First round of ‘The Orkney Fund’ opens up
Date: 24 June 2025
Time: 09:30
Community projects across Orkney are being invited to apply for the first round of funding to be made available through the £20m Orkney Fund – formerly known as the Orkney Towns Fund.
From today (Tuesday 24 June) organisations are being invited to submit Expressions of Interest for their projects, with funding available for feasibility studies and capacity building for projects for this year - and for capital projects getting underway next year.
Capacity funding focuses on strengthening an organisation’s ability to successfully deliver a project – and can include activities such as training, developing skills, improving systems, or securing necessary resources and support.
£200,000 of funding is available this year to support feasibility studies and capacity building.
£360,000 will be available in 2026/27 for capital projects
The Board are inviting projects which fit into the following key priority areas:
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Community and Cultural Wellbeing: Improving access to sports, recreational, community and arts facilities to foster inclusivity, strengthen community ties, and support overall health and wellbeing.
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Safe, Accessible, and Vibrant Spaces: Investing in active travel infrastructure and safety initiatives that meet accessibility needs, welcoming spaces, and build a stronger sense of security and belonging.
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Heritage, Conservation, and Regeneration: Revitalising historic buildings and promoting local heritage to bring underused areas back into use and strengthen Orkney's sense of place and identity.
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Local Enterprise and Creative Support: Promoting vibrant retail spaces and community-driven creative projects to stimulate the local economy, boost employability, and celebrate Orkney's distinct cultural identity
Private businesses will be invited to apply for business-related schemes in later rounds of funding.
In addition, Community Councils, Community Associations and Development Trusts across Orkney have been directly invited to apply for funding for the development of Local Place Plans.
Local Place Plans are an important part of producing the Local Development Plan and provide an opportunity for communities to feed into the planning system with their own ideas and proposals for the development and use of land.
These community-led plans set out the aspirations of people for the place they live in and suggest solutions. By setting out priorities for future development in an area, Local Place Plans can also help communities to develop and deliver their own projects and bring about community-based change.
It is hoped that the content of Local Place Plans will help to inform The Orkney Fund’s overall plan which it is expected will be submitted to the UK Government by the end of November.
Stephen Hagan is Chair of The Orkney Fund. He said: “The UK Government has released £200,000 of funding to The Orkney Fund Board for 2025/26 and it is specifically intended to support the establishment of local governance structures and to enable meaningful community engagement that will inform our future investment.
“The Board took a decision to allocate a portion of this funding to support community organisations in developing or refreshing their Local Place Plans. These community led plans will play a key role in shaping a shared vision for regeneration and will contribute directly to the Orkney Fund’s Regeneration Plan which will include a 10 year vision and a 4 year investment plan. This is due for completion in November 2025
“We are also now inviting organisations who require feasibility or capacity building funding this year – or capital funding for next year – to apply for funding. Officers from the Council’s Economic Development team will be on hand to help you through the process.”
It was announced in March last year that the county was to receive £20m of Levelling Up funding from the UK Government.
The funding came specifically from the Levelling Up Fund’s ‘Long-Term Plan for Towns’ funding stream, which sees ten-year endowment-style funds allocated to local areas, with Boards then set up locally to make decisions on how the funds should be spent.
A Board was formed in the Spring, with work going on since then to pull together a local vision and action plan for the fund.
Over 800 project ideas were submitted through an Orkney-wide community engagement strategy in Summer 2024. These ideas have played a key role in shaping the Board’s priority funding themes, helping to ensure the greatest possible impact from the available funding.
Delays were experienced whilst the Board awaited updated guidance from the new Labour-led Government on the aims and parameters of the fund. With confirmation received that the fund could be applied across all of Orkney – and not just in Kirkwall – it was agreed to rename the fund ‘The Orkney Fund’.
To submit an expression of interest, visit tally.so/r/w2zYdj
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Category:
- Community
