SSEN Transmission launches first Argyll Community Benefit Fund worth £3.2m
12 May 2026
We have officially launched our first Community Benefit Fund in Argyll, with £3.2 million available to support communities closest to a major new electricity infrastructure project in the region.
The Argyll and Kintyre Local Fund will focus on communities neighbouring the Argyll and Kintyre 275kV Reinforcement Project – a significant programme of electricity network upgrades designed to strengthen Argyll’s energy infrastructure, improve security of supply and support the transition to clean power.
One of the first funds of its kind to be established under new UK Government guidance, the £3.2m fund has been created to ensure that communities hosting vital new transmission infrastructure benefit directly from this investment. Funding will be available across ten community council areas located closest to the Argyll and Kintyre 275kV project route.
The first Argyll-focused local community benefit fund is now inviting applications from projects and groups based across Argyll, with the closing date for the fund set for Tuesday 4 August.
The launch of the fund follows on from a call out for a local decision-making panel last month, who will play a key role in guiding how the funding will be distributed.
The panel, which will be made up of community members from across Argyll alongside one representative from SSEN Transmission, will be in place by the closing of the first round of applications for the first round of community benefit funding.
The launch of the fund builds on a series of public consultation events held in September 2025, where residents were invited to share their views on local priorities and how the benefits of the Argyll and Kintyre 275kV Reinforcement Project should be shared within the region.
Linsay Chalmers, Community Investment Manager for SSEN Transmission’s Community Benefit Funds in Argyll, said:
“This is an exciting milestone for the first Argyll Community Benefit Fund, and reflects our commitment to ensuring communities hosting new transmission infrastructure see meaningful, long‑term benefits.
It’s been fantastic to meet and hear from the many incredible people working and volunteering in the community and across the third sector here in Argyll during the consultation for the fund, and we were really encouraged by the level of interest in joining the decision-making panel. It shows the depth of community activity and experience in Argyll so we are looking forward to seeing what comes forward during the funding applications process.
The fund has been shaped around priorities that matter locally – tackling the root causes of depopulation, improving connectivity, and responding to the climate and biodiversity crises – and we’re looking forward to working with the panel to turn this into real outcomes on the ground.
The fund is open until Tuesday 4 August and we look forward to receiving applications from organisations keen to invest in the future of their local community here in Argyll.”
For more information about the fund and details on how to apply, visit the Argyll and Kintryre 275kV Local Fund page.