Forth Valley Climate Action Hub Grants and Leadership Programme
Empowering Communities for Climate Action 2025/6
Grants and Leadership Training Opportunities open to applications
What is the Climate Action Hub?
There are now 24 regional Climate Action Hubs, backed by Scottish Government, operating across Scotland. Climate Action Hubs are a ground-breaking initiative from Scottish Government’s Net Zero campaign created to empower communities to deliver climate action at a community level. To do this Climate Action Hubs offer a range of support, from helping people to better understand what is happening to our environment, to how they may be impacted directly and what they can do about it, to sharing learnings from other communities who have already begun measures to mitigate or adapt in their own regions of Scotland. By doing this Hubs aim to both inspire communities and provide knowledge and practical support.
The Forth Valley Climate Action Hub, delivered through FEL Scotland connects communities and supports their responses to the climate emergency, including by providing small grants for community-led climate action across the region
FEL is grateful to Foundation Scotland for their support of the Forth Valley Climate Action Hub’s activities. Their investment has provided a significant boost to the 2025/26 round of grants and leadership programmes.
We are pleased to be offering a suite of programmes and funds in this round. Read on below and get in touch with us at climate@felscotland.org for more information.
Applications now open!
First & Next Steps Climate Action Grants
First Steps:
Communities taking their first steps in climate action are invited to apply for between £250 and £1,000
Next Steps:
Communities taking their next steps in climate action are invited to apply for over £1,000
There is no maximum limit, however, please note we expect most successful awards will typically fall below £2,500. An Expression of Interest is required for requests of £5,000 and more, in advance of an application. Deadline for Expression of Interest is 12 September.
First Steps applicants will consider themselves new to any significant coordinated approach to community-led climate action. They will not have previously received funding specific to climate outcomes.
Typically, First Steps may involve consultations, awareness raising, community engagement events, research and evidence gathering including, hiring consultants or trailing activities designed to reduce carbon emissions or adapt to locally felt impacts of climate change.
Next Steps applicants will have already have a track record of coordinating climate action. They may have received funding from FEL Scotland or other funders with climate specific objectives.
Typically, next steps may deliver against aspirations from existing place plans, scale-up existing activities or innovate and test new ideas based on past learning. Next Steps applicants may also be seeking match funding for larger scale projects.
Grant guidance and questions previewFirst & Next Step Climate Action Grants
Applications are open! Apply now. Fill in the form and download a budget template from the link further down the page or by clicking here.
Women's Climate Leadership Training Fund
FEL Scotland and the Forth Valley Climate Action Hub is offering a new round of grants to encourage community-led climate action. For a second year, the Women’s Climate Leadership fund grants will be joined by new rounds of grants for First and Next Steps, and Climate Leadership programme grants. Grants are available to eligible FEL member organisations only.
FEL Scotland is excited to offer its innovative Women’s Climate Leadership Training Fund for 2025-26. This fund offers up to £1,000 towards training, learning or development that can better help applicants lead and inspire on community’s response to climate change.
What is the Aim of the Grant?
This grant aims to support the development of leadership, skills and capacity by funding self-led training opportunities for women. Applicants will be familiar with place-based challenges and priorities and will use the opportunity to lead and inspire their communities’ response to the climate crisis at a local level.
Focus may be around mitigation, adaptation, building community resilience or nature restoration, but a wide range of learning and development opportunities will be considered for funding where applicants can show the practical benefits to their community and in meeting local climate priorities.
Applicants are asked to identify a training, learning or development opportunity, and tell us how they can use it improve capacity and leadership on climate issues in their community. This may be, for example, by filling skills or knowledge gaps that can unlock progress on climate action, or by better advocating a community’s needs in a changing climate.
Grant guidance and questions previewWomen's Climate Leadership Training Fund
Applications are open! Apply now. Fill in the form and download a budget template from the link further down the page or by clicking here.
Climate Leadership Training Programme
The Climate Hub Leadership Programme aims to bring together a small cohort of participants for a flexible training itinerary focused on climate adaptation to boost community resilience. Participants who graduate by completing the minimum attendance requirements of the programme are eligible for a small grant of £1,000, payable to the constituted group they represent. The aim of the grant is to contribute towards the ongoing delivery of climate actions, public engagement or awareness raising in participant communities.
The programme will focus on how we adapt to our changing climate to ensure our communities are better prepared for its impacts at a local level.
Grant guidance and questions preview
Budget Spreadsheet
If applying for either the First Steps or Next Steps Funds or to the Women’s Leadership Fund, you will also be required to upload a budget. Use this template. Download by clicking the button below.
Download the spreadsheet here
