The SOAR fund will support projects that inspire and educate residents about the importance of the ocean and Edinburgh’s own marine and coastal environments.
City of Edinburgh Council has allocated £50,000 to activities that inspire, engage and educate residents and communities. These activities are about the importance of the ocean and Edinburgh’s own marine and coastal environments. They will also improve ocean literacy.
For this grant, we use the definition of ocean literacy from the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) ‘an understanding of the ocean’s influence on a person and their influence on the ocean’.
Who can apply
The application process is open to community organisations that are based in or operate in Edinburgh. These organisations are involved with projects and initiatives about the sea, coast, marine or watercourse environments.
This includes:
- charities
- community benefit organisations
- sports clubs
- heritage groups
- conservation groups
- parent councils
- community interest companies (CICs)
- companies limited by guarantee
To qualify for this grant, you must:
- be based in or operate within the City of Edinburgh
- be a registered charity, company or unincorporated organisation with a constitution or articles
- have capacity to start your project before March 2027
- have capacity to complete your project, as outlined in your proposal, by the end of 2027
Your constitution or articles must show that:
- your organisation has charitable purposes or objects, or is set up for community benefit
- if your organisation dissolves, any funds and assets will be transferred to another organisation set up for community benefit
- funds are appropriately managed, for example, there is a bank account in the group’s name and banking transactions need at least 2 authorised signatories
How much you can apply for
The SOAR fund has a total of £50,000 to allocate.
You can apply for:
- a minimum of £2,500
- a maximum of £10,000
We will pay grants for successful applications in a single up-front payment.
What you can use the grant funding for
We are seeking projects that inspire and educate residents about the importance of the ocean and Edinburgh’s own marine, coastal and watercourse environments. You can use the grant funding for staff and material costs directly related to a defined project.
Examples of projects we’re looking to fund include:
- beach-clean programmes that include an educational element for participants or space to reflect on their connection to the ocean (including costs for staff time during the defined project and associated equipment that can be kept for future reuse)
- interpretive signage for ocean, water and ecological literacy (this can include artist installations and sculptures)
- restoration events or habitat creation (hibernacula, basking banks, roosting platforms, birdboxes)
- community planting initiatives (staff time, materials for planting, plants and trees, tools and equipment)
- community environmental art workshops (staff time and materials for connection to nature sessions)
- citizen science workshops for Bio Blitz or species recording (staff time, venue hire, materials, equipment, monitoring)
- development of educational materials for source to ocean education
- education sessions with schools or young people
How to apply
Timescale
The timescale for this grant is:
- applications open on Monday 19 October 2026
- applications close at midday on 30 November 2026
- we aim to notify successful applicants from 16 December 2026
- projects must start before March 2027 and be fully delivered and completed by the end of 2027
How to submit
Download the SOAR grant guidance, specification and application form.
- Complete the application and specification documents in full.
- Add the additional information requested in the forms.
- Email everything as a Word document to climatechange@edinburgh.gov.uk by midday on 30 November 2026.