Our Eastern Green Link 2 Peterhead Local Fund

The fund has been designed in partnership with the local Community Councils and key community representatives. This involved hosting a community workshop, where key priorities for the local area were discussed, as well as conducting further desk-based research on regional and community plans. All participants involved in the community workshop were asked to review and comment on the fund proposal ahead of launch.

Ahead of UK Government guidance, the value of the fund has been calculated as a percentage of the total project cost.

The Micro-grant Fund is aimed at individuals and small local groups who need small amounts of money to pursue their objectives. The process for applying for and receiving a micro-grant has been designed to be relatively quick and light touch. These funds are managed by the relevant Community Councils, so you should contact your Community Council directly for more information.

The Large Project Fund is aimed at projects supporting the strategic development of Peterhead and the surrounding area. These projects must fall within the fund themes.

• Large Project Fund: Projects are able to apply up to the maximum amount available in each round, which is £410,294.
• Micro-grant Fund: The total amount available varies depending on the Community Council, up to a maximum of £500 per project.

• Large Project Fund: To be eligible for this fund, organisations must have a constitution and not be set up for individual profit. Expressions of interest will only be considered if they align with the fund themes and are of benefit to the local area.
  
  
• Micro-grant Fund: Applications can be accepted from groups – including those who don’t have a written constitution or set of rules – and individuals. Applications must be of benefit to the local community. For further information, please contact your Community Council directly.

For both funds, applications will not be considered if they fall under the following categories:

• The advancement of religion or politics (including requests to support the core activities of religious or political groups)
• Direct costs of energy consumption
• The repayment of loans or payment of debts
• Trips abroad
• Costs already incurred or activities which will take place before the funding decision has been made (retrospective funding)
• Payments towards areas generally understood to be the primary responsibility of statutory authorities
• Anti-electrical infrastructure/renewable energy activities, including activities contrary to the interests of SSE and its subsidiaries

It is important for your organisation to have a written constitution as this outlines the purpose, rules and regulations of the organisation. If you need support in writing a constitution, there is advice available through the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and your local Third Sector Interface.

It is usually possible to set up your organisation and write your constitution without legal or professional advice, but this may be advisable if you are setting up a more complex organisation.

The decisions on who should receive funding are made by an independent panel made up of community representatives from across the beneficiary area. The members are the panel are:

• Jim Buchan (chair)
• Jason McKinnon
• Tina Gibbins
• Keith Skinner
• Eileen Buchan
• Steph Swales

• Large Project Fund: All organisations who submitted an expression of interest will be contacted in July 2025, to advise whether they have been invited by the Panel to submit an application. All applicants will be contacted with information about the application outcome in November 2025. A list of all successful applications will then be published on this website.
• Micro-grant Fund: Groups or individuals will be contacted directly by Community Councils regarding the outcome of an application. A full list of all micro-grant funded project will be published on this website annually.

Yes – each Community Benefit Fund is operated completely separately. Therefore, you can still apply for this fund if you have previously applied for, or are currently in the process of applying for, any other Community Benefit Fund. 

• Large Project Fund: Organisations will need to initially complete an expression of interest form. This form will ask for some basic information about the organisation, as well as details of the project you are looking to fund, how it fits with the fund themes and why you have identified a need for this project. If you are invited to submit a full application, further guidance will be made available to you.
  
  
• Micro-grant Fund: The application process may differ depending on your Community Council area. Please contact your relevant Community Council for further information.