Climate Engagement Fund

How funding can be used

Eligible and ineligible activity

While the scope of eligible activity is relatively wide to invite innovative ideas, we encourage activities to be planned and guided by the seven principles for engagement, as set out in the Public Engagement Strategy for Climate Change.

Activity should be based on community priorities.

This list provides examples of the types of eligible and ineligible public engagement activity under the CEF, and is not exhaustive.

The CEF will fund activities, including, but not limited to, one-off or a series of:

• public events/lectures
• climate festivals
• climate conversations
• learning and development (e.g. carbon/climate training, climate coaching)
• skills workshops
• exhibitions/art installations
• participatory arts
• youth development programmes
• staff costs linked to the delivery or design of the project

The CEF will not fund:

• climate actions (e.g. installing solar panels, a community developing a community garden) without an associated engagement element, for example engagement acitivity around an action, or normalising and encouraging this action
• core funding
• capital funding
• political activity
• organisational self-promotion/greenwashing
• national communications campaign (the Scottish Government is already doing this)
• staff costs not linked to the delivery or design of the project

Bids can include new activity or uplifts to existing activity (one-off or ongoing).

Examples of existing activity

Ensuring funded activity is additional and/or adding value to existing activity is an assessment criterion (see ‘Assessing your application’).

Examples of funded public engagement activity on climate change in Scotland includes the following. These have been shared so that bidders have a better understanding of the portfolio of work they would become part of. They provide a flavour of the types of activity that might be considered, but this is not an exhaustive list.

• Climate Action Hubs network to provide a regional approach to climate action, increase engagement in their region, and be responsive to the needs of their communities
• Climate Action Towns network to develop local, place-based plans focused on climate action and engaging those not previously engaged
• Climate Action Schools framework to support children and young people to progress climate change education
• See ‘Approved bids 2023 to 2024’ for information on past successful CEF projects

Eligible costs:

• CEF funding is provided in the single 2024 to 2025 financial year
• please ensure expenditure figures are consistent with the start and end dates of the project and are also profiled to be incurred during the 2024 to 2025 financial year
• there is limited funding available, so that means we are asking applicants to be realistic and reasonable about the amount of grant that they are requesting
• you can identify match funding to increase the scope of what you can deliver but please ensure you are clear as to what each element of the funding is covering. Equally if you already receive funding, CEF funding could then accelerate or expand this activity
• bidders can request 100% grant to cover all eligible project costs, however, securing additional funding from partnerships and other funders is welcomed as this can indicate stronger support and collaboration
• we will be unable to commit to future increases in the grant funding available for the project during the funding period, including for unforeseen costs

Costs not eligible for grant funding:

• costs which someone else is paying for, whether in cash or in kind
• items or services that only benefit an individual
• the repayment of loans or payments of debt
• trips abroad or activities promoting a religion or political party
• costs that do not directly support and enable delivery of the project/services or project outcomes such as: general improvements to public areas; notional costs; contingency costs; and staff redundancy costs
• capital costs
• costs incurred out with the funding period
• ​​​​​​​recoverable VAT – see Tax & VAT (scvo.scot