Funding

Funding community led local development in Moray

The Moray Local Action Fund 2026-27 is now open for applications. Funds available for distribution to successful projects are anticipated to total £241,172 comprising £58,617 for capital costs and £182,555 for revenue costs.

Understanding the Fund

The Moray Local Action Fund is supported by a Scottish Government grant for community led local development in Moray.

The fund is intended to enable community led activity focusing on our main aim of supporting a just transition to a Wellbeing Economy working for people, places and planet, as set out in our Community Led Vision for Moray. We welcome proposals from community groups and organisations across Moray that will deliver meaningful local impact and support long-term community resilience. We encourage applicants to review the Community Led Vision for Moray and consider how your project responds to local priorities and opportunities.

A Wellbeing Economy is an economy designed to serve people and planet, not the other way around. In a Wellbeing Economy, the rules, norms and incentives are set up to deliver quality of life and flourishing for all people, in harmony with our environment, by default. (Source: weall.org.)

We also encourage applicants to consider how their project contributes to Community Wealth Building (CWB) in Moray, where appropriate.

This might include:

Supporting local jobs, skills or training
Keeping wealth within our local economy
Strengthening community assets or local supply chains

We recognise that not all projects may strongly align with Community Wealth Building, but applicants should highlight any relevant contribution where possible.

How the Fund Supports Change

All projects receiving funds must demonstrate that they advance inclusion, equality and diversity while addressing at least one of our priorities:

A Fair & Just Moray
Moray in Harmony with Nature
A Resilient & Thriving Moray
A Connected & Accessible Moray
An Economy Promoting Wellbeing for People & Planet

We are particularly interested in funding projects that will help address some of the root causes of poverty and child poverty, support a move to a sustainable, carbon-neutral future, and/or help reduce pressures on public services through prevention, community capacity-building, and increased community resilience.

For funding in 2026-27, there are two funding streams:

Main Grants Scheme: for projects applying for £5,000 -£25,000

Small Grants Scheme: for projects applying for less than £5,000

Key Dates

Decisions: Proposals will be assessed by our members and decisions will be communicated to applicants week commencing 7 September 2026.

Funding Distributed: Funds will be distributed to successful projects in October 2026.

Funding Spent: Successful applicants must be able to spend their award and complete their projects by 31 March 2027. They will also be required to provide a full report along with evidence of spend (receipts) by 19 April 2027.

Frequently asked questions

The funding is intended to benefit the people and communities of Moray.
The assumption is that most applications will come from established community groups, charities and other organisations, including social enterprises, set up on a non-profit-distributing basis.
However, applications from other categories (including individuals, businesses and other types of organisation) will also be considered if they are deemed by the Moray Local Action Group to benefit the wider community.
If you are unsure whether you are eligible to apply, please contact the staff team at ourfuture@tsimoray.org.uk / 01343 541713.
Funding can be used to support capital expenditure; please note there is only a small amount of funding available for revenue expenditure.
Total funds available for distribution to successful projects are anticipated to be in the region of £58,617 for capital costs and £182,555 for revenue costs.
Applications should be submitted by the application deadline of 12:00pm (noon) on Monday 20 July 2026, using the online form. This should be supported by the required documentation, for example a project plan if applicable.
Incomplete application forms can be saved and accessed again later for applicants wishing to spread the process over more than one session.
To help you prepare, please see ‘what information we will be asking for’ section on the Guidance Form for details about the information and documents you will be asked to provide.
Capital expenditure: Grant money used to buy, improve, or maintain physical assets like property, buildings, technology, or equipment.
Revenue expenditure: Grant money used for daily operating costs like salaries, office expenses, stationery, and travel.
We’ve created an info sheet below with some examples of capital and revenue expenditure and what that might look like in terms of project costs.