The funding alerts below are updated regularly to let you know of important information about funding deadlines for community groups and charities.
If your group is awarded a grant from any of the funds highlighted in these alerts, please let us know by emailing ExternalFunding@eastayrshireleisure.com.
Stay connected
Sign up to StayConnected to receive regular funding alert bulletins straight to your mailbox. It offers you a list of subjects which you can add to, or unsubscribe from, at any time.
It's a free subscription-only service and it's easy to sign up. You just need a username and email address.
Latest funding alerts
East Ayrshire Council - Anti-Poverty and Inequalities Grant
East Ayrshire Council has created an Anti-Poverty and Inequalities Grant Programme which is targeted at providing resources for innovative projects which will help to tackle poverty.
Applications are welcome from any constituted third sector partner who would like to propose new initiatives, enhance a current initiative, or add long term sustainability to a current initiative.
Projects should be connected to one or more of the strategy’s themes of:
- household poverty
- child poverty
- health and wellbeing inequalities
- building individual and community resilience
- building organisation capacity to tackle poverty
The fund is open on the East Ayrshire Council website. There is no current deadline for applications.
Apply at Engagement East Ayrshire: Anti-Poverty and Inequalities Grant
East Ayrshire Council - Place Based Investment Programme
The Place Based Investment Programme is a five year Scottish Government Investment programme, It supports community-led capital projects that are rooted in Community Action Plans, Place Plans, and other forms of community engagement and regeneration.
Grants up to £100,000 are available. A series of webinars is being held, and further details are available via the link below..
The fund is open on the East Ayrshire Council website.The deadline for applications is 24 August 2025.
Apply at Engagement East Ayrshire: Place Based Investment Programme
Barclays - Community Sport Fund
Small grants to get more women in the UK qualified as coaches for girls.
The fund is available to all clubs and groups that run football, cricket or tennis activities for girls and who wish to get more female coaches qualified.
The fund provides two coaching grants per club to cover the cost of, or a contribution towards, a Level 1 or equivalent introductory qualification and any additional safeguarding and first aid requirements for the chosen sport (football, tennis or cricket).Grants of £200 are available for tennis and cricket and grants of £160 for football.
To be eligible for funding, the female coaches must be:
- aged 16+
- already coaching girls or would like to start
- part of a club or group with girls’ provision where they would like to begin or continue coaching, such as current player, parent of a player, volunteer
- be able to undertake their coaching qualification within 12 months, subject to course availability
The fund is open on the Barclays Sported website. The deadline for applications is 22 August 2025.
Apply at Barclays Sported: Community Sport Fund
Consortium - LGBT+ Youth Advocacy Fund
Funding for organisations working with LGBT+ youth across the UK to deliver projects that enable them to be well-resourced, sustainable, resilient, and build confidence and independence in LGBT+ young people.
Grants of between £10,000 and £50,000 are available.
The fund is open on the Consortium website. The deadline for applications is 27 August 2025.
Apply at Consortium: LGBT+ Youth Advocacy Fund
Corra Foundation - Boost Fund
Grants of between £500 and £3,000 for charities and community organisations across Scotland with an annual income of up to £50,000 that work with children and families affected by poverty
.Grants of between £250 and £1,500 are also available to unconstituted groups.It is anticipated that 250 to 300 grants will be made.
Funding is for projects that:
- provide an accessible and supportive funding opportunity for small community-led organisations.
- ensure community-led activities remain available to children and families despite the challenges the higher cost of living poses for charities and community groups.
The fund is open on the Corra Foundation website. Applications can be submitted at any time and will close when the available funding is fully allocated.
Apply at Corra Foundation: Boost Fund
Henry Smith Foundation - Shout! Fund
The Shout! Fund is for not-for-profit organisations that support young people aged 14 to 25 through independent, person-led advocacy. It focuses on helping young people make informed choices, speak up, and secure their rights.
To be eligible for funding, organisations must be working to support at least one of the following:
- Care-experienced young people – this includes those who have been in foster care, residential care, kinship care, or have left care.
- LGBT+ young people – supporting young people across the full spectrum of LGBT+ identities. Applicants must be working work inclusively and affirming the rights, identities, and lived experiences of all LGBT+ people.
- Young people with a learning disability and/or neurodivergence – organisations that offer support without requiring a diagnosis and take an inclusive approach.
The fund is open on the Henry Smith Foundation website. The deadline for Expressions of Interest is 20 August 2025.
Apply at Henry Smith Foundation: Shout! Fund
Henry Smith Foundation - Together we Begin Fund
The key aims of the fund are to:
- strengthen parenting skills to improve children’s outcomes
- build confidence and reduce stress in the home
- connect families to their local community
Grants of between £40,000 and £50,000 per year for up to three years are available (a maximum total of £150,000).
The fund is open on the Henry Smith Foundation website. The deadline for Expressions of Interest is 28 August 2025.
Henry Smith Foundation - Domestic Abuse Fund
This funding is intended for groups that are deeply rooted in their communities and offer person-centred, holistic support that is tailored around the needs of people from marginalised and minoritised communities who have experienced domestic abuse.
This fund is specifically for formally registered, not-for-profit organisations with a charitable purpose led-by-and-for marginalised and minoritised communities with a track record of at least three years’ experience providing specialist domestic abuse support to their community.
There are no minimum or maximum income thresholds – applications will be considered from organisations of all sizes.It is expected that 20 grants will be made.
All successful applicants will receive a grant of £250,000 over five years (£50,000 per year).
The fund is open on the Henry Smith Foundation website. Expressions of Interest open 13 August 2025 and close 10 September 2025.
Apply at Henry Smith Foundation: Domestic Abuse Fund
Impact Funding Partners - Volunteering Support Fund
Not-for-profit organisations in Scotland with an annual income of below £250,000 can apply.
The maximum grant over the funded period (1 November 2025 to 31 March 2027) is £20,000 with a maximum of:
- £6,000 in Year One
- £14,000 in Year Two
The fund will support organisations to deliver on the following outcomes:
- increasing the diversity of the third sector’s volunteer pool, especially to include people who experience disadvantage or would traditionally experience barriers to volunteering
- improving opportunities for skills and personal development through volunteering
- Improving third sector capacity to support, train and deploy volunteers
- enhancing the services that organisations deliver to better meet the needs of the communities they serve
- recruiting volunteers with relevant skills to help strengthen organisational governance
- making a positive impact towards ending child poverty
The fund is open on the Henry Smith Foundation website. The deadline for applications is 25 August 2025.
Apply at Impact Funding Partners: Volunteering Support Fund
Local Energy Scotland - Community Energy Generation Growth Fund
Grants are available to established and incorporated community groups such as development trusts and community energy and climate action groups to set up renewable energy generation projects, such as:
- installing wind turbines and solar panels
- developing other types of renewable energy generation, such as hydro, to meet local needs – the funding available is mostly capital
A limited amount of funding is also available for feasibility studies and option appraisals. The following levels of funding are available:
- Feasibility Stage: Grants of up to £20,000
- Development Stage: Grants of up to £250,000
- Construction Stage: Grants of up to 80% of construction costs up to a maximum of £250,000, or up to 25% of construction costs with no maximum cap
Organisations can also apply for short-term bridging loans with a minimum value of £60,000 while securing match funding.
The fund is open on the Local Energy Scotland website. The deadline for applications is 8 September 2025.
Apply at Local Energy Scotland: Community Energy Generation Growth Fund
Walking Scotland – SPT Community Path Fund
Funding of up to £10,000 is available to construct new paths to improve network connectivity as well as to upgrade existing paths to make them more accessible.
This can include removing barriers on paths that are restrictive for people using adaptive equipment, installing seating along routes to provide rest points, installing directional signage, and planting wildlife-friendly trees and shrubs.
The fund is open on the Walking Scotland website. Applications are open now and close on 8 September 2025.
Woodroffe Benton Foundation – Small Grant Programme
UK registered charities can apply for a grant of between £500 and £2,500 for projects that improve the quality of life and social engagement for people with severe physical and/or learning disabilities
The fund is open on the Woodroffe Benton Foundation website. This deadline for applications is 31 August 2025 or when 150 applications have been received.
Apply at Woodroffe Benton Foundation
East Ayrshire Council Community Grants
To check the next deadline date for applications please contact Democratic Services at Council Headquarters on 01563 554400 for further information.
Apply for a Community Grant
Renewable Energy Funds
To check the next deadline date for applications please contact Democratic Services at Council Headquarters on 01563 554400 further information.
Apply to the Renewable Energy Fund
Tincornhill Quarry Fund – Sorn
For further information on application criteria and deadlines please email secretarytqf@gmail.com
Previous funding alerts
East Ayrshire 4 Community
You can also search for grants and check your eligibility at East Ayrshire 4 Community, which is a free service.