Cost of the School Day Toolkit - Scotland: funding sources

There are a number of organisations and businesses who offer funding for projects in schools. Below you'll find some of the best known ones, however this list isn't exhaustive and is just designed to get you started - there might be other organisations, or small, local businesses in your area who you can get in touch with.

Aldi Scottish Sport Fund offers funding for sports clubs.

Alpkit Foundation £50-£500 to individuals, community groups, schools and organisations to encourage people to get outdoors and have great experiences that otherwise couldn’t happen.

The Asda Foundation funds local community projects and top-up funding grants.

The Great British School Trip: Hyundaioffers bursaries to fund school trips. Priority is given to schools who have more than 30% of their pupils receiving free school meals.

B&Q stores donate unsellable materials and products to their local community.

Cash for Kids grants support children from birth up to and including 18 years of age who are affected by poverty, illness, or have additional needs.

Creative Scotland supports organisations and individuals to develop artistic skills, create a piece of work and get involved in creative activities.

The Ernest Cook Trust offers an Outdoor Essentials Grant to UK state-funded schools to enable pupils to connect to nature and learn outdoors.

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation supports a wide range of work, including projects aiming to improve the natural environment, encourage creativity and build strong communities.

Forth Bridges Education Centre arrange free group visits for pupils p3 up to s6, including fun and engaging STEM activities.

Glasgow Care Foundation, GCF Schools Initiative Grants - Only available in Glasgow, awards to support children living in poverty.

Greggs Foundation, supports primary schools with breakfast club provision, which meet eligibility criteria. Priority is given to schools in areas of high need. Waiting list.

Henry Smith Charity provides grants to provide access to recreational trips or holidays for groups of children who experience disadvantage or who have disabilities.

Historic Scotland offers free education visits to their sites around Scotland.Help towards the travel costs of visiting heritage sites. Travel Subsidy for Schools covers 75% of transport costs, and for up to 100% of travel costs for special schools and units (up to a maximum of £300).

Housing Associations - search for your local housing association, as they often have community funds.

Jupiter Artland (near Edinburgh) provides free learning visits for nurseries, schools and community learning groups.

Kelloggs Breakfast Clubs, offers grants of up to £1,000 are available per breakfast club. Priority is given to schools with 35% or more of children receiving PEF, and schools in deprived areas

Local authorities - search your local authority websites for 'grants' and 'funds'.

Both Loch Lomond and Trossachs and Cairngorms National Park provide education travel grants for 75% of travel costs.

Magic Breakfast offers support for breakfast clubs, where schools meet eligibility criteria.

National Lottery Awards for all Scotland provides funding for a range of projects which involve bringing local people together, helping people learn, improving local spaces and getting people more active.

National Trust for Scotland offers a transport subsidy to schools wishing to visit The Battle of Bannockburn, Culloden or Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. The subsidy covers 75% of transport costs, up to a maximum of £300.

NFU Mutual Agency Giving Fund >supports community initiatives and charitable events.

Nature Scot grants are available to cover up to 75% (£200 maximum) of transport costs for educational visits to the National Parks.

PGL Breakthrough Fund offers funding for children registered for Free School Meals at Dalguise Residential Centre, Perthshire

The Royal Highland Education Trust, provides free farm visits and resources for teachers. 13 Countryside Initiatives across Scotland

Sainsbury’s Good food for all of us community grants help support vulnerable people and communities. The fund offers grants to food-related good causes, charities, CICs, and community groups with projects that aim to tackle the issues and causes of food poverty.

The School Library Improvement Fund supports creative and Innovative projects within the school library sector.

School Based Music Making (Formula Fund) is open to local authorities to provide free music tuition for children. (Schools could highlight this fund to contacts.)

Scottish Book Trust - Live literature funding, bringing authors to schools etc. Applications in autumn for following year. Selected local authorities only.

Scottish Chamber Orchestra offer complimentary tickets to school-teachers and instrumental tutors who wish to bring a group of young people to SCO Season concerts. Venues include Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Perth and Inverness.

Scotmid's Community Grant supports projects in local communities.

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) - funding directory.

SSE offer community funds to support a wide range of projects near their renewable sites.

Sky Up Academy Studios, based in Livingston offers schools free, immersive learning experiences, using state-of-the-art production equipment.

SportScotland Kit for All offers recycled and pre-loved sports kit to individuals and families, to make sport and physical activity more accessible.

Tesco UK donates to local food and anti-poverty charities, and the Community Champion at your nearest store can help to advise you on your application.

Tesco Stronger Starts offering extra financial help for schools to provide healthy food and activities that boost young people’s mental and physical wellbeing

Thrive Outdoors, lists charities and organsations who fund outdoor play and learning. Was published in 2021 but will still have a lot of useful ongoing projects.

Turing Scheme provides funding for international visits that develop skills beneficial for attainment and future career prospects

Uniform - Search 'uniform bank' or 'preloved uniform' in your local authority area. Many areas have provision that schools can direct families to.

Youth Arts Open Fund is open to local authorities and individuals with experience working with children and young people and seeking funding to deliver arts activities.

YouthBanks are run by and for young people, creating projects for the benefit of the local community.

The Youthlink Scotland funding directory has lots more ideas that could be helpful in your area.

Young Scot's newsletter gives regular updates of funding opportunities, free events and activities.