Scottish Connections Fund applications now open

A fund to help strengthen Scotland’s international diaspora has opened for applications.

The £50,000 Scottish Connections Fund is open to bids from any individual or organisation with a Scottish connection, whether that link is through heritage, education, business, culture, or a broader affinity.

Grants ranging from £2,000 to £5,000 will be awarded to support at least 10 new innovative projects that will help bring together Scotland’s diaspora and promote Scottish connections worldwide.

This year’s funding follows a successful pilot last year, which supported four projects, including work by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society to help descendants of enslaved Americans document their Scottish connections.

External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson said:

“This is a fund that I’m extremely passionate about. We’ve long believed that better engaging our diaspora – family and friends of Scotland globally – can benefit Scotland economically and enrich our culture. It can also improve Scotland’s connections and reputation and we want our efforts to benefit our diaspora too.

“The Scottish Connections Framework, which was launched in 2023, laid out our commitments to support and expand this global community. These connections raise Scotland’s profile and reputation and encourage individuals and companies to visit, study, live, work and do business here.”

The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society was one of the beneficiaries of the pilot fund, using the funding to engage expert researchers in compiling a guide and resource for those researching the Scottish ancestry of enslaved individuals or enslavers in North America.

New York Genealogical and Biographical Society President Joshua Taylor said:

“With a generous grant from the Scottish Connections Fund, our organisation had the singular opportunity to explore and share an important but unexamined part of the Scottish diaspora— descendants of enslaved Americans and their connections to Scotland.  

“We engaged two genealogists to conduct comprehensive research in Scotland and the United States, compiling a list of resources that will serve as a primary reference for individuals tracing biographical and genealogical connections to those enslaved ancestors with ties to Scotland.

“We are grateful for programmes like the Scottish Connections Fund, which enabled us to develop an important tool that empowers more people to discover and learn more about their family history as part of the Scottish diaspora. We encourage any organisation engaging in Scottish culture and heritage to explore this vital resource.”  

Background

Scottish Connections Fund: guidance

Projects must be completed by the end of March 2025 and the closing date for applications is 5pm on 4 September 2024.

The launch of the Scottish Connections Fund was a commitment included in the Scottish Connections Framework, published April 2023.