Grants for communities 2025/26
East Lothian Council’s One Council Partnership Fund grants support community organisations in their work to help reduce inequalities and make East Lothian a better place to live.
Please refer to the online application section below.
The Council Plan 2022-27 states:
"We are living through unprecedented challenging times – the COVID-19 pandemic has had long term impacts on our economy, society, the health and wellbeing of people, contributing to increasing poverty and inequality; rising inflation and the cost of living crisis which is driving more and more people into food and fuel poverty; and the Climate Emergency, requiring systemic changes in how we all live our lives and run services in order to substantially reduce carbon emissions."
The focus of the funding awards for 2025/26 will be to support initiatives and activities which assist community-based organisations to:
- address inequalities, and the impact of poverty including health inequalities
- reduce social isolation for vulnerable children, young people and adults
- support prevention and early intervention activities across all age groups
- provide more youth work opportunities for our children and young people
- respond to the Climate Emergency
- promote volunteering
This fund is always oversubscribed, and it is unlikely organisations will be awarded the full amount applied for.
Any charitable/third sector organisation seeking funding should also contact Volunteer Centre East Lothian (VCEL) (volunteereastlothian.org.uk) for information about other funding sources. VCEL can also advise on governance and volunteer recruitment, help with monitoring how the funding is used, and have been supporting our evaluation of awards this year.
Contact Volunteer Centre East Lothian
Applications
Applications for 2025/26 are invited from Monday 4 November 2024 and will close on Monday 2 December 2024.
All your supporting documents must be returned by Monday 2 December 2024 or your application will not be considered for funding.
Applicants must demonstrate how projects seeking funding will support East Lothian Council’s overarching aim of "reducing inequalities within and across our communities" - as set out in our Council Plan. It is also important to note the current council priorities (which are identified in the application form). Applicants should also refer to the East Lothian Plan 2017-27 and must clearly demonstrate how they will evidence the local need for their request and the difference the funding will make.
Applicants should refer to the general guidance note about the programme for more information.
This year we have moved our application form online
To use the online fom you must create a Biseastlothian account, as this is the portal where we will host your application.
Register for a Biseastlothian account and find out more
Once you have registered and logged in - select the ‘start a new request’ button and then 'One Council Partnership Fund'.
Help with your online application
Registering your business
If you have not already registered your business with bisaccount go to https://eastlothian-chcentral.onmats.com/i/businessportal/login and follow the registration process.
- A video with guidance on the process can be found at https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/info/210563/business/12785/bisaccount_east_lothian
Verifying your business
There is no requirement to verify your business at this time. We may add this requirement later.
You have already registered but have been unable to access ‘Start a new request’
If you have previously registered and you have been unable to start a new request you will need to log into Bisaccount using this link https://bisaccount.scot/business/
From there navigate to your Biseastlothian account using the ‘Access Service’ link in the ‘Services’ page to refresh the connection between the two services.
‘Start a new request’ will now be available to you and ‘My details’ will be populated with your name and business details. You will be able to begin the application process.
New online application guidance
Any enquiries can be directed to partnershipfunding@eastlothian.gov.uk
End of Project Report
It is a requirement that organisations who receive One Council Partnership Funding provide the council with an End of Project Report, detailing the evidence to show the impact of the project and the outcomes achieved. These should be sent in by the end of June, once the funding year has been completed. For organisations not in receipt of a Service Level Agreement you will be required to complete quarterly progress reports that will be requested and tracked by Volunteer Centre East Lothian.
Download the end of project report form