Green Shoots Funding

Green Shoots is a flexible grants programme for DTAS members. Since 2021 it has distributed over £620,000 to more than 112 organisations across Scotland — providing quick, targeted support at critical moments in an organisation’s development.

The fund exists to fill a specific gap: proportionate support for issues that would otherwise stall progress or threaten your sustainability. It is not a large capital fund. It is designed to intervene early, at the right moment, before problems escalate.

Is Green Shoots Right for You?

Work through these questions before you apply. If you answer yes to all of them, Green Shoots is likely a good fit.

Before you apply, check:

• Are you a full or provisional DTAS member with your membership fees paid up to date?
• Have you checked whether the support you need is available for free — through DTAS, Just Enterprise, or another source?
• Is the funding you need £10,000 or under?
• Is this genuinely the last piece of the puzzle — not the first thing you have tried?

If you are unsure about any of these, speak to your Member Support Advisor before applying.

Who Can Apply?

The programme is open to:

• DTAS full and provisional members with paid-up membership fees

The programme is NOT open to:

• Associate members
• Aspiring members
• Organisations working with DTAS only through the Community Ownership Support Service or Democratic Finance who are not full or provisional members

How Much Can I Apply For?

You can apply for up to £10,000 per financial year (April to March). You can submit up to two successful applications in the same year, up to that combined total.

What We Will Fund

Green Shoots covers two types of need:

Planned development work — where progress on a piece of work is being held back by a small funding gap, or where an idea needs to be tested before it can go further.

Unexpected pressures — where an unplanned situation has created costs or risks you need to address to protect your organisation.

Eligible costs include:

• Legal fees and advice
• Financial, accounting or VAT support
• HR or employment advice
• Governance or leadership consultancy
• Feasibility, technical or land ownership surveys
• Business planning support
• IT or systems improvements
• Piloting a new service or approach
• Peer mentoring or support within the membership
• Adapting services or removing barriers to participation for adults with disabilities
• The final piece of match funding needed to unlock a larger grant

This list is not exhaustive. If you are unsure whether your costs are eligible, speak to your Member Support Advisor before applying.

What We Will Not Fund

• Annual audit or accountancy fees

Note: A one-off audit fee may be eligible under certain circumstances — see the full guidance for details.

• Utilities and routine administration
• Costs already incurred before a grant award
• VAT you can reclaim
• Loan repayments, debt or interest payments
• Place Plans, Community Action Plans or community consultation and engagement activity
• Core staffing
• Political or religious activities
• Activities likely to bring DTAS, its partners or funders into disrepute
• Costs the organisation can meet through substantial unrestricted reserves
• Costs where equivalent free support is available
• Quotes deemed unreasonable or not value for money

What to Expect and When

Here is a simple overview of the timeline from application to decision.

Stage	Typical timeframe
Speak to your Member Support Advisor	Before you apply — no fixed timescale
Submit your application	Any time the programme is open
Assessment by panel	Within one month of submission
Decision notified	Within three weeks of the panel meeting

Please note: These timescales may change if additional information is required from the panel.

If your application is successful

• You will receive a grant award letter to sign and return to DTAS
• The letter will confirm any conditions attached to the award, a payment schedule, and your monitoring and reporting requirements
• Your first payment will be made once the signed letter and any required conditions are returned

If your application is unsuccessful

• You will receive feedback explaining the decision
• We may offer support to help you strengthen a future application

All applications are assessed by a panel. Panel decisions are final.

Conditions and Reporting

All grant recipients are required to complete proportionate monitoring and reporting. Reporting templates will be provided when your award is confirmed.

At the end of your project, you will need to provide a short written report covering the activities carried out, the outcomes achieved, what difference the funding made to your organisation, and any outcomes not achieved and why.

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