RFAs: Encouraging and Supporting Grassroots Activity Fund (UK)

Deadline: 11-Sep-2026

The Encouraging and Supporting Grassroots Activity Fund provides grants of £3,000 to £15,000 to community-based, not-for-profit organisations in Scotland supporting people living with dementia and their unpaid carers. Funding supports activities delivered between 1 April 2027 and 31 March 2028, with priority for organisations reaching underserved and disadvantaged communities.

About the Encouraging and Supporting Grassroots Activity Fund

The Encouraging and Supporting Grassroots Activity Fund is designed to strengthen community-based dementia support across Scotland. The fund recognises the important role that local organisations play in helping people living with dementia and their unpaid carers remain connected, active, and supported within their communities. Funding can help organisations deliver activities and programmes that improve health and wellbeing, community connection, resilience, and local dementia support.

Objectives of the Fund

The programme aims to strengthen grassroots organisations and improve support for people affected by dementia.

Key objectives include:

- Supporting people living with dementia to remain connected to their communities. - Improving health and wellbeing. - Supporting unpaid carers. - Strengthening the resilience of local dementia support organisations. - Improving the sustainability of community-based services. - Helping local organisations respond to changing community needs. - Expanding access to dementia support in underserved communities. Funding Available Eligible organisations can request grants within the following range:

- Minimum grant: £3,000

- Maximum grant: £15,000

- Funding period: 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2028

Projects and activities supported through the fund must take place during the specified 2027/28 funding period. Who Is Eligible? The fund is intended for community-based, not-for-profit organisations in Scotland.

Eligible organisation types include:

- Constituted community groups. - Voluntary and community organisations. - Registered charities. - Community Interest Companies (CICs). - Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs). Applicants should demonstrate a clear connection to the communities they serve and show how their work benefits people living with dementia and/or their unpaid carers. Who Is Not Eligible? National organisations are not eligible to apply. The fund is specifically focused on grassroots and community-based organisations rather than organisations operating primarily at a national level. Priority Communities Although the fund is open to eligible community-based organisations, priority is given to applications reaching communities that may experience greater barriers to dementia support. Priority includes organisations working with: - Rural and remote communities. - Communities experiencing multiple deprivation. - Ethnic minority communities. - LGBTQ+ communities. - Communities involving people with protected characteristics. - Other underserved communities experiencing barriers to support. Organisations serving these communities should clearly explain the local need and barriers faced by the people they support. What Types of Activities Can Be Supported? The fund supports community-based activities that contribute to the wellbeing, connection, and resilience of people affected by dementia. Potential activities could include programmes that: - Reduce social isolation. - Encourage community participation. - Improve wellbeing. - Support unpaid carers. - Strengthen peer and community connections. - Respond to locally identified dementia-related needs. - Help community organisations develop sustainable support activities. Applicants should demonstrate how their proposed activities will benefit people living with dementia and/or unpaid carers. Why This Fund Matters Dementia can affect not only individuals but also families, unpaid carers, and wider communities. Grassroots organisations are often well positioned to understand local needs and provide accessible, community-based support. The fund can help these organisations strengthen their services and create opportunities for people living with dementia to maintain social connections and participate in community life. Its focus on rural, deprived, minority, LGBTQ+, and other underserved communities also recognises that access to support can vary significantly between different communities. How Applications Are Assessed A distinctive feature of the fund is that applications are reviewed by a lived experience panel.

The panel is made up of:

- People living with dementia. - Unpaid carers. This means funding decisions are informed directly by people who have personal experience of dementia and caring responsibilities. Applicants should therefore explain their project in clear, practical terms and demonstrate how it responds to the real needs of the people who will benefit. How to Apply Applicants should develop their proposal around a clearly identified community need.

Step 1: Confirm Your Organisation’s Eligibility

Check that your organisation:

- Is community-based. - Operates on a not-for-profit basis. - Is based in Scotland. - Falls within an eligible organisational structure. - Is not a national organisation.

Step 2: Identify the Community Need

Explain the dementia-related challenges faced by the people your organisation supports. Where relevant, describe barriers associated with: - Rural or remote locations. - Poverty or deprivation. - Social isolation. - Ethnicity. - LGBTQ+ identity. - Disability or other protected characteristics. - Limited access to existing services.

Step 3: Develop Your Activity Plan

Clearly describe:

- What you will do. - Who will participate. - Where activities will take place. - When activities will be delivered. - How the activities will support people living with dementia or unpaid carers.

Step 4: Demonstrate Community Impact

Explain the expected benefits of the project.

These could include improved:

- Social connecti