Third Sector Grants

We provide a range of funding opportunities to support local community groups, voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises. These grants are designed to help strengthen communities, support local activity, improve wellbeing and enable organisations to deliver services that make a positive difference across South Lanarkshire.

Whether you are running a local club, delivering a new community project, or expanding an existing service, we may have funding opportunities to bring your ideas to life.

Before applying for a grant, you should know that only constituted forms of third sector groups can apply for third sector council grants. All organisations, when applying, must have the following:

be constituted by a governing document
a bank account for your group or organisation
for grants over £10,000, the most recent audited accounts or independently examined accounts.
for grants under £10,000, the most recent accounts as required by your governing document
public liability insurance for the funded activities.

Read our grant policy.

All grants available from council-funded sources are organised by four categories to help you identify what is available: Small, Medium, Investment and Participatory Budgeting grants. Please see below a summary of the funds available in each category.

The council also hosts or administers some grants that are funded by external sources. These are therefore not covered by the terms of the grant policy. Links to these funds can be found at the end of this page.

Small grants (£1 - £1000)

Community grants
Community grants can provide financial support to a wide range of community groups through the council's Community Grant Scheme. This Scheme can deliver grants of up to £1000 for a range of activities or to promote and publicise the group in the local community.

See Community grants

Playscheme grants

Playschemes are run by parents and volunteers to provide activities for children during school holidays.

See Playscheme information

Gala day and summer festival grants

Organisations hosting local gala days or summer festivals can apply for financial support from us. In addition to funding, we also offer substantial “in-kind” assistance to help with planning, preparation, and delivery of these community events.

See information on Gala day funds

Medium grants (£1,001 - £19,999)

Communities Can Do Fund

This fund offers funding between £1,001 and £19,999 to support local projects that benefit South Lanarkshire’s communities. Administered by the Community Engagement Team, these grants are awarded through an open, competitive process, helping community groups and organisations deliver meaningful, one-off or short-term activities that align with council priorities.

See information on the Communities Can Do Fund.

Third sector investment grants (£20,000+)

Third Sector Investment Grants provide funding to support voluntary and community organisations across South Lanarkshire. These grants help strengthen the local third sector by supporting sustainable services, community-led initiatives, and projects that promote wellbeing, inclusion, and partnership working. While many of these are direct awards that are included in the grant register, at times, there will be open competitions in this category.

As per the Grant policy, direct awards are offered under the following criteria: the outcomes of the service meet a key council priority, are an essential third sector infrastructure organisation, the funding is ringfenced or severely time-limited, or there is a need to temporarily extend existing funding for a review or an emergency. One or all these conditions must be met, recorded, and published when the council provides a direct award.

A list of currently open grants will be shown here when available.

Participatory budgeting (various values)

Participatory Budgeting (PB) gives residents a direct role in identifying priorities, making decisions, and allocating a portion of public funding. This approach has been implemented across all nine Neighbourhood Planning areas in South Lanarkshire, allowing communities to influence how money is spent in their local area.

See information on Participatory Budgeting.

Public grant register

We are committed to providing an up-to-date record of all funding awarded to third sector organisations. It ensures fair, open and transparent information on how public funds are distributed, allowing residents to see which projects have received support and how this investment benefits local communities.

View the Grants register.