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  • The Seed Fund is currently CLOSED

    Last year we allocated over 30 small grants to community groups and small organisations within Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire to set up projects aiming to mitigate or adapt to climate change, increase biodiversity and work towards a fairer, healthier, more sustainable future

We hope that our Seed Fund will return in the next financial year

APPLY FOR SEED FUNDING

About the Seed Fund

NESCAN Hub has a small pot of funding for community climate action and biodiversity projects within Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire. 

The Seed Fund is designed for small community projects. Any local not-for-profit community-led organisation, with an annual income under £50,000 that is based in Aberdeen City or Aberdeenshire can apply. In some cases, we can accept applications from individuals on behalf of informal groups. 

Unless there are exceptional circumstances, grants are now a maximum of £500 per organisation to enable us to fund as many organisations and projects as possible.

Applications closed on Monday 24th February 2025 

Grants are allocated to eligible projects on a first come first served basis while funds remain.

Projects should aim to achieve at least one of the following outcomes:

  1. Mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and damaging environmental impacts.
  2. Protect, enhance or increase local biodiversity.
  3. Help communities adapt to and build resilience to climate change.
  4. Raise awareness of and prompt action on climate.
  5. Encourage sustainability through education, reducing waste, reducing energy consumption, increasing renewable energy sources or promoting active travel and the use of public transport.

To help achieve NESCAN Hub’s vision and objectives, we welcome projects that:

  • Aim to create long-term change.
  • Build the skills and capacity of groups or organisations and communities. 
  • Support and encourage collaborative working across groups or organisations, communities, and areas.
  • Are led by disadvantaged or minority groups.
  • Are intergenerational or led by young people
  • Help groups leverage wider funding, which may include match funding. 

 

mother and toddler harvesting peppers and tomatoes from community greenhouse
pexels-anna-tarazevich-7299967 (1)
APPLY FOR SEED FUNDING

Other things to consider

  1. Our ethos is sustainability, please consider this when designing your projects. 

  2. Consider the best value for purchases before making your application including longevity, sustainability, and support for local businesses. Physical goods and products should be recycled, second-hand or reusable where possible, and you should have a plan as to how they will be disposed of after their use.

  3. We expect that any travel expenses would only be for active (walking/biking/wheeling) or sustainable travel, such as public transport.

  4. Trees, plants and seeds should be native, responsibly and locally sourced where possible.

  5. Projects in public, open and green spaces, or residential amenity areas, should ensure that relevant permissions and agreements are in place to carry out the project.

  6. We value a co-creational approach being taken with the targeted beneficiaries/local community when designing and implementing projects, and a clear indication of how the project is meeting community needs and will have a positive impact.

  7. Our fund will not cover salaries or staff costs but can be used to pay contractors or people with specialist expertise. The fund is to build your capacity by bringing in equipment, skills, or expertise that you do not currently have.

  8. We may be able to provide funding for legal ‘direct action’. However, no part of your project should prevent freedom of speech or promote or facilitate illegal activities.

  9. If you're applying for match funding, or for part of a larger project, we require applications to identify specific costs that the fund would cover.

  10. We expect that all NESCAN funding, will be used for the purposes outlined in your application. You need our permission to reallocate any funding. We may require you to pay back any unused funding that cannot be reallocated, with our approval, to other costs or another project that meets the fund criteria. 

We don't fund projects that:

  1. Support market-based solutions to climate change such as carbon trading or carbon offsetting.

  2. Purchase equipment that uses fossil fuel, except where there is no realistic alternative.

  3. Involve any environmentally damaging activities.

  4. Have not made every effort to be environmental responsible.

COMMUNITY PROJECT VIDEOS

Get inspired and get involved today!

Enjoy our collection of videos showcasing amazing community-led projects.

Explore Our Community Projects Videos
4-Wee Forest Planting_3

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Any organisation with income of less than £50,000 per year, group or individual working on projects that meet the above criteria can apply. If you are applying as an individual, you need a partner organisation with a bank account who is willing to receive the funds on your behalf. 

You, your group or organisation must be based in Aberdeenshire or Aberdeen City and your project should be run by local people under their direction and for the benefit of their community and the environment.

You can apply any time from 28th June 2024, and while funds remain. We allocate to eligible applications on a first come first served basis. 

Applying couldn't be easier! Simply click the link and fill out the application form highlighted on this page.

You will receive an automated email acknowledging receipt of your application form. In most cases we should be able to give a decision within 10 working days, although we may contact you during that time for further information.

We’ll contact you to confirm the amount and your bank details. Payment is usually made within 7-10 days after we receive the bank details and grant acceptance form. Successful projects will be shared on our website with the organisation or group’s name, project description and link to their website (funding amounts will not be publicised).

Yes up to a maximum of £1,000 per group or organisation for any financial year to enable us to fund as many organisations and projects as possible. If funds remain later in the year, we may increase the funding limit to ensure that all funds are allocated. 

Our Funding and Development Officer can provide support and advice when completing your form. If any information on this page is difficult to understand we are happy to provide it in other formats, including larger print upon request.

Please contact rachel@nescan.org or info@nescan.org for further information.

Please send us photographs or photocopies of receipts showing what you have spent the money on. We will issue you with a short form to complete to explain how you have spent the money and the impact it has made. Please return this form within 6 months of your funds being allocated. We are interested in hearing about any challenges you faced with your project, and anything that worked well. Please do take lots of photos of your project for knowledge sharing and publicity purposes. Please be aware that if you don't provide feedback and evidence of how you have spent the grant, we won't able to consider you for grants in the future.

Yes. If your application is rejected, you may have other projects that fit our criteria.

SEED FUNDING APPLICATION FORM

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Please note only NESCAN members are eligible to apply for seed funding.  If you aren't already a member, it is quick, free, and straightforward to apply.