Project Application Criteria

Grants may be applied for up to £500 to fund activities/projects which meet the following criteria:

1.  The advancement for the benefit of the public’s participation in cycling as a sport by undertaking a range of activities, including:

• Providing opportunities for a broader range of people to engage in cycling activities.
  
• Helping those in need—due to age, gender, disability, finances, or other disadvantages—to participate in cycling and related activities.
  
• Improving physical and mental health with innovative, sustainable programmes focused on cycling, mountain biking, and related activities.
  
•  Encouraging individuals to pursue accreditation and education in cycling activities, such as coaching, leadership, trail building, stewardship, and officiating.

• Promoting cycling education, learning, and leadership by providing training and growth opportunities for athletes, coaches, support staff, clubs, volunteers, commissaires, trail builders, and associations.
  
• Supporting projects and initiatives delivered in partnership with Scottish Cycling and in accordance with national strategies for the sport of cycling;
  

2.  Providing cycling facilities and activities to improve quality of life, including supporting cycling as a sport.

3.  The advancement of environmental protection includes supporting cycling facilities that promote the sport while safeguarding and improving the natural environment where they are located

Additional Considerations

The above criteria are the primary selection criteria; however, when the panel faces difficult decisions due to limited available funds or a high volume of expressions of interest, the following factors are also taken into account.

• Additional consideration is given to projects from low SIMD backgrounds or facing hardships.
• Projects with a high social media presence that promote and raise awareness of the fund will be considered. 

Scottish Cycling Foundation Small Grant Procedures 

The Scottish Cycling Foundation accepts expressions of interest for the Small Grant programme throughout the year and reviews them during scheduled Foundation Trustee meetings.

Expressions of Interest Deadlines:
March 15
June 15
September 15
December 15

If an expression of interest is submitted after the deadline, it will be considered in the next round.

Application information

Basic Application information: Organisation name, legal status (e.g. charity, CIC, club), Contact details (lead contact), Registration numbers (if applicable), Brief background/history of the organisation

Project Summary:Short description of the proposed project (typically 100–300 words). What you want to do and why. Target beneficiaries (who will benefit).

Strategic Purpose: How the project aligns with the fund’s objectives or priorities. Why it matters (problem or need being addressed)

Outcomes and Impact: What difference will the project make? Expected outcomes (e.g. increased participation, improved wellbeing, skills development). Who will benefit and how many people (estimated reach).

Delivery Plan: Key activities and timeline. Location(s) of delivery. Key partners (if any).

Expressions of interest can be emailed to: info@scottishcyclingfoundation.org

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The Scottish Cycling Foundation will contact the applicant to confirm receipt of the expression of interest. If anything is missing or unclear, the Scottish Cycling Foundation will contact the applicant via email to request additional information. 

A grant offer letter setting out the level of support and any related terms and conditions will be issued to successful applicants within 1-2 months of the trustee’s decision.

The maximum level of support is £500.

Successful applicants will be required to complete a report setting out how the support has benefited them.

Additional Grant Requirements

Social media support will be a requirement of grant acceptance, with at least five posts annually to outline how the grant supported the project and to raise awareness of the Fund and its impact.