Bids invited for new community support fund

Organisations in Orkney with innovative ideas for local investment are invited to bid for support from a new fund.

To be eligible for funding through the UK Government’s Community Renewal Fund, projects need to be aimed at one or more of the following:

• Improving the skills of local people.
• Investing in local business.
• Investing in local communities.
• Supporting people into employment. 

Bids should be made to the Council, which is administering the application process in Orkney.

Before starting work on a bid, local organisations should first check the Community Renewal Fund Prospectus and the Community Fund Technical Note for Project Applicants and Deliverers.

These are available on the UK Government website and provide information on the objectives of the fund, the types of projects it intends to support, and the process and selection criteria that will be used to assess bids.

Although the Government anticipates supporting a range of initiatives, it is encouraging applications for larger scale projects of £500,000 or more if possible. If two or more organisations apply to deliver a joint project, they need to select a lead applicant, with the others acting as delivery partners.

The Council will select bids to be sent to the Government for consideration. It will prioritise those that have the greatest potential to help deliver the key priorities for the county set out in the Orkney Community Plan - Strong Communities, Living Well, and a Vibrant Economy.

The Plan, developed by the organisations that work together as the Orkney Partnership, is available on The Orkney Partnership website and should also be read before bids are made.

Find out more about the Community Renewal Fund >

Bids need to be submitted using the UK Community Renewal Fund Application Form.

They should be sent to the Democratic Services by email before the submission deadline of 11pm on 16 May 2021.

The Government will announce the outcome of the assessment process from late July onwards.