Our Reach programme is suitable for charities can demonstrate they address disadvantage or social exclusion. This will ensure that our funding will reach the most vulnerable people across Scotland, to provide them with opportunity and equality and making positive, sustainable change.

Disadvantage

Examples include charities addressing primary disadvantage such as homelessness, abuse, mental health or poverty, or secondary disadvantage such as debt issues, learning disabilities, illiteracy, lack of employability skills or health issues.

Social Exclusion

Examples include charities addressing exclusionary challenges for minorities, people with disabilities, LGBT people, drug users, institutional care leavers, the elderly or the young.

 

Before applying, check out our Hints & Tips PDF guide to help you complete your application.

Our PDF covers off what documents you need to send in and what information could help with your application.

Grants programmes Hints & tips eligibility

If you are submitting an application for Reach

 You MUST  You cannot apply if

Your charity must have an income of £1m or less

You cannot apply if you are a newly registered charity operational for less than one year with no accounts lodged at OSCR

You must be a charity registered in Scotland, operational for more than one year.

You cannot apply if you do not have all your regulatory returns up to date at OSCR and Companies House

Make sure you put the correct charity number on your application.

You cannot apply if you are a charity whose SOLE purpose is:

  • Political organisation

  • Animal welfare

  • The advancement of religion

  • Medical research

  • To make grants, donations, loans, gifts or pensions to individuals. This includes distributing vouchers

Make sure your annual accounts are signed by both an independent examiner and a member of the Board. The balance sheet must also be signed. Signatures that are blacked out will not be accepted.

You cannot apply for donations to:

  • individuals

  • advertising

  • sponsorship

  • foreign trips

  • overseas projects

You must include an A4 (PDF format) page that describes how you plan to spend any funding award and explains how your community will benefit from it.

If you are currently in receipt of a grant from any of our programmes or have not yet returned your Evaluation form for your most recent grant. If you would like to apply again please ensure we have received a satisfactory evaluation prior to the closing date of the new programme.

Make sure your additional A4 (PDF format) information is no more than one page long..

If you are still in receipt of an extended grant.

Charities are able to apply to Reach for funding for a period of 12 months. All funds must be spent with 12 months of receipt of funds.

If you applied to Reach but received a letter from us saying your application was declined, you must wait 12 months from the date of the letter before reapplying for that programme.

If you applied to Reach but received a letter from us saying your application was unable to proceed to full assessment you are able to reapply immediately.

You cannot apply for multiple grants at the same time, you must choose one programme and await the outcome of that application before applying again.

Your charities record on OSCR must state ‘It carries out activities itself’.

If you have previously received a grant you must wait 12 months from the date you received the funds to reapply and submit an evaluation.

You must only submit one application for a programme.

 

Reach Programmes 2023
Programme Opens to applications Closes to applications Charities notified
Reach End of August

Sample Reach Application Form

A sample of our Reach application form can be downloaded here: Sample Reach Application Form.

Please note; this is a sample form for reference only and cannot be used as an application form. All applications must be submitted via our online system during the opening times listed on our website.