Other Funds & Support
The fund will open in spring 2025 and they are hoping to fund measures to help community organisations reduce their building’s energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. It does this by funding the installation of renewable technologies like heat pumps, battery storage, and solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, as well as some energy efficiency measures.
The Energy Learning Network’s Communities Fund
This fund is to increase the ability to share knowledge between multiple community energy organisations across a geography of your choice.
Those who receive funding will have one year to spend it, and will need to engage with a brief Energy Learning Network evaluation survey. This is open to community groups acting on energy in the UK.
Deadline is Wednesday 17th September
Safe Deposits Scotland - Community Fund
This year the SafeDeposits Scotland Community Fund will award grants up to a maximum value of £5,000 to organisations who commit to deliver a project that meets at least one of five criteria, namely: Sustainability and the environment, Employability and career skills, Social inclusion, Technology and digital inclusion, Improving the local community
They award grants on a quarterly basis. Upcoming dates:
Friday 29th August 2025
Friday 28th November 2025
Friday 27th February 2026
The deadline for the next funding round is midnight on 29th August 2025.
A living spreadsheet of funding opportunities for environmental fundraisers, maintained by the team at EFN
Action Earth
Volunteering Matters Action Earth nature grants up to £250 to enable groups to run practical environmental activities in green spaces in built-up areas and centres of population. Activities should emphasize local biodiversity improvements. This could include creating or improving community gardens, shared greenspaces, wildflower meadows, ponds, community woodlands and other wildlife homes and habitats.
Environmental Funders Network’s Funding Opportunities Database
Funding Scotland Website
The most comprehensive source of funding opportunities is the Funding Scotland website.
Edinburgh Community Solar Co-operative's Community Benefit Fund.
Charities and community organisations (with a bank account) can apply for between £500 and £3000 before the deadline on 11th August.
Creative Communities Scotland fund
Creative Communities Scotland is now open for applications.
Funded by the Scottish Government and facilitated by Inspiring Scotland, the Creative Communities Scotland fund will support grassroots community-led organisations across Scotland to develop and deliver projects that harness the power of creativity in supporting the wellbeing of people and communities.
The fund is open to all hands-on, participatory art forms including dance, filmmaking, creative writing, music making, and storytelling
Funds for Members
Greenlight Seedgrant
Greenlight is ECCAN’s annual pot of funding for climate action projects by community groups within the City of Edinburgh. In 2024 we gave out £122,805 to 32 local projects.
Greenlight 2025-26 is now closed. Well done to all the Awardees!
Participation Fund
ECCAN members can apply to get financial support that removes participation barriers to our activities.
Funding Guides
SCVO Funding Guide
SCVO’s Step by Step guide to finding funding is a good place to start. Read this and then register with their online database of funds, Funding Scotland.
Funding Routemap
SCCAN’s Funding Routemap was written in 2013 but is still very relevant and useful tool for new and established groups.
We highlight new fund opportunities in our monthly members’ newsletter. Join ECCAN to get news on the latest opportunities. If you’d like to let us know about new funds, get in touch here.
More Resources
Find training packages for community groups. With options for both face-to-face and online sessions, you'll find plenty of opportunities to continue your journey towards sustainable change.
Training
Get localized data for your community and start to take evidence-based climate action where it is needed. Discover the tools we love the most.
Climate Data
Other Resources
Discover exciting initiatives and opportunities to further climate action. From Edinburgh Cycleways to the Climate Action Tracker, here is our useful list of resources.