Recovery and Resilience Programme (RRP)

The Recovery and Resilience Programme (RRP) is a new initiative from the Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS), designed to help our full and provisional members become stronger, more adaptable, and more sustainable.

Thanks to funding from Foundation Scotland, we are offering tailored direct support as a priority, with flexible grant funding available when needed to build long-term resilience across our network.

Programme Aims

This programme aims to:

• Support the long-term resilience of DTAS members
• Help members recover and stabilise after recent difficulties
• Prevent members from escalating into a crisis

Resilience is not just about survival — it’s about building the confidence, capacity, and systems to continue delivering impact in your community, regardless of the challenges ahead.

The Six Pillars of Resilience

The programme is built around six key areas that shape a resilient development trust:

1. Purpose — strategy, restructuring
2. Governance and Leadership — training, succession planning
3. Finance, Funding and Enterprise — diversification, consultancy
4. People and Operations — policies, systems, wellbeing
5. Communications, Engagement and Impact — plans, evaluation tools
6. Assets — planning, capital works

You’ll be asked to reflect on these in your self-assessment and show how your proposal will help strengthen one or more of them.

Support First, Funding If Needed

This is primarily a support programme that provides:

• Direct tailored support from DTAS and partners to strengthen your foundations
• Grant funding is an option when funding is the right tool to build resilience
• Flexible approach based on your organisation’s specific needs

Direct support may include one-to-one advice, strategic planning sessions, governance training, finance support, specialist help on workplace wellbeing, facilities management, community ownership, democratic finance, and referrals to professional service providers.

What Funding Can We Apply For?

When grant funding is appropriate, it is flexible and may be used for a wide range of purposes that strengthen your organisation’s resilience:

• You can apply for grants up to a combined total of £100,000 over the programme lifetime
• There is no minimum level of grant
• You may apply up to three times during the programme, but the total awarded cannot exceed £100,000
• You can apply for revenue or capital costs, or a combination of both.
• Projects can run for up to two years — all funding must be spent by 31 December 2028

Who Can Apply?

The programme is open to:

• DTAS full and provisional members whose membership fees are up to date

The programme is NOT open to:

• Associate or aspiring members
• Organisations only connected to DTAS through other programmes (for example, Democratic Finance or Community Ownership Support Service) that are not full or provisional members.

Note: If you are not yet a member, you must complete the membership process (typically around 3 months) before applying to this programme.

How It Works – A Six-Step Process

This is not a single-step funding application. The programme uses a staged process designed to support your organisation over time.

Stage 1: Self-Assessment and Support

1. Self-Assessment — Complete an online form to understand where your organisation is strong and where support is needed
2. Review — DTAS reviews your responses and identifies if direct support, funding, or both are the best next step
3. Tailored Support — Access direct advice and guidance to build your foundations (may be offered alongside or instead of grant funding)

Stage 2: Grant Funding Application (if appropriate)

4. Full Application — If invited based on your self-assessment, complete an online application form
5. Assessment — Applications are reviewed by a panel (monthly for grants under £25,000; quarterly for grants £25,000 and over)
6. Notification — Receive a decision within two weeks of panel review, along with next steps

Important: Your self-assessment is valid for six months. If invited to apply for funding, you must submit your full application within this timeframe.

What Will the Programme Fund?

Funding must focus on recovery and resilience, aligning with at least one of the six pillars. Examples include:

• Training for board and staff
• Strategic or operational planning
• HR policies and volunteer management systems
• Digital financial systems or IT equipment
• Communications strategies and evaluation tools
• Building reviews or capital works
• Expert consultancy to improve governance or financial management

What Will the Programme NOT Fund?

The programme will not cover:

• Day-to-day running costs (utilities, annual audits, routine administration)
• Retrospective costs already incurred
• Statutory costs (reclaimable VAT, debt repayments)
• Feasibility studies, Place Plans, or Community Action Plans not linked to programme outcomes
• Salaries below the Real Living Wage
• Political and/or religious activities

Key Dates

• Programme opens: 27 October 2025
• Programme closes: 31 December 2027
• All grants must be spent by 31 December 2028

Assessment Criteria

Applications will be scored using these criteria:

1. Level of organisational need
2. Contribution towards the six resilience pillars
3. Deliverability of the proposal and level of risk
4. Value for money

Monitoring and Reporting

All grant recipients will complete:

• Quarterly spend reports
• Quarterly progress updates
• A self-assessment at the end of your project (and midway for projects over 6 months)
• A final written report detailing activities, outcomes achieved, and how resilience has improved

Guidance and Resources

Access helpful resources to support your application:

Get Support