds, which are managed by other social investors. They offer loans (secured and unsecured), equity, fund investments and everything else.
Expressions of Interest can be submitted at any time.
Members of the Climate Hub can apply for up to £1000 to either kickstart a climate action project in their community or carry out community engagement around climate change.
The fund awards grants to projects that value, care for and sustain heritage for everyone across the UK, now and in the future.
Heritage can mean different things to different people. It can be anything from the past that you value and want to pass on to future generations. This could include nature and habitats, historic buildings and environments, or cultures, traditions and people’s memories.
The fund awards grants to projects that value, care for and sustain heritage for everyone across the UK, now and in the future.
Heritage can mean different things to different people. It can be anything from the past that you value and want to pass on to future generations. This could include nature and habitats, historic buildings and environments, or cultures, traditions and people’s memories.
The Boost Fund is for small community-led organisations across Scotland supporting local people affected by poverty or disadvantage. Groups can apply if their activities will support their communities and the people who live there. Grants are flexible and groups can apply for many different costs. The work you are doing might be about providing practical help, or organising activities and gatherings, or addressing another local need.
The Foundation provides grants to help organisations and clubs involved in 'on water' elements of the sport of rowing. Most of their grants are awarded to UK rowing clubs but they also support any club or organisation involved in “on water rowing-type” activities.
The7stars foundation offers funding to charities, CICs, Schools, Nurseries and Children’s Homes for apprenticeship training to support young people who are challenged by the issues they prioritise.
This funding is for organisations in Scotland, that The National Lottery Community Fund currently fund. They want to support organisations to try out new ideas and ways of working, or to develop their organisation and improve their current work.
Funding from £300 to £50,000 is available, for up to 2 years.
The Sasha Foundation (TSF) was set up to support charities that work with mental health issues in memory of Sasha Love. In the UK this involves supporting young people with a bias towards young people, who are suffering from depression and mental health issues or who are confronting drug abuse issues. Additionally, it involves supporting education and healthcare projects and programs in low and middle income countries, with a bias towards education for young women.
Aberlour’s Urgent Assistance Fund can provide immediate relief to families with children (aged 21 and under) who are suffering extreme hardship. This support is usually via cash grants to assist with a range of needs, such as food, utilities, clothing, bedding, appliance repairs, replacement of appliances that have failed, or other essentials (excluding carpets, floor coverings or electronic devices).
Scops Arts overarching aim is to give people of all ages opportunities to understand, participate in and enjoy the performing arts. They are keen to find projects which widen access and have a lasting cultural impact on the community.
The Robertson Trust offers funding to charitable organisations that support people and communities in Scotland who are living with poverty or trauma.
The Roberton Trust offers offers funding to charitable organisations that support people and communities in Scotland who are living with poverty or trauma.
The Robertson Trust offers funding to charitable organisations that support people and communities in Scotland who are living with poverty or trauma.
The Robertson Trust offers funding to charitable organisations that support people and communities in Scotland who are living with poverty or trauma.
The fund supports ambitious, audience-facing independent UK and international film and broader screen activity of national scale.
Charles Hayward Foundation fund preventative and early intervention programmes being delivered at the community level which allow older people to stay in their own homes and remain independent. They are interested in programmes which can demonstrate their effectiveness in improving the quality of life of older people. We favour projects that offer a consistent and sustained benefit rather than one-off events or short-lived activities.
The broad aim of the Heart of the Community Grant Trust is to provide financial grants for community projects that deliver lasting change within the regions in which the Company operates (Shetland, Orkney, Highland and Argyll).
The Clothworkers’ Foundation award grants for capital projects to UK registered charities, CICs, and other registered UK not-for-profit organisations (including special schools). They fund both large and small projects. The size of grant awarded depends on a number of factors including the size of the organisation and the cost and scale of the capital project.
Buttle UK offer individually tailored grants of up to £2,400 for children and young people who have experienced a crisis that has recently had a significant and enduring impact on their wellbeing and educational engagement. They fund items and activities to help improve children and young people’s wellbeing and increase their capacity to engage in education and learning.
The programme supports children and young people who are facing exceptionally difficult circumstances and is delivered by Family Fund Business Services. It provides items that meet a child’s most basic needs such as a bed to sleep in, a cooker to provide a hot meal and other items or services critical to a child’s wellbeing.
Stronger Starts supports thousands of local community projects and good causes across the UK. The scheme is open to all schools, registered charities and not-for-profit organisations, with priority given to projects that provide food and support to children, young people and families. It provides grants of up to £1500 to local projects from across the whole of Scotland.
Step Up offers 0% interest loans of £5,000 to £30,000 to help Scottish social enterprises scale or repeat successful trading activities.
- Social enterprises of any age can apply for microloans of up to £10,000
- New enterprises and those starting to trade can apply for loans up to £30,000
Social connections and community activities are at the heart of creating healthier, happier lives and a flourishing society. That’s why we support amazing community-led projects.
The Scottish Land Fund supports rural and urban communities to become more resilient and sustainable through the ownership and management of land and land assets.
This funding is for projects that will help people connect more with each other. For the Community Action funding programme, The National Lottery Community Fund define communities as people who share an identity, interest or experience. They also include people living in the same place. They will support projects that are open, inclusive and led by their community.
This funding is for projects that support children, young people and families or that help people to be healthier and have better access to support.
The fund, which is administered by Victim Support Scotland, is open to any victim of crime who is resident in Scotland who is currently accessing victim and other support services. It is also available for people who live outside of Scotland who have been bereaved by a crime that has occurred within Scotland. Support organisations can apply for funding on behalf of victims.
Parents, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists of a child or young person under the age of 18 living with a disability or long-term health condition, can now apply for funding to purchase a new wheelchair.
Greener Spaces, Fairer Places’ - grants up to £500 are available for local faith groups or related organisations working primarily in a small, specific geographic communities to tackle poverty and climate change.
The Craighnish Trust focuses on environmental and human rights issues as well as the particular special interests of the trustees. Previous awards have included grants to organisations working in conservation, refugees, youth, and music. The fund has a Scottish bias but is not exclusive to Scotland.
The Garfield Weston Foundation is a family-founded, charitable grant-making foundation, which supports a wide range of causes across the UK.
Start It is a funding programme that helps budding social entrepreneurs in Scotland to get their businesses up and running. Funding comes from the Scottish Government’s Social Entrepreneurs Fund.
Grants of up to £500 are available to individuals in Scotland aged 16-26 looking to make a positive change to the issues that matter to them.
The grant is available to any child, up to the age of 18 years, resident in Orkney and who is disadvantaged due to any disability, behavioral or psychological problem, experiencing poverty, deprivation, illness, distress, abuse or neglect.


















































