Funding

Here is an overview of some potential grant sources. The rural gateway funding section run by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO)     provides further advice.

The Scottish Rural Development Programme  (SRDP) is the Scottish Government's main programme for financial support to rural Scotland. It is a £1.6 billion programme of economic, environmental and social measures designed to develop rural Scotland over the six year period from 2007. If you need a grant for your rural project, you should look to see if you and your project are eligible under SRDP before applying to Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

SNH offers grants for environmental work including footpath projects, interpretation and school grounds improvements. Grants are subject to corporate priorities and financial availability.

The Heritage Lottery Fund  (HLF) supports projects which aim to broaden access to and involvement in the natural heritage. HLF has a range of grant giving schemes (depending on the level of funding sought) including Awards for All, Your Heritage Grants and Heritage Grants.

European Structural funds  are one of the EU's key mechanisms for promoting sustainable economic development. The funds can offer opportunities for support of access projects linked to socio-economic benefits.

The Landfill Tax Credit Scheme   was designed to help mitigate the effects of landfill upon local communities. It encourages and enables landfill operators to support a wide range of environmental projects, including access and interpretation, by giving them a 90% tax credit against their donations to Environmental Bodies.

The Leader+ programme   is a European Community Initiative for assisting rural communities in improving the quality of life and economic prosperity in their local area. The programme supports projects aimed at enhancing the natural and cultural heritage, reinforcing the economic environment, in order to contribute to job creation and improving the organisation abilities of their community.

The Crown Estate's Marine Stewardship Fund     has grant-aided a wide range of practical projects around the coast of the UK, including interpretation. Projects previously supported include the Marine Conservation Society's Clean Seas Campaign and the restoration of a derelict coastguard lookout as a wildlife observation post on the Ceredigion coast.

Funding may also be available through Scottish Enterprise   and its Local Enterprise Companies (LECs), through Highlands and Islands Enterprise    and its network of LECS, and through local authorities.