This check will allow you to understand if your organisation is eligible for CARES funding. You must also meet the fund requirements that relate to your project.  CARES eligibility includes additional and important requirements that come with receiving public funding, for example: fair work requirements and your approach to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).

Check 1 – is your organisation one of these structures?

  • Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations (SCIO).
  • Private Companies Limited by Guarantee (CLG).
  • Community Benefit Societies (BenCom).
  • Community Interest Companies (CIC).
  • Unincorporated charities registered with OSCR.

Check 2 – how your organisation operates

  • Be a constituted and registered charity or company and provide your OSCR or Companies House registration number.
  • Demonstrate you operate across a geographically defined area and community or community of interest, including faith groups.
  • Be non-profit distributing (i.e. surplus is not distributed amongst members at any point, including on wind up).

Evidence of the above must be shown in your governing documents.

Check 3 – your governance

  • Demonstrate that there is a minimum of three unrelated persons on the organisation’s management committee or board who are local to the area served by the community building.
  • The area of benefit for the organisation must be in Scotland.

Check 4 – your values

  • You have reviewed and agree to uphold the CARES equality charter.
  • If you employ people, you pay the real living wage and comply with Fair Work First guidance (this is a requirement for all public sector grants).

Check 5 – making your CARES application

  • All funding applications need to be completed by you as the group/charity trustees/employees, not an installer or contractor acting on your behalf. If we receive such an application, it will be rejected.
  • You must be able to provide the evidence in the supporting documents list.

Supporting documents list

Information you will need to provide us with to check your eligibility for CARES includes:

  • Details of your project will include the project title, summary and location.
  • Governing documents, eg your constitution or Deed of Trust.
  • A recent bank statement for the organisation.
  • A copy of latest published accounts.
  • Evidence you are authorised to submit application on behalf of your applicant organisation. For example, a link to Companies House, OSCR or a mandate from the Board.
  • A signed declaration agreeing to the CARES equality charter (this will be available to download from the portal).
  • Confirmation of compliance with fair work guidelines (this will be available to download from the portal).
  • ID verification for two trustees/ directors as part of our anti-money laundering checks.

What next?

The first step in getting CARES funding is to check that your organisation is eligible.  You can do this by submitting an expression of interest on the CARES project portal by clicking the ‘Begin a new project’ button.

After you have submitted an expression of interest, you will need to complete the eligibility checks. This will require you to upload evidence to confirm that you meet the organisational eligibility criteria set out above.  You can do this at any time.

Need help?

If you need help, this is available from your local development officer.

If you are working on a shared ownership project, we’d recommend that you contact Mark Brennan, for projects north of the central belt or Christina Hinds, for projects in the central belt and south in the first instance.

For Community Energy Generation Growth Fund projects, we’d recommend a discussion with your local development officer before applying.

For community buildings improvements we’d encourage you to follow the guidance provided.

If you are new to community energy and not sure where to start, you can get help from the Community Energy Launchpad. If you already have a clear idea of the support, you are looking for, please read our guidance on eligibility and the guidance for the fund you would like to apply for. Check that both your organisation and your project are eligible. If you have questions about your eligibility, you can contact the Community Energy Launchpad for support.

Download organisation fund eligibility check