The Community Grants Fund (CGF) is a small grants scheme provided by the Council. Grants of up to £5,000 can be awarded to constituted groups for local community activity. The purpose of the fund is to support local groups to try new things and develop small scale activities that will benefit or add value to their community.
To be eligible to apply, you must be a voluntary organisation or community group that has a constitution or articles showing that
- the organisation has charitable purposes/objects or is set up for community benefit
- if the organisation dissolves, any funds / assets will be transferred to another organisation set up for community benefit
- funds are appropriately managed, for example, has a bank account in the name of the group, with at least two authorised signatories required for banking transactions.
Read the CGF application guidance document for more information about elgibility criteria and how to apply.
Application and guidance
We are now accepting applications for our second funding round this year from Monday 18 August to Tuesday 30 September 2025. Organisations will be able to apply for projects in neighbourhood areas where there is money remaining - visit the page for your area to find out how much funding is available. Projects funded already this year are also listed.
- Apply online by 30 September 2025.
- View the CGF application guidance document. This has been refreshed based on feedback from CGF stakeholders. We strongly recommend that you review the guidance before applying, even if you have applied in the past.
- View the Council's Standard Conditions of Grant. To be considered for a Council grant, you must be willing to accept the standard conditions of grant.
If you would like access to the application form in a different format, please contact
communitygrantsfund@edinburgh.gov.uk.
Attend an information session
At our online applicant information sessions, we will go over the Community Grants Fund in more detail, including how funding decisions are made and tips for your application. Sign up to one below:
If you can't attend you can watch our 15-minute video or contact email
communitygrantsfund@edinburgh.gov.uk.
The Future of the CGF – complete the survey
We want to hear your thoughts and ideas to help to identify a potential future funding model that reduces barriers to the fund and improves community participation in decision-making and makes best use of current resources available.
Please complete the survey to have your say and shape the future of the CGF.
Find out which fund you should apply for using the city wide neighbourhood area map
The CGF is split into thirteen funding pots, each covering a different area of the city. The amount of money available in each pot is based on the number of people living there. Our small grants are for projects that aim to benefit a very local area, so projects working with people across large areas or the whole city will not be eligible.