The Trust’s Grants System – Forms and Guidance
Details of all Grants Schemes
Guidelines and Application Forms to Download
Community Groups seeking funds should chose the correct form from those listed here.
Community Groups seeking a grant of more than £20,000 should read these guidelines, and use the Large Grant to Community Groups Stage 1 Proposal Form link below. For these large grant applications only there is a two stage process involving a Stage 1 Proposal and a Stage 2 Application. In addition to Trust approval, SSE must also agree to these grants at both proposal and application stage.
Large-Grants-to-Community-Groups-Guidelines-for-both-stages-20DEC2018 (2)
Large Grants to Community Groups Stage 1 Proposal Form 03112017ii
Constituted Community Groups seeking up to £20,000 in grant – There is a one stage process using a single application form. It always assists the Trust if you let us know you are planning an application.
Constituted Community Groups seeking grants of up to £20,000 make up the bulk of our Trust’s grant awards and are available for constituted, not-for-profit groups and organisations run to benefit people living in the Stratherrick and Foyers area. Click these links to download.
Constituted Group for Community Benefit Guidelines Only 20DEC2018
Constituted Group for Community Benefit Application Form Only Feb 19
Non Constituted Group for Community Benefit Form – limit £1,000 For use by individuals organising an event or project to benefit members of our community. Click these links to download.
Non-Constituted Group Guidelines Only 21DEC2018
Non-Constituted Group for Community Benefit Application Form Only Feb 19
Student Grant Form – up to £500 per year. For any resident undertaking a further or higher education course or training. Student Grant Application Form and Guidelines are on separate download links below.
Individual Student Grant Application Guidelines 09NOV2018
Individual Student Grant Application Form No Guidelines Feb 19
Sporting Grant Application Form – up to £250, two applications permitted each year. For anyone competing at National or Championship level or participating in a recognised training camp as trainees. Click these links to download.
Individual Sporting Grant Application Guidelines Only 09DEC2018
Individual Sporting Grant Application Form for PDF Feb 19
Energy Saving Grant Form – up to £500. Available to any homeowners in the area for making energy saving improvements to their own residential property only. Improvements might include insulation, renewable energy systems etc. Click these links to download.
Energy Saving Grant Application Guidelines only 09DEC2018
Energy Saving Grant Application Form Only Feb 19
Hardship Grant Form – up to £500 contact Knockie Trust
Available to anyone in the area who is suffering hardship. Applications should be made to the Knockie Trust.
alistaircolquhoun369@btinternet.com
Medical Adaptation Grant and Loan Award Scheme – for households in medical distress – This is a new grants scheme designed to assist residents with special difficulties that would otherwise mean they might have to leave our area or who are suffering at the moment for want of domestic improvements. This grant is not available to tenants. In the first instance, please contact the Project Coordinator on 07525120966 or the Trust Administrator. admin@sfctrust.org.uk
Legacy Projects – If any member of the community has a ‘Legacy’ project in mind for which funds of over £20,000 may be required then please contact us directly and we will help with any relevant forms as applicable.
These higher value grants are provided for any local group who have more ambitious projects and require much larger funding. SFCT would expect that our contribution would act as a catalyst for these groups to win much larger funds (i.e. ‘match’ funding) from other funding organisations such as the National Lottery or Scottish Government.
Our ‘Apprenticeship Scheme’ is a good example of a ‘Legacy’ project. Other examples might be a community woodland, sports centre, social housing etc.
Completion Reports
Following the awarding of a grant, applicants are requested to complete a short “Completion Report”. The completion reports for the different grants awarded are as follows:-
Completion Report – Grants to Constituted Groups – click here
Constituted Group Grant Recipient Completion Report 20DEC20181
Completion Report – Grants to Non Constituted Groups
Non-Constituted Group Grant Recipient Completion Report Form 20DEC2018
Completion Report – Grants to Students – click here
Individual Student Grant Recipient Completion Report Form 20DEC2018
Completion Report – Grants for Energy Saving – click here
Household Energy Saving Grant Recipient Completion Report 20DEC2018
Completion Report – Sporting Grants – click here
Individual Sporting Grant Recipient Completion Report Form 20DEC2018
The Trust’s mail and registered address is Stratherrick and Foyers Community Trust, Stratherrick Public Hall, Gorthleck, INVERNESS, IV2 6YP.
There is a two-month cycle. Application deadlines for 2019 are as follows
Next Deadline
21 October 2019 – completed applications received by this date will be assessed during November 2019 and considered by the Trust Board in December 2019.
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We offer grants for all sorts of activities and you can see a list of examples in the ‘Grants Awarded’ page. All grant awards must fit our Company Objects which mirror both our Funders’ preferences and those of the community itself. All grant awards must fit one or more of these criteria. Here is a summary of their main focus:
- To prevent or relieve poverty
- To advance education, training and/or retraining
- To advance heritage
- To advance environmental protection and improvement
- To advance citizenship and/or community development
- To advance the provision of recreational facilities
We DO NOT currently fund the following:
- Groups whose annual income in the current or previous financial year is over £250,000.
- Groups/Individuals whose grant request is for the advancement of religion or politics (including requests to support the core activities of religious or political groups)
- The repayment of loans or payment of debts.
- Costs already incurred or activities which will take place before we have made a decision on an application (retrospective funding).
- Payments towards areas generally understood to be the responsibility of statutory authorities.
- Projects which do not benefit people in the Stratherrick & Foyers area.
- Activities contrary to the interests of / or activities likely to bring into disrepute the Energy companies who fund our Community Benefit payments or any projects which are anti-renewable energy/windfarm.
- Applications from groups/Individuals who have successfully applied before but not returned their Completion Report.
- Groups requiring funds of over £1,000 unless they have a constitution (and therefore a minimum number of 3 people on their management committee) and are “not for profit” groups
- Payment to members of the community to assist with energy bills
How to Apply for a Grant
Please find our Grant Application forms above. If you need help in completing the form then please do give our Project Coordinator, our Administrator or any of our Directors a call or email and we will do our best to help.
We will work with you while your application passes through a pre-assessment stage which is designed to help you ensure that you have all the right paperwork in place. It is then presented to the Board, at the next available bi-monthly grant meeting for a final decision.
Please make sure you get your application in well in advance of your need, so that we have time to assess and decide on it before you need the money. Thank you.
Grant Rounds – Closing Dates 2019
Grant applications are considered by the Trust Board every two months (i.e. in February, April, June, August, October and December).
Grant applications (with all the required supporting documents, i.e. accounts, quotations, group constitution, etc) should reach the Administrator by 12 noon on or before the deadline dates shown above.
If the required supporting documentation is not included with the grant application it will be returned to the applicant (and will not be considered in that round of grants).
Larger grant applications from Community Groups of over £20,000 have a separate system involving SSE, so can take longer to be decided. You will be asked to complete a basic Proposal Form (Stage 1), then, if passed your group will proceed to a Full Application Form (Stage 2).–
What happens next?
The Trust has a seven to eight week assessment process for all grants apart from grant applications from community groups for over £20,000.
First, the Chair allocates which Director(s) will undertake the grant’s assessment bearing in mind any conflicts of interest directors may have. No Director is permitted to undertake an assessment of a grant if they (or a family member) also have an interest in the applicant group, would benefit in some way from the grant or are related to the applicant.
Individual grants (i.e. sporting, student and energy saving grants) are assessed by one Director. Group and Non-Constituted Group grants are assessed jointly by two Directors.
The Assessing Director(s) then receive a copy of all the grant application documents and an “Assessment Report Form”. The Assessing Director(s) review all the application documentation and then, in the case of a joint assessment, will discuss the application. If they have any questions or queries about the application, one of them will contact the applicant to discuss further.
Most applications also require a “referee” to be named. This is a named person who can support the applicant/application if the Assessing Director(s) wish to speak to an independent third party.
The Assessing Director(s) then write an Assessment Report and make a recommendation to the Board whether to accept or reject the application. This Report is then circulated to all other Directors one week before the relevant Board meeting date. The decision by the Trust Board will then be made at the next Board meeting and the applicant advised as soon as possible thereafter.
If the Trust decides to award a grant a Letter of Offer is issued to the applicant. If conditions have been attached to the award these will be set out in the Letter of Offer. The applicant can then choose to accept the grant awarded by returning an acceptance letter. Once an acceptance has been received the grant will then be paid.
For example:
- Application completed in full and reaches the Administrator on 21st April 2019
- Application assessed by the Trust Directors during the month of May 2019
- Application considered by the Trust Board at their grants meeting scheduled for 5th June 2019
- Applicant advised of Board decision by phone or email, and paper letter about the Grant offer sent out by Trust listing any conditions for successful applicants.
- Applicant can then accept the offer, return the letter and payment follows.
Page Updated 27 September 2019