Climate Challenge Fund

The Climate Challenge Fund team at Keep Scotland Beautiful receive a lot of calls asking for advice. We have put together a list of the questions we are most frequently asked - and hope that these will help you on your way. If you require further information or have a question that is not covered below, please Contact Us.

The scheme was launched in October 2011.

All applicants must submit an Expression of Interest Form. It is important that you submit your Expression of Interest early enough to allow the development of your full application before the deadline for applications.

A Development Officer will contact you within a fortnight and if you project is eligible to apply they will issue you with a Full Application form. These must be submitted along with all required information in time for the application deadline.

The next two funding rounds have the following deadlines:

Panel 10 - Wednesday 23rd May
Deadline for EOI – 21st March 2012
Deadline for receipt of Full Application – 4th April 2012
Panel Date – 23rd May 2012

Panel 11 - Wednesday 8th August
Deadline for EOI – 6th June 2012
Deadline for receipt of Full Application – 20th June 2012
Panel Date – 8th August 2012

Yes, communities are expected to deliver within the timescales in their application, however the final date for all expenditure is the 31st March 2015.

The Junior Climate Challenge Fund (JCCF) is part of the Climate Challenge Fund. The JCCF aims to increase the proportion of the CCF which is supporting under 18's to become engaged and involved in a low carbon future. All other criteria of the CCF still apply - working to reduce carbon emissions, including the community (of young people in this case) at the heart of the decision making of the project and leaving a sustainable legacy for the future.

Yes, there is a maximum level of funding of £150,000 per year. When planning your project you should think carefully about designing a realistic, cost-effective project. Your Development Officer will be able to provide guidance on the suitable scale of applications based on the experience of previously funded communities.

The application for new funding must include a clear project plan, detailing how you will achieve new outcomes, including further significant CO2 reductions.

Communities that have previously received funding must clearly show what specific outcomes have been achieved in their CCF funded work to date. If your project has been successful in engaging your community to reduce its carbon emissions, this activity can be taken forward into a new project as long as you are aiming to achieve significant further CO2 reductions. For example, you could expand the activity to a new audience within your community, or ask for additional activity from your project's existing audience.

Yes, you are not required to find funding from other sources but joint funded projects are welcome. Remember to check the conditions set by other grant funders to ensure they do not pose a barrier to joint funded work.

No. These project activities are no longer an eligible activity under the Climate Challenge Fund.

No, CCF cannot fund any energy generating equipment.

No, CCF money cannot be used to pay for domestic insulation. Funding is available for projects which are aiming to make community owned buildings more energy efficient and this can include installing new or additional insulation.

We cannot fund the whole costs of a new build project. Build and design costs are not eligible. CCF is able to contribute towards the infrastructure costs of making the building as energy efficient as possible.

Yes, CCF will pay for infrastructure elements when they are an essential part of the project.

Yes. However, we would encourage these applications to consider how they can address other aspects of their carbon footprint. This could involve encouraging low carbon travel to and from the site, encouraging the repair of old and sharing of equipment and managing garden wastes sustainably. You should ensure that your project has a realistic chance of completion by 31st March 2015.

Yes. Groups are required to monitor and evaluate their projects against the application objectives. Plans for the monitoring and evaluation of carbon reduction and community outcomes must be included in your application. Further information on monitoring and evalutation is available here

All groups must follow an open and transparent recruitment process for all new paid staff posts funded by the CCF. If you are planning on contracting in consultants for specific elements of your project, please note that if the value of this work is above £5,000 you will need at least three comparable quotes.

No, there are no specific CO2 calculators that you are required to use. The Application Guidance Notes provides an approach that will help you to estimate the CO2 reductions which your project’s activities will achieve. Your Development Officer will also be able to provide guidance.

Yes. Some of the key types of expenditure the CCF cannot fund are listed below. Your Development Officer can provide more detailed advice.
Ineligible Items of Expenditure

- Expenditure incurred or activities that take place before the date of signing the offer of award
- Expenditure which has not been detailed in your application form or previously approved by your Development Officer.
- Expenditure resulting from alterations to your budget which takes place without prior agreement from the CCF Administration team.
- Expenditure that will occur after 31st March 2015.
- Energy generating equipment.
- Energy efficiency work which is being carried out on buildings which are not owned by the community.
- Contingency costs
- Energy generating equipment
- Fundraising activities for your organisation or others
- Loans, interest payments, bank or credit card charges
- Reclaimable Value Added Tax (VAT)
- Political or religious activities
- Projects or activities that the state has a legal obligation to provide
- Purchase of alcohol
- Activities which benefit an individual, rather than the community as a whole
- Flights (We are aware that there will be circumstances where it is unavoidable for groups to travel by any means other than by plane. In these instances you must discuss this with your Development Officer before booking any tickets, etc. and the implications in terms of carbon emissions must be detailed in your project monitoring reports).

No.

Yes. However, there are some cases in which this type of work might overlap with other Government funded schemes. Please check this type of proposal carefully with a Development Officer before the application deadline.

No. All applications must be from a community group. If you are a very small group, you should also show very clearly that you have secured some wider community support for your proposed activities. At the application submission stage you do not have to be a legally constituted, not for profit organisation however, you must become one before any funds can be provided to you.

No. The parts of your project which you want to have funded by the CCF should not be designed to generate income, even on a not for profit basis. However, if you have an idea in low carbon enterprise activity please discuss this with KSB as the Scottish Government are considering how they could support low carbon enterprise in future rounds.

Community groups come in many shapes and sizes. CCF supports community groups which draw their membership from, and focus their activities on, a clearly defined geographical area. We can also consider applications from communities of interest where they can be defined in terms of geography. A good example of that would be an application coming from a community sports club such as the Kilwinning Community Sports Club. This group is part of a much wider community of interest, formed around sport but focused on a particular sports club, and its project proposal benefits the whole community.

Yes. Communities can apply to the CCF more than once. Some communities find it helpful to be able to initially apply for a smaller amount of funding to allow them to develop the capacity to submit a more ambitious application.