Apply for funding

We are delighted to announce that our first funding window of 2024 will open on Monday the 19th of February. 

We will have two funds available to applying charities:

Small Fund – maximum award of £5,000
Medium Fund – maximum award of £10,000

To apply for funding please visit our funding application platform:

Please note that the application forms will not appear until the funding window officially opens. If this is the first time you have used the platform, you can create your charity funding account prior to the window opening.

Key Information:

Application deadline:

Our next funding window will open on Monday the 19th of February 2024 at 9am. The window will close on Friday the 15th of March 2024 at 11.59pm.

Please note the application deadline, this date is final and there will be no extensions provided. The system will automatically prevent application submission after the deadline.

Funding decisions will be distributed to all applying charities before the end of May 2024.

To be eligible to apply for a Scottish Children’s Lottery Trust grant, applying organisations should meet the following criteria:

  • The organisation applying should be a registered charity in Scotland with a charity bank account. It should also return annual accounts.

  • The money is for a project delivered in Scotland.

  • The charities accounts are up to date.

  • Work with the most vulnerable children, young people and families at a demonstrably high risk of being negatively impacted by poverty.

  • Demonstrate involvement of individuals and communities that understand and have experience of the issues that poverty presents.

  • Work outside, or supplementary to, statutory responsibilities.

  • Clearly demonstrate positive impacts and can deliver end of grant analysis reports.

  • We ask for charities to have a level of match funding in place to support their project or activity.

We will not fund:

  • Statutory agencies or projects or activities which are a statutory responsibility.

  • We do not accept applications for any charitable arm of a Local Authority, Arms Length External Organisations (ALEO’s), Housing Associations or their charitable arms.

  • We do not accept applications from Community Interest Companies (CIC)

  • A project or activity that takes place outside of Scotland.

  • Retrospective or deficit funding or repayment of loans.

  • Administration costs (including marketing and IT).

  • Projects or activities undertaken by any organisation other than by registered charities.

  • Projects that require funding for more than one year.

Examples of projects or activities that we may consider funding include those delivering:

  • Cost-of-Living Crisis project or service (only through the Small Fund)

  • Practical family support including food, clothing and shelter.

  • Support for single parents including parenting skills, health and nutrition.

  • Accessible and affordable daycare or play facilities.

  • support for vulnerable parents with preschool children or families with pre-school children suffering from any type of disability.

  • Provision of after school care/holiday cover ensuring time and resource for additional educational support.

  • Provision of specific IT/educational equipment for socially deprived children or children suffering from any form of physical or mental disability.

  • One to one mentoring of children struggling within school because of family circumstances.

  • Support for community libraries and learning spaces.

  • Community-based leisure and sporting programmes.

  • Local youth clubs and recreational activities.

  • Employability and skills training within a local community.

  • Mentoring or one to one support, building the self-confidence and skills required to enter the employment market.

Full funding details will be displayed during the application process.

Please note that it is our intention to hold two further funding windows in 2024. These are most likely to be held in the Q3 and Q4 of 2024. Full details on these funding windows will be shared on this page in due course.