Rural Community Local Led Development 2024-2025 Expression of Interest

The aim of the RCLLD Fund is to  deliver community-based activity to meet one or more of the Scottish Government priorities.  This funding is for projects that run until end of February 2025 at the latest.

The LAG has been allocated circa £70,000 of additional funding.

We need to award all funds by the end of January 2025 and they need to be spent by the end of February 2025.

To be clear, no funds can be committed or spent prior to the signing of award letters, giving projects approximately 6 weeks to run. 

Therefore, there will be strict constraints around the type of expenditure we will allow. 

We will not be funding:

• Staff costs
• Projects involving contractors
• Any project where we deem there to be a risk of it over running

We will fund:

• Small capital costs
• Revenue expenditure excluding staff e.g. perishable or consumable goods
• One off or short programmes of events

Priorities for Funding:

You may apply for funds for project-based activity and must demonstrate that it advances inclusion, equality and diversity. Your project must also align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (opens new window), the Scottish National Performance Framework (opens new window) and Scottish Government's current spending priorities which are;

• Eradicating child poverty
• Growing the economy
• Tackling the climate emergency
• Improving public services

Eligible areas:  

Pending the formal approval of our Community Led Vision (CLV), projects based in, or benefitting, rural areas of West Lothian are eligible.  Armadale, Whitburn, Pumpherston and Uphall Station have been put forward as eligible in our CLV.

Areas not eligible for funding are Livingston, Bathgate, Linlithgow and Broxburn (including Uphall).

Eligible applicants:

Organisation and groups eligible to apply include, but are not limited to;CICs, SCIOs, development trusts, community groups, volunteer groups and social enterprises.

• We do not accept applications from individuals
• We are not accepting applications from businesses at his time
• If you are unsure if your organisation/group qualifies please get in contact

Your group/organisation must have a bank account.

Funding available:

• You may apply for capital and revenue funding
• You may apply for up to 100% of costs but projects with match funding are encouraged (match funding must be awarded before the project starts)
• Minimum project size: £1,000
• Maximum project size: £20,000 unless covering a significant amount of the eligible West Lothian area.

Applying

If you are interested in applying please use the link below:

Apply for the West Lothian Rural, Community led Local Development Grant (opens new window)

Guidance for the web application and general guidance:

• RCLLD User Guide (gi.ui.mediatype.powerpoint, 1 MB)(opens new window)
• RCLLD Application Guidance - 2024-2025 (PDF, 270 KB)(opens new window)

Dates and Deadlines:

Useful links:

• Scottish Rural Network (opens new window)
• Scottish Rural Action (opens new window)