RWE Rosehall Wind Farm Community Fund
| Grant size | Up to £25,000 |
| Area |
Highland
|
| Key dates | |
| Application deadline: | 25/04/25 |
| Application deadline: | 31/10/25 |
About this fund
This fund supports a broad range of community activity and development of benefit to those living in the Community Council areas of Ardgay & District; Creich; and Lairg, within the County of Sutherland. Grants are available to constituted not-for-profit groups or organisations working to benefit these communities.
The fund is provided by RWE, owner of the Rosehall Wind Farm. Starting in August 2012, it receives at least £61,000 annually (index-linked) for the Wind Farm lifetime, expected to be 25 years. The annual donation is split equally between the three Community Council areas.
Note the Lairg Windfarm Fund also provides grants for projects benefitting this community council area and is administered by Foundation Scotland.
Purpose of this fund
The fund aims to invest in activities and initiatives that help build a vibrant local economy, support and encourage thriving communities and make the area an attractive place to live, work and visit for people of all ages. Specifically, the outcomes for this fund are:
- Strengthen, sustain and diversify the local economy through the development of established or emerging sectors.
- Encourage entrepreneurship and innovation in the local community with a view to stimulating economic and social growth.
- Increase community benefit by acquiring, developing, and using new community assets and maintaining and enhancing existing ones.
- Support measures designed to improve life chances and/or quality of life.
- Optimise local resources and assets through support for coordinated community activity.
- Support environmental improvements which give a physical, social or educational benefit.
- Support energy conservation and increased use of renewables through the promotion of energy efficiency and sustainability within the area.
- Respond to unforeseen circumstances or opportunities that are in keeping with the broad fund outcomes identified above.
Additional criteria
Applicants must also demonstrate how their proposed project:
- Builds their group or organisation to be more effective, including developing volunteer opportunities.
- Has considered issues of inclusion and sustainability (in terms of its long-term financial viability and its environmental impact)
- Raises a proportion of the total budget for the activity from other sources. The fund will only support a maximum of 85% of the total project costs. (This means the total amount applied for from this fund and the SSE Achany Fund combined, should you be applying to both funds). Applications seeking more than 85% of total project costs will only be considered in exceptional circumstances, which can demonstrate significant community benefit. An example of this is:
- Lairg Gaelic Choir is applying for monthly tutors' costs for the choir’s 12 members over a year. The total project cost is £960. The Choir can apply for up to £816 (85% of the project costs) from this fund. Members are being asked to contribute £1 for each session, raising the remaining £144 (15% of project costs). The group cannot apply for the remaining £144 from the SSE Achany Fund; this must be sought elsewhere.
- Where appropriate, applicants should also seek local providers of the goods and services they seek a grant. However, this should demonstrate the best value, balancing considerations of cost, availability, and quality appropriate to the specific goods or service.
Who can apply?
Groups and organisations working to benefit people in any of the three community council areas can apply. Your group/organisation must meet our standard eligibility criteria. It does not need to be a registered charity.
Applications from groups or organisations located out with the fund area will be considered on a case-by-case basis. These must demonstrate a clear benefit for residents within the fund area.
What can’t be funded?
Information on what the fund cannot support is provided here. The fund will not support any form of campaigning.
How are decisions made?
Recommendations on awards are made by the SSE & RWE Community Funds Panel, comprising people who live, work or actively volunteer in the fund area. The panel also advises on fund strategy.
The panel comprises up to 12 people - four representatives from each of the three Community Council areas, with representation from each Community Council included.
The SSE & RWE Community Funds Panel makes decisions on the RWE Rosehall Wind Farm Community Fund as well as the SSE Achany Community Fund. The panel accepts applications to both the Rosehall and Achany Funds for the same project (co-funding).
Panel members serve for up to three years, with members retiring on a phased basis to ensure knowledge and expertise are retained. Opportunities to become a panel member will be openly advertised when these arise, both locally and on this website.
The panel normally makes decisions on awards twice per year, in June/July and January. Minutes of the latest panel meetings are available on request from the Community Funds Adviser. Contact details can be found below. More information on Foundation Scotland's award making process is available here.
Frequently asked questions
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Can the fund support activity that is delivered out with the fund area but which benefits those living within the Fund area?
It is acknowledged that those living in the fund area do use facilities and services located outwith it. Applications for support towards such facilities or services will be considered where they demonstrate that their proposed activity will benefit people living in the fund area. However, such applications may not necessarily be considered as high a priority as those for services or facilities within the fund area.
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Can the fund support the cost of potential community buy-outs?
Groups may identify opportunities for community buy-outs of either land, property or business opportunities that are likely to benefit the communities. Requests towards the costs of such buy-outs are likely to be a good fit with the fund outcomes. Likely, any support from the fund will only be one contribution within a much larger patchwork of funding that will be required.
The panel will give due consideration to any applications to fund local community buy-out processes and be mindful of the potential complexities. Development Trust Association Scotland and Community Land Scotland have useful information and learning to share on such projects and should be consulted at an early stage.
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Can I apply for funding towards staff salaries or wages?
Applications towards salaries or wages must show how the position will contribute to measurably achieving fund outcomes, listing the main outputs to be delivered over the grant funding period. Where funding for more than one year has been agreed in principle, grant payments in each year will be dependent on evidence that these outputs have been achieved in the previous year.
Applications towards salaries or wages must also:- demonstrate how the salary/wage rate has been arrived at, including how it has been benchmarked with comparable posts
- provide a job description and person specification for the post, and
- outline the recruitment process, ensuring this is being run in a fair and open way.
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Can I apply for a grant towards costs over several years?
Where considering a request for funding over several years (a multi-year grant), the panel also needs to consider the implications this may have in terms of reducing the amount available to distribute to other causes in future years. Where multi-year funding has been agreed, the release of funding for each year will depend on evidence that your groups have achieved the agreed activities and outcomes for the previous year. Multi-year awards are usually offered over a maximum of three years; however, the panel can consider up to five years where the applicant can demonstrate a need and significant community benefit. Please contact us before applying as additional information will be required for multi-year awards.
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Can the fund support my group’s running costs?
Yes.
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How many applications can I submit?
You can apply for funding for more than one project in each round. You can also apply for and hold more than one grant in any year; however you may be required to provide monitoring reports for previous grants before any further awards are made.
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What if my project needs more than the maximum grant amount?
Requests for more than £25,000 will be considered on a case-by-case basis for projects that will bring significant community benefit to local people. Please get in touch to discuss this before making an application.
How to apply
Please complete an online application form below. Completed applications and supporting documents must be received by the application deadline.
If you would like to review the questions you will be asked to answer before starting the form, you can see them here.
If you have any problems accessing the form, please email grants@foundationscotland.org.uk or call 0131 524 0324 and we can help.
If you have already started an application and not completed it, please login here to resume.
Contact information
Central Systems Support
Chris Lee, Community Funds Adviser
Useful links
- Help for applicants
- For advice on setting up or running your group or project contact Voluntary Groups Sutherland
- The fund is provided by RWE
- Information on Rosehall Wind Farm
- RWE Rosehall Wind Farm Community Fund Newsletter 2020/21