Funding

What is the Refugee Festival Scotland Small Grants Fund?

Funding is awarded by Scottish Refugee Council to enable grassroots groups and organisations to take part in Refugee Festival Scotland by helping them cover the cost of running events.

The Refugee Festival Scotland Small Grants Fund aims to help celebrate and highlight the contribution that refugee communities make to life in Scotland, while promoting and strengthening partnerships and connections.

*PLEASE NOTE: Small Grants funding applications for 2023 are now closed.

Who can apply for this funding?

Grants can only be awarded to groups and organisations. Applications from individuals will not be considered.

The Fund is open to community groups and organisations that are led by refugees or focused on assisting refugee communities.

Your group or organisation can be located anywhere in Scotland.

Your application must demonstrate how refugees and/or people seeking asylum will be involved in the planning and delivery of your event.

We can only fund organisations that have a bank account. If you do not have a bank account, consider applying in partnership with an organisation that does.

How much can my organisation apply for?

Your organisation can apply for a grant of up to £500 to help deliver arts and cultural events as part of Refugee Festival Scotland.

What types of events and activities does the funding cover?

You can apply for a small grant to help you run all kinds of events and activities as part of Refugee Festival Scotland.

Any event is welcome, from art, film, music, dance and discussion to sport, storytelling, theatre, cookery demonstrations, creative workshops, community-get-togethers and family-friendly picnics.

Funding criteria

*PLEASE NOTE: Small Grants funding applications for 2023 are now closed.

The deadline for applications to the Refugee Festival Scotland Small Grants Fund 2023 is 11.59pm on Sunday, 5 March.

To qualify for funding, your event must:

  • Take place between 16-25 June
  • Be open to the public
  • Involve refugees and/or people seeking asylum in the planning and delivery
  • Bring communities together to celebrate refugee arts and culture
  • Help people from different backgrounds to connect and build understanding, solidarity and friendship

How can my organisation apply?

To apply for funding through the Refugee Festival Scotland Small Grants Fund, you must complete an online application form

You might find it useful to download the full list of questions so you can draft your answers before beginning your online application. Download the application questions here.

You also need to download and complete a budget sheet, showing how you will spend the funds.

Email your completed budget sheet to festival@scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk

The deadline for applications is 11.59pm on Sunday, 5 March.

We may contact your organisation to discuss your application, so please ensure you provide contact details for an appropriate person.

Judging criteria

Applications will be assessed by a panel of Scottish Refugee Council staff*, volunteers, and representatives from refugee communities.

The panel will consider the following:

  • Is your application form complete? Incomplete applications will not be awarded funding
  • How well does your application meet the funding criteria listed above?
  • Does your application demonstrate good budgeting, organisation and planning?
  • Innovation and partnership: Is your event idea fresh, different and creative? Are you working with other organisations to deliver your event?
  • The geographical spread of the Refugee Festival Scotland programme

 

*Please note that the Refugee Festival team can provide guidance on how to complete your funding application forms but will have no role in assessing the applications.

What happens if our application for funding is successful?

If your application is successful, we will contact you in the week beginning Monday, 13 March*.

We then need you to:

  • Send us an invoice for the awarded amount by Friday, 17 March. Your invoice can take up to 10 working days to process
  • Please make sure that you provide the bank account details for your organisation on this invoice

 

You should then receive the payment via bank transfer by Monday, 3 April.

We ask that you keep us informed about your event and any changes that happen during planning so that we can update our website and listings.

*Please note we may not award the full amount that you have applied for.

What happens if our application for funding is unsuccessful?

If your application is unsuccessful, we will contact you by email by the end of March. The decision of the panel is final.