Commit to Fair Funding
SURF supports the SCVO’s Fair Funding campaign. An incoming Scottish Government must ensure that funding is multi-year, flexible, sustainable, accessible, and transparent.
There is strong will within communities for regeneration investment – especially in town centres and rural areas struggling with depopulation and economic stagnation – and there is evidence of ‘shovel ready’ projects that communities are ready to deliver, but unable to proceed without long term funding plans.
Continued access and equity across key funding streams – such as the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund, Investing in Communities Fund, Community Led Local Development, Scottish Land Fund, and the Rural and Islands Housing Fund – is crucial, ensuring that CWB is resourced appropriately.
Policy Proposals
Commit to Fair Funding and mainstream long-term, stable core funding.
In line with the Fair Funding campaign, SURF believes there should be a focus on long-term, stable core funding. Specifically, the Scottish Government should roll out 5-year funding more broadly, and protect this in future. Providing clarity around funding decisions as soon as possible will help break the cycle of last-minute funding decisions and month-to-month uncertainties so that organisations can deliver for their communities, and help play a vital role in meeting key government priorities.
Plan a 10-year, place-based regeneration funding programme for 10 places.
Beyond Fair Funding, the Scottish Government should plan for ten 10–year, place-based funding settlements that enable a longitudinal and strategic approach to regeneration. Areas should be selected collaboratively and reflect Scotland’s diverse communities, while also incorporating best-practice and key learnings from previous regeneration schemes.
Streamline and simplify grant and compliance processes by producing a new Scottish Funding Framework.
There must be a greater linkup of funding streams in Scotland and a move towards simplifying grant processes. To achieve this, the Scottish Government should conduct a review of current funding arrangements and produce – in collaboration with other funders and stakeholders – a Funding Framework with central guidance that funders operating in Scotland should follow. This should include streamlined reporting and compliance requirements – highlighted as a particular concern by SURF members.
More Policies
- Any capital investment project – particularly those relying on smaller community actors – should include a specific and additional operational budget to deliver and maintain capital projects and investments, at least in the short to medium term.