Community Led Vision Fund 2024/2025

What is the Cairngorms Community Led Vision Fund?  

The Cairngorms Community Led Vision (CLV) Fund has been established by the Cairngorms Trust and the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA).  Using Scottish Government community led local development (CLLD) funding, CLV will support the previous work of the LEADER and CLLD programmes throughout Rural Scotland.  The fund aims are to deliver inclusive community-based activity to meet one or more of the Scottish Government priorities of: 

• Helping families and services through the cost-of-living crisis 

• Eradicating child poverty 

• Transforming the economy to deliver net zero  

• Creating sustainable public services 

 Considering the priorities listed above, the Cairngorms CLV Fund will ask each applicant to choose from a set of themes that their project must deliver against: 

 Theme 1 – Build Community Capacity to facilitate and support local development 

• Theme 2 – Help the economy of the Park to deliver Net Zero by supporting communities and existing businesses (Priority theme) 

• Theme 3 – Attract, support, and retain young people in the National Park 

• Theme 4 – Increase community service provision in the National Park (Priority theme) 

• Theme 5 – Cultural Heritage and Recreation – Creating a Well-Being Economy  

 Depending on the value of your project you will need to deliver against one or two of the themes as a minimum, but you can choose more if you wish.  All projects must choose either theme 2 or theme 4.  

 Cross-cutting themes of Inclusion, Equality, Diversity and Partnership working / Cooperation must be included as part of your application too. 

 *Please note that there a separate document listing the outcomes / indicators under each theme.  

 The fund will seek to support projects and actions that are not supported from other existing national programme funds or financial allocations. Where a project is supported by such funds, we will consider a grant that supports additionality that is not covered by the other funding on offer.   

 How much is the Fund worth?  

The Fund has approx £200,000 (a mixture of revenue and capital) available to support projects within the Cairngorms National Park. All projects will need to be completed by 16th March 2025.   

 What will the Fund support?  

Cairngorms CLV encourages applications from businesses (micro & small enterprises) and groups for projects that will deliver for the communities of the Cairngorms National Park.  Projects could be completely new activity or capital items; or can be additional activity by existing projects.  Where possible projects will be encouraged to work in partnership with others to deliver their projects. We would like to see a variety of applications ranging from small actions to larger more strategic projects. 

 Cairngorms Community Led Vision Fund Criteria 

Applications will be assessed against a scoring system based on seven criteria listed below.  

1. Cairngorms – How well does the project contribute to the selected themes, outcomes, and indicators of the Community-Led Vision fund? 

1. Cross-cutting themes – how well has the project addressed the cross-cutting themes of Inclusion, Equality, Diversity and Partnership working / Cooperation? 

1. Community – how well does the project contribute to strengthening local communities and / or providing wider public benefits?  

1. Timescales – Will the project be fully complete by 16th March 25? 

1. Value for Money – What level of match funding (including volunteer time or other resources) does the project have and is the project good value for money? 

1. Project Planning – How well thought-out is the project? Does it have clear objectives, measurable outcomes and outputs and is it deliverable? 

1. Project Risk – What’s the level of project risk and can the risks be managed? 

 What are the key dates?  

 The fund opens for applications on 20th May 24. Applications can be submitted at any time.  We will run a monthly LAG decision meeting at the beginning of June and July with the last meeting running on 21st August. Projects must be completed by 16th Mar 25. 

 How to contact the Fund 

If you need any further information on the Cairngorms Community Led Vision Fund, please contact the fund team by emailing communitygrants@cairngorms.co.uk.