Funding

NHS Tayside Charitable Foundation is delighted to welcome you to the online funding application. This is a new development as part of the strategy which should make it easier to apply for the funding available. If you have any queries throughout the process please email us

Application Form

It is essential that you read all the guidance notes before completing this application. Before you send us your application, check that you have done everything:

Innovation

Groups can apply for funding between £500 and £25,000 (maximum of £20,000 for two years and a maximum of £25,000 over three years) to establish innovative projects to tackle issues affecting our community.

Prevention

Groups can apply for funding between £50,000- £100,000 over 3 years (max £150,000) to help support the priorities focused on prevention.

Investment

NHS Tayside colleagues can claim up to £500 for fundraising activities generating over £1,000 to help deliver the charitable priorities.

NHS Tayside Staff

NHS Tayside has a number of Restricted funds donated for a specific ward or purpose. NHS Tayside staff can apply for these funds through this link

Funding Criteria

NHS Tayside Charitable Foundation projects must link to the charities’ priorities in order to support the delivery of the vision ‘People live better and longer lives in Tayside’.

NHS Tayside Projects/Activities, Health and Social Care Partnerships Registered Charities*, Social Enterprises and Community Interest Companies

The funding application must link to the charity's vision, aims and objectives and includes: -

  • Staff salaries up to 2 years*
  • Staff expenditure: education of staff by providing non-core training and educational opportunities.
  • Capital Equipment: purchase of equipment which is additional to that which would be provided in the course of normal service delivery and paid for out of core funding.
  • Research: to provide funds in support of research projects which are supportive of the NHS objectives.
  • Pioneering services: to introduce new styles of service provision or care, not currently funded by the NHS, on a pilot basis, to facilitate clinical evaluation.
  • Environmental: to enhance and improve the environment within which healthcare is delivered.

*Any costs incurred by employing staff above those in the funding application are the responsibility of the applicant.

Projects must be in and solely or primarily delivered in the Tayside area – Angus, Dundee & Perth and Kinross.

Every year there are 3 deadlines for funding. Funding applications under £25,000 are tabled at the management committee which meets once a month and anything above is taken to the Charitable Funds Committee. The maximum you can apply for is £150,000. The upcoming submission dates for applications over £25,000 include:

  • 6th March 2025 – Submission deadline for April/May Assessment Panels

  • 7th July 2025 - Submission deadline for August/Sep Assessment Panels

  • 3rd November 2025 - Submission deadline for Nov/Dec Assessment Panels

  • 9th March 2026 - Submission deadline for April/May Assessment Panels
  • Applicants can submit an application through the online portal but it must be within the timelines stated.
  • Applications can cover a 2 year period with the maximum amount being requested for each year.
  • Where an organisation intends to submit more than one application the initial project must be completed prior to the next submission or details given as to how the organisation will deliver more than one project concurrently.

We would like to fund organisations that focus on:

  • Funding applications where other funders have been considered/matched will score highly under the banner of sustainability/impact.
  • Organisations that work with others to deliver services or to change how services are delivered for people facing poverty, trauma or both.

The main thing NHS Tayside Charitable Foundation can’t fund is any activity, equipment or service that is a core NHS service (this includes services that are already funded by the government and are being delivered through the NHS and partners).

Other activities that are not eligible includes: -

  • proposals from organisations that are run primarily for private gain or to generate profits for private distribution, or any activities that generate profits for private gain
  • activities that benefit individuals, rather than the wider community
  • political activities
  • retrospective costs
  • loan repayments
 
* Charities with an annual income of more than £2 million a year, housing associations and Arms’ Length External Organisations (ALEOs) must evidence why they cant fund a project from their own funds.

When we receive your application we go through all of the paperwork and make sure we have all of the required information outlined in the criteria. If you are a registered charity we will check the OSCR website (or Companies House if you are a social enterprise) to ensure all of your paperwork is up to date. As part of the assessment process we engage with key organisations like Health and Social Care Partnerships and Public Health to ensure there is no duplication of provision.

After this process your application is scored against our matrix which is shown in the Governance Plan on the website. If your application is under £25,000 this is then taken to the Management Committee which is made up of the managers of the charity. This group meets monthly to ensure there is a good turnover of decisions. If your application is over £25,000 it goes to our Charitable Funds Committee where you have the opportunity to present to the Trustees and they can ask some questions.

Throughout the process we may need to engage with you to get additional information, especially if you have applied for a large grant. This is standard practice for funders to ensure we have all of the required information to make an informed decision.

Application Guidance

Thank you for your interest in NHS Tayside Charitable Foundation funding. This guidance note has been developed to help you with the new process to ensure we have all of the required information to process your application. If you need additional help please email us on tay.nhstcf@nhs.scot.

Section 1 – Your Details

This section allows you to appoint a representative for the application and any contact we need to make.

The funding available through NHS Tayside Charitable Foundation must be spent in Tayside so please advise where your project is or if it covers the whole area.

We ask for 2 contacts to ensure there is no delay with the processing of the application if one representative is unavailable. Within this box please put the contact’s name and email address.

If you don’t have a charity number or your application is pending please note that in the box.

Section 2 – Project Details

This section allows you to tell us more about your project and the organisation/service that you work for.

At present our funding is only available to charities, social enterprises, Health and Social Care Partnerships and NHS Tayside Services.

Within this section please outline how your planned project or activity links with NHS Tayside Charitable Foundations priorities.

Funding evidence based projects is important to the charity so please provide any data, engagement activity or case studies to show there is a need for this project.

To ensure the sustainability of your project we encourage you to explore match funding your project with other funders or fundraising activity. Projects that have explored match funding and partnership opportunities are scored highly within the scoring matrix.

The last question is an opportunity for you to confirm that you have all of the required policies and governance in place. If you require a PVG for working with children or adults this must be in place prior to your application.  All public liability insurance must be in place if required prior to your application and is your responsibility to keep up to date.

Supporting Documentation

To accompany your application we need to see a detailed budget of proposed expenditure – please attach the budget/costings to the submission.

For NHS Tayside applications we also need evidence of senior management sign off – this can be an email or word document outlining who has signed off this project.

Need Help?

We have collated a substantial list of FAQ's that will provide you with more information on the funding application process...