Application process

We have introduced a new application process to support our new grant categories and a new online grants service that allows you to complete your application online.

When should I submit my application?

Community Action Grants

There is no set deadline for Community Action Grants. You can apply at any time. We expect to confirm decisions within 20 working days.

There has been a significant level of interest in our Community Action Grants so we are expecting a large volume of applications. As a result, this is likely to be a highly competitive grant category and we will only be able to support those projects that align closely with our Community Action Grant priorities.

Natural Project Grants

Natural Project Grants have a two-stage application process. You will first need to submit a Natural Project Grant Proposal.

Once we have reviewed your Proposal, and if we are interested in finding out more about your project, we will invite you to submit a Natural Project Grant Application. You will be expected to submit your full Application within 6-8 weeks of us inviting you to apply. We expect to have decisions on full Applications received within 20 working days.

The Proposal form will be available online, however, the Application form will only be made available to those applicants invited to submit a full Application.

You can find out what you will be asked in both our Proposal and Application forms on our Grant Guidance page.

• The next deadline for receiving Natural Project Grant Proposals will be 31 May 2012 (midnight).
• Any Proposals received after the deadline date will not be considered until the next deadline.
• We expect to confirm decisions on Proposals received by 31 May deadline by mid July. 
• Applicants with approved Proposals will be invited to submit a full Application within 6-8 weeks.
• We expect to have decisions on full Applications within 20 working days of submission. 
• Proposals for the 31 May deadline will generally be for projects that will start in 2012-13 (1 April - 31 March).

Further Proposal deadlines are expected in September and December. We will confirm exact dates and tell you when you can expect to get decisions for Proposals received at these deadlines as soon as possible.

How do I register for the new online grant service?

You can access our new online grants service through MySNH - a personal gateway to Scottish Natural Heritage information and applications that are relevant to you. MySNH is located at the top of any SNH web page.

Before you can use the online grants service you will need to register with us. To start the registration and login process click on Register/Login for MySNH.

During the registration process you will be asked to accept our electronic signature and data privacy statements. Once registered you will be able to enroll for a number of services that we offer to our customers. When you choose to enroll for grants you will be taken to your own grants homepage. If you need help with the registration process then please contact our Grants Team by email: grants@snh.gov.uk or telephone: 01738 458677.

Once registered you will have access to your own My Grants homepage. From there you will be able to apply for a grant using one of our new grant categories.

How do I complete and submit an online application?

Once you have accessed the relevant application form from your My Grants homepage, you will be able to work your way through the application, saving it at any time and returning later to edit or complete it.  You can also attach supporting documents before you finally submit your application.  To help you with your application, each stage of the process is supported by detailed guidance.

Applications in Gaelic / Larrtasan anns a' Ghàidhlig

We are pleased to accept grant application forms completed in Gaelic / Thathas a' cur fàilte air iarrtasan tabhartais a bhios air an lìonadh anns a' Ghàidhlig.

Printing your application

We are currently unable to provide a printable version of the application forms.  We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.  Meantime:

• You can use our 'What you will be asked' guidance to help you prepare your application. 
• If you need to share the form, for example if the application needs to be prepared by more than one person, we can provide a Word version of the form. You will not be able to submit the Word version as all applications must be submitted online. You should  contact the Grants Team to request this. 
• You can view your submitted application in full online.  

What happens to my application once I've submitted it?

We will assess your application.  If we need to ask you for more information we will contact you by email.  We will let you know of our decision as soon as possible.  If your application is successful and you accept our Grant Offer, you will need to report on the progress of your project and make claims for payment.  Further guidance on the reporting and claiming process will be made available shortly.