Islands Programme capital fund 2021/22 to 2024/25: grant awards - evaluation

Footnotes

1 The Act identified a range of factors which would help improve outcomes for island communities including: increased population levels; sustainable economic development; greater environmental wellbeing; health and wellbeing; greater community empowerment; better transport services, housing and digital connectivity; reduced fuel poverty; and enhanced biosecurity.

2 From April to July 2019, the Scottish Government consulted people living in island communities about their priorities for the National Islands Plan. Their views were reflected in the strategic objectives.

3 The amounts awarded through the Islands Programme were: £3.9m in Year 1 (2021/22); £4.5m in Year 2 (2022/23); £4.0m in Year 3 (2023/24); and £2.8m in Year 4 (2024/25). Note that £5.3m funding for Year 5 (2025/26) of the Islands Programme was announced in the Programme for Government on 6 May 2025.

4 The methodology for the direct allocation was agreed with COSLA. (See Chapter 2 for details.)

5 Note that the total £25.8m funding allocated to the Islands Programme included two direct awards to community projects on Kerrera and Fair Isle made in 2021/22. It also supported two other funds in 2021/22 – the Islands Communities Fund (£2m) and the Healthy Islands Fund (£1.36m) – which community groups could bid for. These two funds were managed by Inspiring Scotland and are not covered by this evaluation.

6 See D Griesbach and A Platts (2024) National Islands Plan Review: Consultation Analysis.

7 This committee considers and reports on a range of matters including (i) rural land use, including forestry, farming and crofting, (ii) food and drink supply chains, (iii) animal welfare and wildlife crime, (iv) fisheries and aquaculture, and (v) issues relevant to the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, all of which fall within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands. The Committee's name changed from Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee to Rural Affairs and Islands Committee in February 2023.

8 For example, in the guidance for the 2024/25 funding round, these were specified as: The National Islands Plan; National Performance Framework; Programme for Government 2023–2024; Infrastructure Investment Plan; National Planning Framework 4; Place Principle: introduction; National Transport Strategy and Strategic Transport Projects Review 2; Community Wealth Building.

9 The assessment criteria and related questions in application forms were revised in 2022/23 as part of the package of changes made in response to local authority and RAI Committee feedback. (See paragraph 3.20).

10 Precise information about co-funding is not available as many projects awarded Islands Programme grants are still ongoing, and final project costs (and information about other awards) are not available.

11 Displacement: where public funds are used to support a business, it needs to be considered whether the activities of that business could negatively impact on another business operating in that area.

12 Subsidy control: Subsidy control refers to a set of rules, procedures, and processes that govern how public authorities can award subsidies while minimising negative impacts on competition and investment.