How is Community Benefit Calculated?
Community benefit funding is calculated based on the transmission infrastructure delivered as part of a project.
Funding is allocated at £200,000 per kilometre of overhead line and £530,000 for each substation, converter station or switching station.
Where a project includes a combination of infrastructure types, the total community benefit fund is calculated by adding together the value of each eligible asset.
How is Community Benefit Funding Structured?
Once the total community benefit fund for a project has been calculated, it is allocated across three funding streams to ensure support is available for projects of different scales. This creates opportunities for small community initiatives, larger local projects, and strategic regional investments, enabling the fund to deliver benefits at both a local and wider regional level.
Grassroot Grants | For local initiatives, projects with a specific community focus = (£1,000 - £20,000) |
Local Grants: | For community-led projects responding to immediate needs = (£20,000 - £500,000) |
Regional Grants:(20%) | Cumulative sums placed into a Regional Pot for larger-scale projects aligned with regional priorities and long-term goals.
(£500,000+) |
What are our funding themes?
All applications must demonstrate how their project aligns with at least one of our six funding themes. These themes reflect the priorities of local communities and help ensure funding is directed towards projects that deliver meaningful, lasting benefits.
Applicants are encouraged to identify the theme, or themes, that best match the outcomes their project will achieve.
Location
Each fund has a defined area of benefit. The project must benefit people within that eligible area. The organisation may be based elsewhere, but the projects beneficiaries must be located within the designated area.
Organisation Type
Applicants must be legally constituted community groups, registered charities or other not-for-profit organisations. Statutory bodies, including local authorities, schools and universities, cannot apply directly but may be named as project partners.
Eligible organisations may include:
- Registered charities
- Community Interest Companies and other not-for-profit companies limited by guarantee
- Schedule 2 CICs limited by shares, Community Benefit Societies, co-operatives and other mutuals with defined public-benefit, not-for-profit aims and appropriate restrictions on shareholders and dividend payments
- Other constituted not-for-profit organisations, including community transport organisations, development trusts, CASCs, PTAs, Friends groups and small community groups
- Further education colleges and universities, where they are applying for an eligible community benefit project and not acting as a statutory body
The following are not eligible to apply:
- For-profit organisations or organisations that pay dividends to shareholders
- Political parties
- Organisations based entirely outside Scotland with no sub-office or local representative operating within the relevant SP Energy Networks construction region
- Statutory bodies, including local authorities and schools, although they may be project partners
- Organisations that do not meet due diligence requirements
Project Type
Projects must deliver social, economic and/or environmental benefits and align with at least one of the community fund themes.
All projects must be deliverable, appropriately costed and supported by the permissions and evidence required. Costs and plans should be finalised, including design and relevant permissions, and the project should be ready to begin within six months of the Grant Offer Letter unless otherwise agreed in writing. Local Grant projects should normally be completed within two years of their start date and Grassroots Grants within one year, unless an extension is agreed in writing.
Applications are welcomed from eligible not-for-profit organisations, community groups, charities, CICs, local authorities and other organisations that can demonstrate a clear community benefit. All applicants must operate within SP Energy Networks licence areas and meet the relevant governance and financial requirements.
The areas listed below host eligible infrastructure projects and have funding pots available. Funding is provided through dedicated funding rounds, which may not always be open for applications.
Please refer to each area's page for the latest funding round information. More areas will be added over the coming years, and areas will be removed once all available funding has been awarded.
Chirmorie Overhead Line Fund
Coalburn North New Substation Fund
LORG Overhead Line & New Substations
Mark Hill Substation Upgrade Fund
Girvan
Photographer - Niels Johannes
Stranoch Overhead Lines & Substation Fund
To check which community council your organisation is based in, please use Community Council Finder.
LWUP/ECUP Overhead Line and New Substation Fund
Meadowmill New Substation Fund
To check which community council your organisation is based in, please use Community Council Finder.