Apply for funding from our Local Partnerships

What the fund is, who can apply, what funding is available, what can get funding, what to include in your application, how to apply, and what happens next.

Local Partnerships provide small grants and funding for local activities and projects that help to meet local priorities.

On this page:

What the fund is

We allocate funding to Local Partnerships based on the area's population. This helps make sure it is distributed fairly across Renfrewshire's communities.

Local Partnerships can award funding to local groups and projects which bring communities together.

Each Local Partnership has its own priorities. The partnership will prioritise the awarding of funding based on these priorities and projects they feel will have the most impact for people in their local area.

See what the priorities are for each Local Partnership.

Who can apply

Any community or voluntary organisation operating in Renfrewshire can apply for funding from Local Partnerships.

The organisation or group must have a constitution and a bank account and be accountable to their members.

You can apply to more than one Local Partnership, but you must make sure your application aligns with the agreed priorities of that Local Partnership.

Who cannot apply

You are not eligible for this fund if you are:

an individual
a commercial or for-profit organisation
a department or service of Renfrewshire Council.

What funding is available

Awards of up to £5,000 are available for voluntary and community organisations.

Local partnerships often receive more eligible applications than they can fund, so they may choose to limit total awards or part-fund projects.

Some Local Partnerships also have access to additional funding, called Common Good funding.

There is no limit on awards from the Common Good. This applies in the Renfrew, Paisley North, Paisley East and Gleniffer Local Partnerships.

Local Partnerships may choose not to fund organisations who have not met the grant conditions for previous awards.

What can get funding

If your project meets the Local Partnership's priorities, we can fund a wide range of costs and items.

Your project should add value to existing services or provision in the area.

Local Partnerships encourage applications that have been developed by the communities they'll support. This helps show there's a need for the activity.

Awards are one-off and are not intended to provide ongoing funding for the same or similar activities on an annual basis.

There is no guarantee that we'll award you funding, even if you have previously been successful.

Some examples of projects funded previously include:

improving community facilities such as a building or land to make them better and more accessible for community use
enhancing or creating community gardens to provide attractive spaces for the community
community events that provide opportunities for local people to gather together
projects that help people get out and meet together so they are socially connected in the community and do not feel isolated.

We may ask you for further information about the sustainability of your project if you're applying for general running costs or existing costs of your organisation, such as utility bills or staffing.

Local Partnership funding is for the provision of additional projects in the community. It should not be relied on if you're applying for funds needed to keep your organisation going. If you need funding for this reason, you can find out more about sustainability funding.

What cannot get funding

Funding will not cover:

projects that do not meet the local priorities of the Local Partnership they are applying to
projects that do not clearly show how they will deliver their project in the Local Partnership area
large projects which require significant funding or investment
construction or refurbishment projects where building regulations approval, planning permission or landlord consent are needed and have not yet been obtained
costs of activities which have already happened or core costs of staff members
projects which exist to further religious or political beliefs
trips abroad and hospitality to other organisations
installation, storage, and maintenance of Christmas lighting where this has not been agreed in advance with council officers.

Local Partnerships may choose not to award funding to previous applicants who have not complied with grant conditions - for example, if they have not provided feedback on their project.

What to include in your application

You should clearly show how your project contributes to the Local Partnership's priorities in the area you are applying.

See what the priorities are for each Local Partnership.

Your application should explain:

Who will benefit
Why the project is needed
What will your project do (when, where and how often)
How you'll deliver your project (people and resources).

You should also think about how the project adds value to services currently available in that community and work collaboratively with other groups to maximise the impact of the project.

About your project

Think about the people you're going to work with and be clear how you know they need this project.

You should also think about other services that may currently be offered by other organisations in the area. Explain how your project complements these.

Be clear about:

where the project is based
how it is promoted within the Local Partnership
how you know it will benefit people from the Local Partnership you are applying to.

If you apply for a project in more than one Local Partnership, you should be clear about how the project will benefit people in each area.

Local Partnerships will usually want to know that the activity is taking place in their area or how residents can access it if not. They'll want to know what the benefit of the project is to local people.

Delivery

Your application must explain the resources you'll need to deliver the activity and how you'll ensure your project will succeed.

Make it clear how many people will benefit and how you'll reach the residents in the Local Partnership area you are applying.

Think about any other organisations you'll work with to help maximise the benefit of the project and how it will have a lasting impact.

How will you know your project is delivering against local priorities? What evaluation or reporting tools will you use to show the project's success?

Consider the potential impact or outcomes your project will have on participants, but be realistic with your targets and ambitions.

What would success look like? Can you reach your goals with this funding and in this timeframe?

Budget

You'll be asked to provide a breakdown of how you'll spend any potential funding.

Think about whether your budget is offering the best value for money and includes all the costs you need to deliver the activity.

If the amount of Local Partnership funding you apply for is part of a larger package with funding from other sources, you'll need to tell us about this in your application.

Before you apply

If you haven't created an online account with us before, you'll need to register for MyAccount through mygov.scot. You only need an email address to sign up.

If you've already registered for MyAccount, you don't need to do it again.

You'll also need to provide some key pieces of supporting documentation with your application.

You'll need to provide:

a bank statement (less than 3 months old)
a copy of your annual accounts or an Income and Expenditure Statement (this should be less than 15 months old. New organisations should submit estimates of income and expenditure for the first 12 months)
a copy of your Constitution, or Memorandum and Articles of Association (must be dated and signed).

We cannot consider your application until these have been submitted.

If you have project plans, budget, letters of support or videos that show the impact of your work, you can upload them or provide links to them when you submit your application.

You'll also need to provide details of previous funding you have received from the council in the last 3 years.

If you have received funding previously, you must provide feedback to the local partnership. This may be presented when the partnership meets to decide on your application.

We'll send you an email with a feedback form along with notification of the opening of 2025/26 applications.

If you received Local Partnership funding for 2024/25, tell us how the funding you received for your project made a difference to the area.

You must send your feedback to us by Thursday 13 March 2025.

Key dates

Monday 10 February 2025: applications open
Thursday 13 March 2025: closing date for submitting Local Partnership grant funding applications for consideration at April or May meetings
April or May 2025: Local Partnerships make decisions to allocate funding from the general grant fund and Common Good Funds.

How to apply

Apply for local partnership funding online.

If you're unable to complete the application form online, phone our Community Planning team on 0141 487 1512 or email us at communityplanning@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

The deadline to submit your application is Thursday 13 March 2025.

What happens next

We'll contact you by email to let you know we've received your application.

We'll then review your application and documents. We may contact you if we need some more information on your project.

We'll produce a summary version of your application which confirms if your application meets the priorities identified by the Local Partnership you have applied to. We'll present this summary in a report for the Local Partnership.

The members of the Local Partnership in each area will then meet and decide on each funding application. See the Local Partnership meeting schedule.

Normally, you do not need to attend or speak at a Local Partnership. These meetings are public and may take place in-person or online. Find out more about Local Partnership meetings and how to watch recordings of previous meetings.

If you application is successful

If you're successful, we'll send you an award agreement by email. This will state the purpose of the award and contain our terms and conditions, along with our monitoring and feedback requirements.

It will also contain forms you'll need to fill in to accept and claim your award. Please read your award letter carefully and keep it safe for future reference.

Your grant funding is awarded specifically for what you've applied for. You must contact us to discuss any proposed changes with us in advance.

You should also keep all receipts and evidence of expenditure. Payments for goods and services for the project must be made directly from the organisation's bank account (not by cash), as we may request bank statements to verify project expenditure. You should make sure payments from your account are clearly annotated.

There are some new 'Fair Work First' rules that apply to all council grants. This means if we award you a grant, you must follow the Fair Work First criteria to:

pay at least the real Living Wage if, it applies to your project
provide appropriate channels for effective workers' voice, such as trade union recognition.

If your application is unsuccessful

There may be other council and external funding sources which better fit your project or organisation's objectives.

We may contact you as part of the process to explore other possible funding options and future funding opportunities.

Engage Renfrewshire provides support to all community groups who want to start up or develop further. You can find advice on the Engage Renfrewshire website or you can phone them on 0141 887 7707.

More information

If you want to talk to someone about your project, email our Community Planning team at communityplanning@renfrewshire.gov.uk or phone 0141 487 4773.

If you're having issues submitting your application online, or need to submit a paper copy, email rcgrantapplications@renfrewshire.gov.uk or phone 0141 487 0962.