Renewable Energy Fund Grants

Rural Facilities Sustainability Fund

The Rural Facilities Sustainability Fund helps rural communities keep local buildings open when they are at real risk of closing. You can apply if your group is linked to a facility that needs short‑term support while you explore new ways to run or fund it.

Who can apply

You can apply if you are:

a constituted community group
a non‑constituted group with support from your local councillor

Funding is subject to available budget.

What the fund can support

We can help any community facility at clear risk of closure. This includes sports centres, halls, church halls, bowling greens and other local venues. You must provide evidence that the building is identified for closure or at immediate risk. This could include minutes of meetings or written notices.

The fund can provide revenue support for up to 36 months. This gives communities time to develop capacity, carry out planning work and consider new operating or funding options.

You can apply for:

deficit funding to keep the facility open
structural surveys
community consultation
business plans
urgent small‑scale repairs

If timing is urgent, you can submit a separate, quicker application to the Renewable Energy Fund for early survey or planning costs.

How to apply

Submit an expression of interest if you are linked to a property at risk.
If the facility is on a closure list or considered at immediate risk, we will move you to the full application stage within one week.
If the building is owned by South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture, deficit costs will be provided directly. For other properties, you must supply evidence of costs.
You can then submit your application. The process is light‑touch to help you act quickly.

For costs below £5,000, one quote is enough.

Grants above £20,000 follow quarterly deadlines and committee approval. Smaller grants are normally assessed within four weeks.

You can submit staged or multiple applications as long as funding is not duplicated and revenue support does not exceed 36 months.