Funded projects and initiatives
Bringing positive benefits and a long-lasting legacy
First Funds Allocated
We are pleased to announce the first round of recipients of our Regional Community Benefit Fund. We received a large volume of applications to this funding round, demonstrating local people's passion and drive to transform their communities.
We would like to thank everyone who applied to this fund. The strength and ambition of proposals made the selection process highly competitive, and not all projects could be funded in this round. Please don’t be discouraged, we strongly encourage applications for our future funds. You can stay up to date with the latest funding rounds here.
We are delighted to introduce the successful projects, each of which will deliver long-term benefits aligned with three core funding priorities:
People
We support projects that help people develop new skills, access training, and find employment pathways. By removing barriers, we aim to create more opportunities for people living in communities.
Place
We invest in projects that preserve important spaces, celebrate cultural heritage, and promote local traditions - from restoring heritage sites to supporting language and music initiatives.
Fuel Poverty
Rising energy costs continue to impact households across the region. This theme seeks strategic ways to alleviate fuel poverty across the north of Scotland.
Regional Funds Awarded
-
UHI Inverness
People - £352,000
The creation of a state-of-the-art Sustainable Construction Centre in Inverness, delivering high-quality training to address critical skills shortages across the Highlands and support the region’s transition to net-zero. -
North East Scotland College
People – £150,000
Investment in essential equipment for Aberdeen’s new Energy Transition Skills Hub—the first dedicated educational facility in Scotland designed to meet the growing demand for energy transition training. -
Growing2gether
People – £55,591
A transformative early-intervention programme supporting vulnerable and at-risk young people. Through mentoring and youth-led social action, the initiative aims to enhance mental health, boost educational attainment, and build vital life skills. -
Kyle & Lochalsh Community Trust
Place – £361,989
The construction of a longhouse-style heritage centre, serving as both a learning hub for endangered and traditional skills and a museum celebrating the rich history of the local area. -
Regional Screen Scotland
Place – £350,000
Funding for a new mobile cinema, bringing high-quality film experiences to over 40 remote communities across the Highlands and Islands. This project aims to foster cultural engagement and combat rural isolation. -
Fèis Rois
Place – £181,638
The Fèis Rois programme ensures people of all ages can engage with, learn, and enjoy traditional music and the Gaelic language through a diverse range of activities across Ross & Cromarty and Scotland. -
UHI North, West and Hebrides
Place – £110,000
Funding for an innovative project creating digital, place-based heritage experiences to showcase and preserve unrecognised archaeological sites in Barra and Harris. -
Orkney Construction Training Group
Place – £75,471
A collaborative project developing a modular manufacturing toolkit and two demonstrator modules, equipping community organisations with the resources to help address the rural housing crisis. -
THAW Orkney
Fuel Poverty – £295,322
Development of a flexible whole-house retrofit pathway, providing property upgrades to fuel-poor households across a subset of Orkney’s outer isles, to help improve energy efficiency and reduce costs. -
North East Scotland Retrofit Hub
Fuel Poverty - £88,000
Strengthening retrofitting capacity in the North East of Scotland by training construction professionals, raising community awareness, and providing in-depth retrofit assessments to improve energy efficiency in homes.
Register for Updates
Our Regional Community Benefit Fund
