Funding

There is a wide range of funding sources available for projects including UK Government, the European Union, charitable trusts and the national lottery. Eligibility for funding will depend on the nature of your organisation/group, activities that you are engaged in and the type and scale of the proposed project.

Charities, community groups, social enterprises and voluntary organisations can search for themselves through the hundreds of Government, Lottery, charitable and other funds available on a European, national, regional and local basis.

External funding alert

South Ayrshire Council now produces a monthly external funding alert that provides details on available funding opportunities and deadlines for applications from businesses, organisations and community groups. Further information is available by clicking on the links provided throughout the alert or via email from externalfunding2@south-ayrshire.gov.uk.

Funding Alert - May 2025 (PDF, 470 KB)

External funding service

We can help your voluntary/community groups and organisations to discover new funding opportunities for your projects and ideas. We provide a funder search facility that helps you to find out which funder is likely to provide grants best suited to you. We can also assist you to develop and define your business plan and or constitution, and put you in touch with experience and support from a variety of sources. Funding for projects is available from a number of sources including the UK/SG Government, The EU, charitable trusts and the national lottery. Whether you are eligible will depend on the nature of your organisation/group, its activities and the type and scale of the proposed project.

In addition to traditional grant funding there are a number of crowdfunding platforms, such as:

• Crowdfunder UK
• JustGiving

To allow us to assess the level of support you require please complete the External Funding Enquiry

The external funding service cannot provide advice on accessing funding for individuals, un-constituted organisations or profit making businesses. However the following contacts will be able to provide further information:

• Individuals - Citizens Advice
• Unconstituted bodies - VASA
• Businesses - Business Assistance - South Ayrshire Council

Participatory Budgeting (PB) UK Shared Prosperity Fund 2025/2026

Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process that gives local people a direct say in how public funds are spent. This initiative empowers residents to shape their communities by supporting projects that matter most to them.

For the year 2025/2026 South Ayrshire Council has committed £70,000 for PB.  This is available to local community organisations for capital only projects, split between the following localities based on population:

• Ayr North
• Ayr South and villages
• Prestwick, Troon and villages
• North and South Carrick

Community organisations can apply to support projects that align with the priorities of the 2024-2027 Community Learning and Development (CLD) Partnership Plan.

This funding aims to support projects that contribute to one or more of the following CLD priorities:-

1. Adult and Family Learning
2. Financial Inclusion (Cost of Living Support)
3. Youth Work
4. Community Development

The fund opens on Monday 19^th May 2025 and will close on Thursday 5^th June 2025 at 5pm.

For full information on the fund please check the guidance notes below which details the full criteria.

To apply go to - Your Area Your Voice Your Choice

South Ayrshire Grants Privacy Notice (Word doc, 25 KB)

Participatory budgeting grant guidance (Word doc, 59 KB)(opens new window)