The Highland Coastal Communities Fund (HCCF) supports economic regeneration and sustainable development in coastal areas across Highland. The fund is derived from net revenue generated by the Crown Estate’s marine assets in Scotland. Each year, the Scottish Government allocates a share of these profits to local authorities.
To date, Highland Council has received over £3 million, which has been made available for external organisations to apply for. The fund launched in November 2020 and received high demand across the region. With the initial allocation now fully committed, we are sharing updates from funded projects and the positive impacts they are having locally.
Area Committees
In line with Highland Council’s commitment to localism:
- decisions on which eligible projects receive funding are made by Elected Members at Area Committees
- this allows local decisions to be made about local applications
- budget allocations for each Area Committee were based on the Scottish Government formula, which uses the percentage share of sea area out to 12 nautical miles
- 15% of the overall allocation was retained for Highland-wide strategic projects
Eligibility
Projects must:
- be located within 5km of the coast or demonstrate a clear benefit to coastal communities
- provide justification and evidence of need if requesting up to 100% of project costs
- generally request between £5,000 and £100,000 — applications outside this range are unlikely to be considered
Projects should also demonstrate:
- sustainability and viability
- value for money
- additionality
- local support
- positive impacts
Who can apply
Applications are welcomed from:
- constituted community groups
- local authorities or other public sector bodies
- charities
- voluntary groups and social enterprises
- co-operatives and community ownership initiatives
- development trusts
Application process
Stage one
- complete an Expression of Interest form
- Elected Members will review the proposal and provide feedback using a red/amber/green status
- this will determine whether a full application should be submitted
Stage two
- complete the full application form
- submit it to the relevant Area Committee
- Elected Members will consider the application for approval
Download the Highland Coastal Communities Fund 2021/22 Review