The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Community Grants Fund

About this fund

The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Community Grants Fund is an extension of their charitable work and aims to support not-for-profit organisations working in the following themes:

• Social needs
• Youth
• Elderly
• Education
• Environmental
• Social Enterprise
• Healthcare
• Sport
• Culture and the Arts

Purpose of this fund

The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh are investing up to £25,000 per round through the Community Grants Fund into supporting groups and organisations primarily located in Edinburgh City, Midlothian, East Lothian, or West Lothian and who are working across one or more of the listed themes.  While equality and diversity is not a listed theme, it is expected that this will be an overarching consequence.  Projects should be of general benefit to Edinburgh and the Lothians and the economic environment with priority given to projects where the funding will be a real needle mover.  Applications are invited for grants up to £5,000. 

The programme will open for applications in August for decisions in December each year, and February for decisions in June each year.

Who can apply?

• Registered charities
• Constituted voluntary and community organisations 
• Community companies e.g. companies limited by guarantee, community benefit societies or Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations’ 
• Community Interest Companies are eligible to apply if they meet the Fund’s minimum governance standards

All applicants must meet Foundation Scotland's funding criteria. Before progressing your application please visit our Common eligibility criteria.

What can’t be funded?

At Foundation Scotland we have some standard exclusions that apply to all funds. Before progressing with your application, please visit What can't be funded.

In addition, for The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Community Grants Fund, we cannot process applications for:

• Groups with an income of over £250,000 in the last financial year
• Groups who do not have charitable aims
• Groups who are not primarily located in Edinburgh City, Midlothian, East Lothian or West Lothian
• Core salary costs or overhead costs unless a proportion is directly related to the project
• Purchase of second hand vehicles

How are decisions made?

Funding decisions are recommended by The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Committee Panel with final approval from the Endowments Trust Committee, supported by Foundation Scotland.  Decision meetings will take place in June and December each year.