Cairngorms 2030 Communities Fund

We welcome applications from: 

• Constituted community groups and organisations 
• Informal groups 
• Individuals 
• Social enterprises 
• Community businesses 
• Partnerships and collaborative projects 

If you're unsure whether your project is eligible the team are always happy to speak to anyone who is interested.

This fund is not intended for: 

• Organisations with access to significant alternative funding for the same project 
• Projects with no clear benefit to communities within the Cairngorms National Park 
• Projects whose primary purpose is private financial gain 
• Projects where another national fund exists for that specific purpose, for example through Community Energy Scotland or the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme 

Organisations that operate commercially while delivering genuine community benefit are welcome to apply. 

We are particularly interested in projects that: 

• Deliver community, climate and nature benefits
• Build local capacity for climate action
• Leave a lasting climate legacy
• Encourage participation in climate and nature projects
• Share the benefits of climate action widely
• Support the ambitions of Cairngorms 2030 (examples below)

The key question we ask when assessing applications is: 

Will this project deliver meaningful and lasting benefits for the Cairngorms National Park, its people, and its communities in the face of a changing climate?

The fund will not support: 

• Expenditure on assets or buildings outwith the boundaries of the National Park
• Existing staff posts or organisational costs, unless they are calculated through full cost recovery (we can't fund existing staff to keep doing what they are already doing, but if staff and the organisation are taking on additional or different duties, you can calculate how much that costs the organisation and include that in the project costs)
• Repairs to private homes
• Legal and/or statutory responsibilities - anything that would be paid for regardless of whether the project went ahead (e.g., rent, utilities, building maintenance)
• Promoting the causes or beliefs of political or faith organisations
• Recoverable VAT
• Costs for any activity that has taken place before a grant is awarded
• Costs for installing artificial grass or plants 

Any profit made from the project must be reinvested in the communities of the National Park.

Small grant applications will be processed by the Park Authority grants team against the following criteria: 

• The project aligns with at least one Cairngorms 2030 theme (examples below)
• The activity takes place within the Cairngorms National Park
• The project delivers clear community benefit
• The project supports equity, diversity and inclusion
• The project demonstrates capacity building, skills development and legacy 

Grant payments will normally be made in one of the following ways: 

• 50% at the start of the project and 50% on completion, or 
• 100% in advance where appropriate evidence and payment terms are provided 

Projects should be completed and fully spent by September 2028. 

Before payment, we will ask applicants to: 

• Complete a supplier form 
• Confirm bank account details 
• Provide invoices, receipts and proof of payment where required 

An amount of funds are ringfenced for equity, diversity and inclusion projects. This includes the nine protected characteristics under UK law: 

• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation

And experiences chosen by our community panel:

• Rural isolation and geographic remoteness
• Limited access to services
• Young people aged under 30

You don't need any experience to apply, you’ll be paid for your time and forum members will be independently selected for who they are, not what they've done. Find out more below and apply here.

Projects that transform the way land is managed and used to benefit nature.

Examples include, but are not limited to: 

• Enhancing habitats for wildlife  
• Community woodland projects
• Nature-based solutions that reduce flood risk 

Projects that empower communities to shape the future of their local area.

Activities could include things like: 

• Education around nature and climate change
• Focussed opportunities for underrepresented groups, such as youth groups or disabled people
• Workshops on how communities can work together to adapt to the challenges of climate change

Projects that make getting around the Cairngorms easier, safer and greener.

This might be things like: 

• Community walking and cycling projects
• Improving access to active travel
• Finding ways to help people rely less on cars 

Projects that foster healthier, happier communities with wellbeing at their heart.

This could include ideas like: 

• Nature as a tool for mental health support
• Reducing isolation in rural communities
• Connecting people to nature through art, music or other creative activities 

The forum is a group of up to 11 people who will work together to decide on grant applications to a new £1 million fund, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The forum will receive training to support them in making crucial decisions.

The forum will be made up of 11 members of the public who reflect a mixture of different experiences and backgrounds. All forum members will live in or have a close connection to the Cairngorms. Our aim is to cover the full geography of the National Park, as well as six key audiences of community groups and residents, farmers and land managers, interest groups, local businesses, under-represented groups and young people. 

You can become a member of the forum by applying between Monday 31 August and Sunday 18 October 2026 here. In late October our partners – Involve, the UK’s leading public participation charity – will independently select forum members and ensure a reflective group of people are included. This is intended to cover the full geography of the National Park, as well as six key audiences of community groups and residents, farmers and land managers, interest groups, local businesses, under-represented groups and young people. 

If you are selected, we will be in touch via email to confirm your place on the forum. This will be followed up by a phone call, where you will have a chance to ask any questions and tell us if you need any additional support to attend the sessions. 

Yes, there are some restrictions. Forum members must be 16 or over and cannot work for the Park Authority or The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Immediate family of employees and board members of these organisations (spouses, parents or children) are also excluded. Those with politically restricted roles – such as Members of Scottish or UK Parliament, councillors and similar – are also excluded. 

We anticipate forum members will be required to commit a total of 40 hours to this process, which includes some time for training, preparation and reading in advance of the meetings. This is over the time frame of October 2026 to September 2028. In recognition of the amount of time and effort that forum members are committing to the process, the Park Authority will pay an hourly rate of £20.17. We will also cover all reasonable expenses that enable you to participate, such as travel, dependent care or any adjustments required to participate. Forum members will be able to choose whether payment is received either by bank transfer or in vouchers, and this will be paid after attendance at meetings. 

The Park Authority is aware that payment such as this may impact benefits received. Should you be selected and have concerns this may impact you, please contact Eilidh Todd on 01479 873 535 or [email protected].

After the deadline for applications on Sunday 18 October, our partners Involve, the UK’s leading public participation charity will independently select forum members and ensure a reflective group of people are included.  The process will include eligibility checks, sorting applications into target groups, random selection and human review / balancing.  

Our aim is to cover the full geography of the National Park, as well as six key audiences of community groups and residents, farmers and land managers, interest groups, local businesses, under-represented groups and young people. 

Involve are the UK’s leading public participation charity. Since 2003, they have been working with governments, charities, universities and members of the public to create, advocate for and deliver activities that makes a real difference: improving decision-making and enabling people to shape the decisions that affect their lives. 

The team working on this project have significant experience in this area, including Scotland’s Climate Assembly, which brought together 106 adults from across Scotland to answer the question: ‘How should Scotland change to tackle the climate emergency in an effective and fair way?’ 
 
One of the team also led the development of the Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland, advised on the development of Dunfermline’s New City Assembly, and helped design a £4 million community resilience fund with Bristol City Council and a group of voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations. 

Involve will oversee the forum selection process.  

The Park Authority will be supporting and facilitating the Cairngorms 2030 Communities Fund forum. 

The Park Authority will also act as accountable body for the fund, ensuring that public money is being used and managed appropriately. We will handle payment of grants made through the Cairngorms 2030 Communities Fund and support the fund’s administration.  

The Park Authority is responsible for all payments made to forum members for their time. There is no employment relationship between the Park Authority and forum members. This means forum members do not work for or have contracts with us. The payments made by the Park Authority reflect the time and effort contributed to the process. 

Applications close on Sunday 18 October. Between October 2026 and September 2028 we anticipate forum members will be required to commit a total of 40 hours to this process, which includes some time for training, preparation and reading in advance of the meetings. 

Yes, forum members can also claim reasonable expenses that enable you to participate, including: 

• Travel to and from in-person meetings
• Contributions towards dependent care, eg childcare 

We can offer other support to enable you to participate. To talk this over, please get in touch with Eilidh Todd on 01479 873 535 or [email protected] 

The Park Authority’s intention is to give the forum as much control as possible over where the money is spent. There are some practical restrictions from our funders The National Lottery Heritage Fund and due to our status as a public body; these will be made clear to the forum from the beginning of the training.  

This is a new approach to grant making in the Cairngorms National Park, and we’re looking forward to learning more as the process unfolds. 

Yes, but they will need to declare an interest and will not be able to make decisions on grant applications which they have helped develop.