Deadline: 12-May-23
The Scottish Government is offering the Arctic Connections Fund to help Scottish organisations and communities collaborate with partners in the Arctic.
It promotes exchange of expertise on shared issues and stimulates cooperation around common ambitions. The fund supports initiatives including (but not limited to) community projects, seminars and conferences, hackathons and workshops, and academic research. Projects that set the scene for longer-term initiatives are also eligible.
Themes
- Projects of particular interest, and given added weighting during the assessment process, will address one (or more) of the following themes:
- Just transition, energy security and renewable energy solutions, including rural fuel poverty
- food security and sustainable food production
- nature protection, restoration and sustainable management of resources
- rural innovation and wellbeing
- gender equality, with a focus tackling inequality for marginalised groups, inclusion and human rights
- cultural exchange and collaboration, with a focus on indigenous storytelling and languages
- Applicants are invited to set out how their project reflects on and addresses the social, cultural and economic effects of the cost crisis.
- Engagement and collaboration with Indigenous Peoples’ organisations is encouraged.
Funding Information
- Scotland-based organisations can apply for a minimum of £1,000 and maximum of £10,000. The total available budget for the fund in the 2023 to 2024 financial year is £80,000.
- Projects are expected to begin from 1 July and must be completed by 31 March 2024.
Outcomes
Projects will be expected to contribute towards at least one, but preferably more, of the five key outcomes:
- increased awareness both domestically and internationally of social, economic and/or cultural links between Scotland and the Arctic
- improved access to transnational networks promoting knowledge-exchange and mutual learning between Scotland and the Arctic
- development of ideas and solutions capable of strengthening community wellbeing, resilience and regeneration, especially in rural areas, and considering the current cost crisis
- increased engagement in the debate on just transition to a net-zero economy and/or sustainable economic growth
- increased engagement with Indigenous groups and tackling intersectional inequalities in marginalised communities
Eligibility Criteria
- The Arctic Connections Fund is looking to support projects and activities that increase collaboration and knowledge-exchange between Scottish and Arctic organisations.
- The applicant organisation (lead partner) must be based in Scotland and constitute a “legal person”, meaning it is legally constituted and can enter into a contract.
- Organisations that are eligible to apply are:
- community groups with legal personality and a bank account
- charities registered in Scotland
- academic institutions and research centres
- social enterprises
- schools
- small businesses of up to 49 employees, as defined in the annual Small Business Survey Scotland
- Applications may include more than one Scottish partner, so long as all adhere to the eligibility criteria. Inclusion of a diverse range of domestic and international partners, crossing sectors or organisation type is strongly encouraged and will be given added weighting during the scoring process.
- Scottish public bodies and local authorities are not eligible to receive funding but are welcome to be included as partners, covering their own costs.
- The partnership must include at least one partner based in an Arctic country. The eligible countries in which your partner organisation(s) must be based are:
- For this round of funding, Russian institutions, organisations, and businesses are not eligible partners, nor will they consider applications proposing activity in Russia.
- Applications seeking funding for Scottish participation in Arctic projects coordinated by multilateral organisations are welcomed.
For more information, visit Scottish Government.