Neilston Greener Grid Park Community Fund

Fund Overview

These are the specific funding criteria for Statkraft’s Neilston Greener Grid Park Community Fund. The Fund supports community and environmental projects located within 3km of the Neilston project (please see the map, below), that focus on carbon dioxide reduction in local communities.

• The Fund has £20,000 available each year
• Applications are invited from eligible organisations that meet the criteria and are located within 3km of the Neilston project
• There is one application round each year. Additional rounds may be established if all of the funds are not allocated. The next closing date is on the right of this page.
• The minimum grant groups can apply for is £500
• Groups can apply for up to £20,000

IMPORTANT NOTE

An additional funding round has been scheduled for 2026, with a closing date of 30 September, as not all funds were awarded during the first round this year. The remaining balance currently stands at £11,589, which will be the maximum amount available to apply for in this round.

Grants Awarded

To view details of previously awarded grants, please click here.

Match Funding 

Match funding is not required for applications less than £5,000.

Grant applications above £5,001 will require a minimum of 20% match funding.

Please note that match funding will not need to have been secured prior to application. In-kind contributions can be used as match funding, and a formula within the application guidance notes shows how this can be calculated.

Project Location

All projects must be located in or be delivered to benefit communities within 3km of the Neilston project.

To check whether your project falls within the eligible funding area, please click on the map image below and enter the project postcode:

If you are at all uncertain, please contact the GrantScape Team to discuss your application before you apply.

Project Purpose

Grants are available for community and environmental projects which address carbon reduction and help progress towards “net zero”. In its simplest terms, net zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. This will only be achieved when the amount we add is no more than the amount taken away. The UK Government has set targets to reach net zero by 2050.

Examples of projects that could, therefore, be considered for grants include:

• Energy efficiency audits of community buildings and facilities to identify and prioritise important capital improvement works
• Costs associated with the above findings. This might include thermal insulation, solar panels and battery storage, ground source heating, double / triple glazing improvements, more efficient heating, micro wind turbines etc…
• Educational activities that promote the net zero movement, i.e. costs of school trips to renewable facilities, school or community educational sessions / workshops / events
• Training for voluntary / community groups to help reduce their own carbon footprint
• Environmental and habitat species conservation which protects and / or enhances a public space (may include tree planting for example).
• Electrical vehicle charging point installations, in public locations
• Other projects that deliver energy efficiency upgrades such as lighting improvements (i.e. not necessarily in public / community buildings)

This list is not exhaustive and other projects which prioritise carbon reduction will be considered.

Eligible Organisations

 Eligible Organisations, who can apply for funding include:

• Voluntary, community groups, local charities
• Community Councils
• Social Enterprises and Community Interest Companies operating on a non-profit-distributing basis. These are defined by Social Enterprise UK as ‘businesses that trade to tackle social problems, improve communities, people’s life chances, or the environment. They make their money from selling goods and services in the open market, but they reinvest their profits back into the business or the local community’.
  These organisations must have a minimum of three unrelated Directors, that also do not reside at the same address.
• Schools and educational establishments (as long as the grant supports activities above standard curriculum requirements).
• Consultants that provide educational training courses on carbon reduction / net zero.

Applicants are required to have a written constitution, a set of rules, or a governing document and a bank or building society account, held in the name of the organisation, in place before applying for a grant.

Applicants can apply for further grants each year, however they may not receive priority over organisations that have previously been turned away or those who are applying for the first time.

Exclusions

Grants will not be available for:

• Any works that are a statutory duty, or that are the legal responsibility of others to fund
• Projects that support a party political campaign or cause, or may bring the Fund into disrepute
• Projects located at religious buildings (unless the project is clearly for the benefit of the wider community and is an eligible project)
• Private membership-based sports clubs and facilities (unless membership is open to the general public without undue restriction which includes restrictive fees and charges, i.e. not membership by nomination organisations)
• Projects that only benefit individuals
• Projects that support local businesses
• Retrospective funding (i.e. funding can only be requested for works that will begin / expenditure that will be incurred AFTER our funding decision has been made and a formal grant Contract issued)

Judging Criteria

A local Advisory Panel with representatives from the local area, has been established to help decide on which applications submitted to the fund will be supported.

The criteria used when assessing applications received will be: 

• The social, economic and environmental outcomes which will result from the project.
• The level of community support for and involvement in the project
• Whether the work will be continued after the project has been completed, i.e. its sustainability and legacy
• The ability of the applicant to deliver the project and the technology being used
• Value for money

If, after reading the above, you are confident that your project meets the criteria, please click Next, below: