Lanarkshire Community Led Local Development Funding Programme

The Scottish Government financed 'Community Led Local Development' or 'CLLD' is a legacy of the EU Leader Programme and gives local rural communities the power to tackle their own, local challenges. By building knowledge and skills, supporting new ideas and encouraging cooperation, CLLD helps to create viable and resilient communities.

The Lanarkshire CLLD supports communities based in rural North and South Lanarkshire. It follows an integrated approach to rural community and economic development with both Community Planning Partnerships which enables public sector and community agencies to work together under a common rural agenda.

Projects must align with one or more of the Lanarkshire CLLD Themes that link closely with the SG priorities

Theme One Stronger Communities
Theme Two Prosperous Communities
Theme Three Healthy and Active Communities
Theme Four Sustainable Environmental Communities

Projects should also show how they relate to one or more specific Scottish Government priorities:

Helping families and services through the cost-of-living crisis
Rural Poverty, including eradicating child poverty
Transforming the economy to deliver net zero
Creating sustainable public services
Covid recovery
Community wealth building
Wellbeing Economy
Local democracy and governance, community empowerment
Inclusive growth (includes Community-Led Tourism)
Rural entrepreneurial activity
Young Person’s Guarantee, Green Skills and Fair Work

Eligible costs/activities

Revenue type costs including salary, development, feasibility studies, development plans designed to help build capacity
Small scale capital costs

The CLLD is a competitive grant fund that operates on an annual basis from April to March. Projects must be able to demonstrate that they will be fully completed by end February of the same financial year. Grant awards range from £10,000 to £50,000, and up to 100% grant award may be approved. subject to fit with CLLD criteria and funds available.

Decision making

A Local Action Group (LAG) consisting of representation from community, private and public sector organisations serves as the decision making body for projects.

Who can apply?

Community and voluntary organisations
Social enterprises, charities, not-for-profit organisations
Public organisations and agencies
Local Action Group (LAG) members

How to apply

If you are interested and think you have a project that fits with the Renewable Energy Fund submit an expression of interest, providing information on your organization project idea and potential costs:

Apply for funding

As supporting information the following is required to be attached to the online application :

A project business plan
Evidence of procurement process, demonstrating value for money and reasonableness of cost
Governance documents
Recent accounts
Bank statements
Other regulatory paperwork as relevant
Fair work first compliance

The CLLD fund cannot fund the following:

projects that are exclusive in nature and do not comply with Equal Opportunities for all
the advancement of religion or politics (including requests to support the core activities of religious or political groups)
the repayment of loans or payment of debts
costs already incurred or activities which will take place before we have made a decision on an application (retrospective funding)
retrospective costs/activities that have occurred prior to formal approval

Current position

As of April 2024 this fund is open to applications using the link above.

No award has been made to any CLLD areas from the Scottish Government although we expect confirmation of funding in the next 2 months.

Therefore, grant decision making and awards are expected to be in June 2024 for spends to complete by February 2025.