Community groups across Scotland are being encouraged to apply for sustainable development grant funding.

Crown Estate Scotland’s Sustainable Communities Fund has opened for its seventh round of applications, offering grants to eligible grassroots projects across Scotland.

The programme offers practical support to a variety of projects, and has already distributed more than £2.5 million since beginning in 2020. This year's funding pot is reported to be the biggest to date.

There are two separate grant schemes in the programme, – the Environment Grants scheme and the Community Capacity Grants scheme. This year both grant schemes have expanded and will be more than half a million pounds, with £200,000 available through the Environment Grants and £390,000 through the Community Capacity Grants.

The Environment Grants scheme makes funding available to Crown Estate Scotland tenants to support projects capable of delivering environmental benefits within 18 months of being awarded.

The Community Capacity Grants offers funding to support early-stage development of community enterprise projects situated within five miles of the Scottish coastline (or one of Crown Estate Scotland’s rural estates).

Community groups across Scotland are encouraged to apply for the Community Capacity Grants towards early-stage development projects that will support sustainable management of the Scottish Crown Estate and the activities that take place upon it.

To apply, projects should follow any of the following themes:

• Sustainable rural or coastal housing.
• Climate-resilient communities.
• Community infrastructure.
• Skills, enterprise and the circular economy.
• Sustainable tourism, recreation and heritage.

Anneli Hill, Head of Sustainable Development & Delivery at Crown Estate Scotland, said: "We are delighted to be able to pledge almost £600,000 towards this year’s Sustainable Community Fund – a programme which has helped fund a large number of transformative community projects across Scotland and which empowers local people and Crown Estate Scotland tenants to bring about the changes most important to them.

Applications to both funds opened yesterday (Tuesday 1 September). The Community Capacity Grant application will remain open until 5pm on Friday 25 September, while the applications for the Environment Grants will remain open until midday on Monday 26 October.

To access both applications, click here.