Community Regeneration Funding

About the fund

We are responsible for delivering various external funding programmes to enable community-led local action. This allows community groups and organisations to apply for funding to deliver projects that respond to the needs of their local area and support positive change.

Community Regeneration Funding is an umbrella term used to cover multiple community-led external funding programmes.

Community Regeneration Funding is currently made up of:

• Highland Coastal Communities Fund (not currently open)
• Place-Based Investment Programme (not currently open)
• Community Led Local Development Fund

Highland Coastal Communities Fund and the Place Based Investment Programme are annual funding streams where the Scottish government allocates funding available to Highland Council.

Local Area Committees are awarded a proportion of the annual allocation from these funds based on an approved formula. This means each Local Area Committee has a budget to award to projects. Decision making on which projects are awarded funding is made by Local Area Committee Members.

Community Led Local Development Fund

This is a competitive Highland-wide funding programme for rural areas. The eligible programme area covers all of The Highland Council's geography except Badenoch and Strathspey, and Inverness City.

Decisions on which projects will receive funding are taken by the Highland Strategic Local Advisory Group. This group is made up of third sector representatives, public and private organisations

In Badenoch and Strathspey the Community-Led Local Development Fund is being delivered by the Cairngorms Trust.

Applying

We have developed a streamlined process that covers many different funding sources.

We invite community groups and organisations in rural Highland communities to submit Expression of Interest forms.

Read who can apply for eligibility information and how to apply to download the Expression of Interest form.

The deadline to submit an expression of interest is noon on Friday 28 March 2025.