Climate Adaptation Fund

The fund has three guiding principles: 

• Adaptation - projects will contribute to climate adaptation within the Cairngorms National Park and help deliver the Scottish National Climate Change Adaptation Programme.
• Nature-based solutions - projects will promote nature-based solutions and green engineering to help adapt to climate change, while contributing to habitat and species recovery in the National Park.
• Economy - projects will endeavour to maximise their contribution to sustainable local employment and economic activity within the National Park.

Please note: applications have closed for the latest round of the Climate Adaptation Fund; however, you are welcome to fill out an expression of interest form and be notified when another suitable fund is available.

What will it fund?

We are interested in applications from individual businesses and landowners, community bodies, registered charities and other incorporated bodies with an interest in progressing climate adaptation within the Cairngorms National Park through capital items that could unlock long term delivery. This could include: 

• New assets (items with a multi-year lifespan).
• Significant works which will result in benefits or change spanning multiple years ie habitat enrichment.
• Plant machinery or other equipment with a multi-year lifespan. 

Capital funding cannot support staff salaries, consultancy fees or running costs (other than in exceptional cases where some salaries and fees may be eligible in the development of initial designs for projects).

Examples of projects might include: 

• Fire management solutions including wildfire prevention.
• Flood prevention through planting or other works.
• Rainwater catchment initiatives.
• Conversion from gas or oil to green energy sources and green-energy storage.
• Plant to support undertaking new capital works that address climate change impacts.
• Support for nature-friendly farming. 

This is not an exhaustive list. Your project ideas will be assessed based on the contribution it will make to the principles of the grant scheme set out in the guidance notes.

How much is the fund worth? 

The expected grant awards to successful projects will be in the range of £20,000 to a maximum of £100,000. Grants less than £20,000 will be considered. All projects will need to be completed by March 2026 (including all spend). We have not set specific intervention rates or grant funding percentages. If a project will make a significant contribution to climate adaptation action, meets the principles of the fund and requires full funding to allow it to happen, we will consider 100% funding. 

Applications will be assessed in terms of their fit with the scheme principles, their delivery against the objectives of the fund and indicators, and value for money, including the total value of a grant award and the percentage of total cost being sought.

Fund criteria 

Applications will be assessed against a scoring system based on four criteria listed below. 

1. How well does the project contribute to at least one of the selected themes, outcomes and indicators of the adaptation fund?
2. How well does the project provide wider public benefit?
3. How well thought-out is the project? Does it have clear objectives, measurable outcomes / outputs and is it deliverable by 31 March 2026?
4. What’s the level of project risk and can the risks be managed?