Communities Mental Health
& Wellbeing Fund for Adults
Level 2 open until 5pm on 12th September 2025
The Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund for Adults is back for a fifth year!
We are currently welcoming Level 2 (£3001 – £15,000) Expression of Interest submissions until 5pm on Friday 12th September 2025.
The Scottish Government announced Year 5 of the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults in March 2025.
The Fund will continue to support community-based initiatives – new and existing – that promote and improve mental health and wellbeing by addressing social isolation, loneliness, suicide prevention and tackling poverty and inequality. The Fund is focused on supporting initiatives that will enable them to drive a shift across mental health to ensure a focus on prevention and early intervention. The Fund also seeks to respond to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Since the Fund launched in 2021, ACVO TSI has distributed over £2.5 million of grant funding across the city. These grants – large and small – have supported 297 community-based initiatives that are promoting and improving mental health and wellbeing across Aberdeen.
ACVO TSI is again delighted to be managing the distribution of £554,377.00 in Year 5 of the Fund across Aberdeen City.
Please note that the application process has changed for Year 5, so it is important that you read all the guidance information prior to completing your application.
Looking for inspiration? See what we funded during the previous four years!
Want to read full details about the Fund? Download the general application guidance below and read through carefully before starting your application.
NEW FOR 2025!
Level 2 – £3001 – £15,000
Introduction
The Scottish Government has selected the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults (hereinafter referred to as the Fund) to participate in a pilot project within its Fairer Funding commitment. This allows for 60% of the total fund allocated to Aberdeen City (£554,377.00) to be focused on supporting projects for two years. This approach will enable longer-term planning, deliver greater impact, improve financial sustainability, and reduce administrative burden and stress.
ACVO recognises the amount of resource that needs to be dedicated to applying at a time when resources are scarce. Therefore, an Expression of Interest (EOI) stage is being added to the application process for Level 2 awards (£3001-£15,000). Opening on 18th August 2025, this pre-qualification step is deliberately short to minimise the time and effort you need to complete this stage.
What is an ‘Expression of Interest’?
You may have completed an Expression of Interest (EOI) when applying to other funders as it is a preliminary stage for many grant funding processes. It allows you to gauge the likelihood of a grant being awarded before investing considerable time and resources in completing a full application.
Why is ACVO introducing the EOI for this Fund?
Last year, the number of applications that were submitted to the Fund significantly increased. As a result, only one third of all eligible applications were able to receive funding. ACVO anticipates a further significant increase in applications due to the challenging funding landscape and the new offer of two-year funding.
To ensure the responsible and effective allocation of this two-year funding opportunity, more extensive information and evidence needs to be requested within the application form to help assessors to determine the applicant’s capacity, impact, and alignment with the Scottish Government’s funding priorities.
The primary purpose of introducing an EOI is to enable early assessment of projects and identification of promising proposals that can then be developed and explained further within the application form.
How much can I apply for?
You can apply for between £3001 – £15,000 per year (equating to between £6002-£30,000 over two years).
Within the EOI you will be asked how much your project will require each year. It may differ because, for example, in Year 1 you need to allocate additional funding for recruitment to a post.
Please be aware that if your full application is successful, your project will receive funding for the first year only. Prior to Year 2 funding being released in November 2026, a member of the Fund Partnership Panel or our Funding Officer will arrange a visit to see how the project is progressing, assess outcomes and impacts to date and explore your plans for the following year of funding. A project evaluation form will also be sent to organisations to complete. This evaluation process is a mandatory requirement.
What happens next?
The EOI will close at 5pm on Friday 12th September 2025. All EOI’s will then go forward to assessment.
Once your EOI has been scored by two assessors (the Fund Partnership Group members), you will be notified by email whether it has been successful, and you will be invited to complete the full application form. A link to the application form will be embedded within the email. If your EOI has not been successful, you will also be notified by email. Assessment feedback will be provided to all applicants.
Your organisation can only submit one EOI, so please ensure it strongly aligns to the aims and priorities outlined in the guidance.
There will be further opportunities to apply to the Fund. Level 1 (up to £3000) will open Monday 1st September 2025, and a third round of funding will be available in the New Year – members of the Lived Experience Panel will determine the focus of this final round.
Please note you can submit an EOI and apply for Level 1 funding for a different activity simultaneously.
Additional support
If you would like to discuss your EOI idea prior to submission, please email Claire Shaw, ACVO Funding Officer, at claire.shaw@acvo.org.uk. Please ensure you have read the guidance prior to contacting Claire and/or completing your EOI.
Apply now for Level 2!
For Level 2, the Expression of Interest must be completed and submitted via our online form below.
Communities Mental Health
& Wellbeing Fund for Adults