Arctic Connections Fund: form and guidance

How to apply

You can apply for the Arctic Connections Fund by completing the attached application form and budget template. Both must be completed in full. The guidance below will help you complete the application form. If you have any questions that are not covered by this note, please email europeanengagement@gov.scot.

• Section 1: project overview
• Section 2: organisation details
• Section 3: project details
• Section 4: budget
• Section 5: checklist
• Section 6: declaration

Section 1: project overview

1.1 Project title (max 20 words) – This is the title your project will be referred to as in all official documentation. If successful, it will also be assigned a reference code.

1.2 Name of applicant organisation – The name of the organisation applying for funding, also the lead partner in the project.

1.3 Project start date – The date you intend the project to begin. We anticipate successful projects to be able to begin from 1 July 2023.

1.4 Project finish date – The date you anticipate the project ending. It must be completed by 31 March 2024,  which is also the deadline for claiming your grant payment.

1.5 Amount of grant requested from the Arctic Connections Fund – The amount of money you are applying for from the Scottish Government. This may not necessarily be the total cost to deliver the project . The budget section will give you the opportunity to detail any other sources of funding.

1.6 Short summary of the project (max 100 words) – A brief overview of the proposed project, enabling someone with no prior knowledge of the project to quickly understand its purpose. If the application is successful, this will also be used on the Scottish Government website.

Section 2: organisation details

Applicant organisation information

2.1 Name of organisation – The name of the organisation applying for funding, also the lead partner in the project.

2.2 Type of organisation and any registration number – Please enter the organisation’s type e.g. charity, social enterprise, SCIO, etc and any charity number/regulation number/company number.

2.3 Address of organisation – Please enter the postal address of the organisation.

2.4 Website – Please enter the organisation’s main website and any page for your part of the organisation.

2.5 What are the general activities of the organisation? (max 150 words) – Please give some background on your organisation, your aims and activities. This is about your organisation NOT the project you are seeking funding for.

2.6 What experience does the organisation have of leading the management and delivery of this type of project? (max 150 words) – Please give some details that demonstrate your organisation has a track record of operating in the area of the proposed project.

2.7 Please confirm that the organisation has the following policies in place. Please provide a link or attach a copy. We recognise this could be challenging for smaller organisations. If you require any advice on ensuring you have appropriate policies in place, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Safeguarding

We expect all organisations that receive Scottish Government funding to have robust and fit for purpose safeguarding policies and procedures in place , and to have clear processes in place if the organisation becomes aware of specific incidents relating to abuse or malpractice. Please also include any specific training undertaken by trustees and/or staff or any similar information in addition to the policy itself. You should include a copy of the policy or a hyperlink to it. Read the OSCR Safeguarding Guidance.

Equalities/diversity

We expect all organisations that receive Scottish Government funding to operate inclusively and it is for this reason that we ask you to demonstrate how you promote equal opportunities and diversity. This should cover paid staff and any volunteers you engage with. In this section please tell us about your equal opportunities/diversity policies, any equal opportunities training for your staff and volunteers, equal opportunities/diversity recruitment practice and anything else you do to operate inclusively. If your policy is in the process of being revised or expanded please use this space to tell us about that process. You should include a copy of the policy if available or a hyperlink to it.

2.8 Details for Scotland-based project manager. This will be the person overseeing the project if the application is successful. – This can be the same person identified as the main contact in Section 7, but does not necessarily need to be.

Partner organisation information

All projects must have at least one partner based in an Arctic country, noting that Russia is not an eligible country for this round of the fund. You may also include additional Scotland-based partner organisations. If your proposed project includes multiple partners, please copy and paste this section so they are all included in the application.

2.9 Name of organisation – The name of the partner organisation.

2.10 Type of organisation and any registration number – Please enter the organisation’s type e.g. charity, social enterprise, SCIO, etc and any charity number/regulation number/company number.

2.11 Address of organisation – Please enter the postal address of the organisation.

2.12 Website – Please enter the organisation’s main website and any page for the relevant part of the organisation.

2.13 What are the general activities of the organisation? (max 150 words) – Please give some background on the organisation, their aims and activities. This is about the partner organisation NOT the project you are seeking funding for.

2.14 What experience does the organisation have of the delivery of this type of project? (max 150 words) – Please give some details that demonstrate the organisation has a track record of operating in the area of the proposed project.

2.15 Please describe the relationship between the applicant organisation and partner organisation (max 300 words) – Please provide some background on your relationship with the partner organisation, including details of the origins and duration of the relationship and details of any jointly delivered projects in the last three years. We are also happy to consider new partnerships.

2.16 How is safeguarding embedded within the organisation? (max 150 words) – Please tell us if your partner organisation has a safeguarding policy. If there is one, please include a copy of it or include a link to it. Please tell us any other relevant information about how your partner promotes and implements safeguarding in its work. As with 2.7, if you require further advice on ensuring appropriate measures are in place, please contact us.

2.17 How are equal opportunities / diversity promoted within the organisation? (max 150 words) – Please tell us if your partner organisation has an equal opportunity/diversity policy. If there is one, please attach a copy of it or include a link to it. Please tell us any other relevant information about how your partner promotes and implements equal opportunities/diversity in its work.

2.18 Details for the lead contact in the organisation – Please provide details for the person in the partner organisation who will lead on their element of the project.

Section 3: project details

This is your opportunity to tell us about your proposed project. Please ensure you refer closely to the Project Objectives section earlier in the guidance.

3.1 Project summary – This is your opportunity to explain what your project aims to achieve and why it should be supported. Please include details of how all partners will participate .

3.2 Project context – This question gives you the opportunity to demonstrate how your project aligns with the objectives of Arctic Connections. You should also refer to your project’s equal opportunities contributions and how it will address the social, cultural and economic effects of the cost crisis.

3.3 Project aims – The key outcomes listed here relate to Arctic Connections and you should explain which apply to your project. You should also outline whether your project relates to any of the themes listed in the Project Objectives earlier in the guidance, which will be given added weighting during the assessment process – and if so, how. Any way your project promotes engagement and collaboration with Indigenous communities should also be referenced. Your answer should provide brief information on key project deliverables and results from your project and how they will be disseminated.

3.4 Project plan and longer-term sustainability – Your answer should demonstrate your plans for managing and delivering the project within eligible timescales and available budget. You should also indicate any activities setting the scene for longer-term sustainability of project aims, or plans you may have for continuing the work begun in the project, if you have any. Any links with other related projects should also be provided.

3.5 Risk Register: Please consider the potential barriers to successful completion of the project and highlight the key risks below (maximum 5) – Successful applicants should maintain their own risk register. Please use this section to identify the most likely and significant potential risks and explain your mitigation measures. For example, the short timescale available for delivery, uncertainty around COVID-19  and potential delays in securing appropriate permissions to proceed (eg, around working with young people or ethics approval) could feature. We do not expect this list to be exhaustive.

Section 4: budget

This section works alongside the budget template you should complete and submit with your application form.

4.1 What is the total budget for the project? – This should combine the amount being requested from the Arctic Connections Fund and any other sources of funding.

4.2 How much is being requested from the Arctic Connections Fund? – How much funding you are applying for from the Scottish Government towards the total budget.

4.3 How much (if any) match-funding (both actual and in-kind) has been secured towards the total budget from other sources? Please list sources and amounts. Is the project dependent upon additional funding being secured? Additional in-kind or match-funding is not essential for the project but we are happy to consider projects that have it. Actual match-funding is a monetary contribution towards the total cost of the project. In-kind match-funding is a non-monetary contribution of goods, services or staff/volunteer time. There is also a section for this in the budget template.

4.4 Please provide justification for any capital expenditure over £250 in your budget – Capital costs are one-time costs incurred to acquire assets or improve the useful life of existing assets and in this context include the purchase of tangible fixed assets such as equipment, IT equipment and machinery to be used in the production of goods or the rendering of services. These should include all costs related to the asset such as transportation, installation and disposal costs. Capital items in a budget will be carefully scrutinised and organisations will need to justify clearly in applications why these items are needed. For example, we would not expect to fund a new laptop for a staff member in Scotland to use in the regular course of their job.

4.5 Please provide justification for any staff costs in your budget – Staff costs in the budget proposed will be considered carefully in relation to the activities outlined in the application and their inclusion should be justified.

4.6 Please provide justification for any travel costs in your budget. – Due to the cost and environmental impact of air travel, our default expectation is that international engagement should be virtual. However, where justified and permitted, proposals for international travel will be considered.

General budget guidance

Funding cannot be used to:

• purchase or repair buildings
• purchase land
• purchase vehicles
• pay per diems or attendance allowances
• carry out revenue-raising activities
• pay for religious services or religious materials
• pay for material that is designed to support political activity, a political party or a specific movement/group (such as an environmental activist group/local lobby group)
• fund ordinary ongoing costs of public sector organisations
• overhead costs
• pay for consultancy fees (if consultancy firms are included in an application, their time must be funded from other sources)

Funding can be used, for instance, to pay for

• staff costs
• IT hardware and software
• learning materials
• equipment and implementation costs
• travel and accommodation costs in line with relevant COVID-19 travel guidance.

All costs and items must relate exclusively to the project.

Section 5: checklist

Please ensure you have completed the checklist and attached all the relevant documentation to your submission email. Failure to do so may result in delays in processing or a rejection of your application.

Section 6: declaration

Please ensure you complete all fields. If the authorised signatory is not submitting the final application themselves, you must ensure they are copied in to the email.