Demonstrator Grants
The Scottish Government’s Climate Action Hub Fund has created an opportunity to build a Climate Action Hub in Glasgow which will allows us to build on and strengthen the city’s existing efforts on climate action. The Demonstrator Grant Programme allows us to expand those efforts into new communities and test new ideas. We’re delighted to announce a further £30,000 of funding in 2024/5 to identify and highlight examples of innovative practice across the city. Groups will be able to apply for a grant of up to £5000 (with a minimum of £2000) for their ideas.
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Climate change is a huge issue that affects us all. We know that climate action is not accessible to everyone and that there are many more communities that need to be heard in conversations about climate change. We also believe strongly that conversations about climate need to address the specific needs and priorities of the communities involved which is why this grant is designed to provide capacity and funding directly into those communities.
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Community can mean a lot of things. It can be people who live in the same place, people who share a similar background or people who are affected by similar issues.
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Whoever your community is, we want to hear from groups who have new ideas for activities that engage them and builds their capacity to understand, participate, and act on climate change. The idea itself doesn't have to be 100% new or never tried before, it just needs to be something new for your organisations and community so feel free to be inspired by other work.
What does the Climate Action Hub want to achieve with the Demonstrator Grants programme?
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We want more people to understand the causes of climate change and its effects on communities now and in the future.
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We want people to feel empowered to be able to act on climate change by understanding the actions they can take in their own life and within their own communities.
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We want people to feel empowered to have their voices heard by local and national decision makers.​
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We want to understand the barriers to climate action; what prevents communities from engaging in climate action and, just as importantly, what puts them off?
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All projects should consider these outcomes. If you’re interested in applying, you’ll find out more about what we expect below under ‘Guidance’. There are so many parts of our life that impact the environment and contributes to climate change. We don’t expect any one project to cover it all. It’s fine if your project wants to address a specific theme e.g. recycling, waste, local biodiversity.
Applications are currently open until Midnight on Friday the 29th of November.​
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You'll find all the information you need about the grants programme on this page but if you have any questions, please reach out to as at info@gcah.scot and we'll be happy to help.
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You'll also find guidance for completing your application as well as information on eligible organisations here.
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Please note that if you have received previous funding from the Demonstrator Grants Programme, you will not be eligible to apply for funding this year. If you have a new idea that differs significantly from a previous application AND identifies a new community or audience, please contact us before applying and we will consider this on a case-by-case basis.
Target groups
We recognise that, as part of a just transition, the work of The Hub needs to reach across many communities. With that in mind, this fund is particularly interesting in hearing from groups working with:
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Communities in the North East of Glasgow
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LGBTQ+ communities
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People with disabilities
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Black and minority ethnic communities
What if I want to do more about climate change in my community but I don’t have the knowledge or expertise to deliver a project?
We want to make climate action accessible to all communities across Glasgow. We have separate support on offer for groups who would like to consider more climate focussed work but aren’t sure where to start. Please contact us at info@gcah.scot and we’ll be happy to discuss this.
The "less waste more action" and "forget fast fashion" and "Safety" banners on this page were co-designed by ApparelXchange as part of a project funded by last years Demonstrator Grants Programme to engage school children in conversations around climate action. Find out more here.
Application
Guidance
Criteria
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The maximum grant available is £5000 with a minimum of £2000
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Projects must deliver to communities within the Glasgow City area
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The fund is primarily focused on the delivery of activity but the costs of meaningful consultation with communities can be considered if the application demonstrates how this will enhance delivery.
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Organisations must become a member of the Glasgow Climate Action Network and, in doing so, confirm that your organisation aligns with its vision, purpose and values.
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Organisations do not need to be already working in the climate field but do need to demonstrate a sufficient awareness of climate issues to be able to effectively deliver the proposed activities in a way that meets the outcomes of the fund. You can also identify a partner organisation who can help you with this.
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Projects and activities must be delivered in time to submit a final report by the 31st of March 2025.
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Projects should be as sustainable as possible in their delivery e.g. no use of single use items.
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Capital costs cannot be included in the fund. We will consider requests for small items of technology like phones, laptops etc. where essential.
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We will consider applications for single evets but would prefer projects to be delivered over multiple sessions.
Outcomes
​​How you design and deliver your project is up to you, as long as you can show how it relates to the outcomes. We’ve expanded slightly on what we expect from projects in relation to the outcomes:
1. We want more people to understand the causes of climate change and its effects on communities now and in the future.
2. We want people to feel empowered to be able to act on climate change by understanding the actions they can take in their own life and within their own communities.
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3. We want people to feel empowered to have their voices heard by local and national decision makers.
Expectation: Even if your project focusses on action, we expect all projects to set some sort of context for the climate crisis. It doesn’t have to be in-depth, but all participants should at least be given a basic overview of climate change and its effects. You are free to share or use external resources but please make that clear in your application.
Expectation: We are happy for projects to look at one of these outcomes if not both. We understand that some of the most disadvantaged communities in Glasgow have the least choice over how they consume and that activities focussed on how they can consume less/differently might not recognise the challenges they face. At the very least, we would expect those communities to focus on outcome 3. If outcome 2 is not possible, it would be helpful to have some explanation of this in your application and/or evaluation.
4. We want to understand the barriers to climate action; what prevents communities from engaging in climate action and, just as importantly, what puts them off?
Expectation: Climate change is everyone’s business, but it isn’t everyone’s priority. We also understand that there are structural and systemic issues in society that affect communities’ ability to engage in climate action. If this is the case, we would want to gather clear evidence of what this looks like for your community and understand what changes are needed to address these barriers.
Evaluation
We recognise that evaluation for small grants should be proportionate so the requirements for this fund will be as simple as possible. We will need to know the number of sessions delivered and number of participants for all projects. We will also provide some core questions that need to be answered by participants that will depend on the project, and it’s aims. We’ll generally want to understand:
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Have people enjoyed participating?
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Have people learned new skills or knowledge?
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What have people learned that will change their behaviour going forward?
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If your project has a particular emphasis on outcomes 4, then we’ll want to be able to capture something meaningful about the barriers and solutions for your identified community.
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Aside from the requirements we set, projects are free to expand their evaluation if they feel like it would be meaningful. The Hub are happy to receive and learnings you are able to share.
Applications will open on this page on Wednesday the 6th of November and close at 5pm on Friday the 29th of November.