Capital investment for regeneration

Our regeneration vision is for a Scotland where our most disadvantaged communities are supported and where all places are sustainable and promote wellbeing.

Regeneration is

  • delivered in partnership with communities and local government
  • delivering the twin priorities of economic recovery and tackling inequality
  • requires a sustained and coordinated place based approach

Place Based Investment Programme

The Place-Based Investment Programme (PBIP) is being used to link and align place-based funding initiatives. The aim of the PBIP is to ensure that all place based investments are shaped by the needs and aspirations of local communities and accelerate our ambitions for place, 20-minute neighbourhoods, town centre action, community led regeneration and community wealth building. It includes the continued delivery of the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund as well as Place Based Investment Programme funding to local government, and our ongoing sponsorship of Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company.

The Place Principle, which underpins this approach, was adopted by Scottish Government and COSLA as a basis for collaborative working to ensure that future local investment is relevant to local communities for the benefit of local people. Bringing relevant services, enterprise, and communities together to make our towns, villages, and neighbourhoods more viable. The PBIP alongside the developing Place Framework are designed to make the Place Principle real.

A coherent programme approach to place based investment will provide the structure to challenge, coordinate and target efforts in any particular geography. It is designed to make sure that all place based investments understand the place in which they are made, how their contribution will help deliver the changes needed, and how local communities shape their future.

Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF)

The Regeneration Capital Grant Fund is delivered in partnership with COSLA and local government. The Fund supports locally developed place based regeneration projects that involve local communities, helping to tackle inequalities and deliver inclusive growth in deprived, disadvantaged and fragile remote communities across Scotland.

Applications to the fund are invited on an annual basis and, where justified, can potentially cover more than one financial year (subject to available budget).

2024 to 2025 funding round

We launched the call for 2024 to 2025 project proposals on 3 May 2023. The closing date for stage 1 applications is 5pm on Wednesday 21 June 2023.

Eligible organisations

RCGF is open to applications from all of Scotland’s 32 local authorities, either individually or if they exercise their functions through an urban regeneration company or another special purpose vehicle.

Eligible projects

Applications are not restricted in geography, size or type of project. It will be for applicant organisations to demonstrate that projects fit with the aims and objectives of the fund and can demonstrate clear regeneration outcomes in line with our strategy document Achieving a Sustainable Future and local area regeneration plans.

Project focus

  • projects that primarily focus on areas that suffer from high levels of deprivation and disadvantage
  • projects that demonstrate clear community involvement
  • projects that will deliver large scale transformational change with strong regeneration outcomes
  • projects and programmes that can encourage additional investment and address market failure

Application process

All applications will be subject to scrutiny by the independent Regeneration Capital Grant Fund Investment Panel which will make final recommendations on projects to be funded. 

There will be a two-stage assessment. Eligible applicant organisations must submit a summary of their project on the form provided at stage 1. Successful projects at this stage will be invited by the panel to then complete a full stage 2 application. Read more about the process on the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund page.

RCGF support to date (includes latest awards for 2023 to 2024)

View the full list of projects supported from RCGF to date.

See also additional economic recovery stimulus funding awarded for 2020-21.

These projects are supporting or creating jobs, refurbishing and bringing back into use a number of historic and landmark buildings, creating business space, and supporting numerous community facilities and services across Scotland.

Evaluation

In December 2018 we commissioned Research Scotland to undertake an independent evaluation of the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) and the final report which was published on 20 December 2019.

Further information

If you have any questions on the fund, email them to rcgf@gov.scot. Enter 'Request for further information' in the subject heading.

Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP)

The low carbon Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) opened on 6 April 2023 for stage one applications for 2024 to 2025.

Eligible organisations

When open, the VDLIP accepts applications from any of Scotland’s 32 local authorities and Clyde Gateway URC.

VDLIP projects supported to date 

See: the full list of projects supported from Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme to date.

About the VDLIP

Scotland has almost 11,000 hectares of vacant and derelict land sites which can blight communities, harm wellbeing, and limit opportunities. However those sites could offer so much more - they could help solve some of society’s biggest challenges, including around climate change and inequality.

By prioritising the reuse of persistent vacant and derelict land, and protecting our existing natural capital, we can ensure that future investment goes into areas where it is needed the most, supporting shared ambitions for place, community regeneration, town centres, and 20 minute neighbourhoods.

The £50 million low carbon VDLIP is a capital programme scheduled over five years to help with tackling persistent vacant and derelict land, supporting place based approaches to delivering regeneration and sustainable inclusive growth, as part of a ‘just transition’ to net-zero. It is being established in the context of our economic recovery being a green recovery, and builds on existing approaches to tackling disadvantage and deprivation.

The VDLIP complements the new Place Based Investment Programme. It aims to link and align all place based funding initiatives to ensure we have a coherent approach to sustained longer term renewal, promoting the resilience, health and wellbeing of communities across Scotland.

The VDLIP is based around four pillars of action:

  • sustained place-based approaches
  • urban green spaces
  • community-led regeneration
  • low carbon developments and renewables

The Vacant and Derelict Land Fund

The Vacant and Derelict Land Fund (VDLF) aims to tackle long-term vacant and derelict land in Scotland. Its objectives are:

  • to stimulate economic growth
  • create jobs
  • promote environmental justice and improved quality of life
  • to support communities to flourish and tackle inequalities

It is an element of the local government budget settlement, as agreed with Scottish Government.

It focuses on projects that promote innovation in both temporary and longer term greening techniques for vacant and derelict land sites.

For 2022 to 2023, five local authorities will receive a share of £7.605m reflecting the extent of vacant and derelict land in these areas and levels of deprivation. These local authorities are: 

  • Glasgow City Council
  • North Lanarkshire Council
  • South Lanarkshire Council
  • North Ayrshire Council
  • Fife Council
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