Whole Family Support Third Sector Delivery Fund

Applications are invited from organisations (or partnerships of organisations) that are registered as charities with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), or working towards incorporation, and that: 

• Can deliver services across more than one Local Authority (a minimum of two). Bidding organisations or partnerships should be able to demonstrate an ability to operate nationally OR have a clear operating model that will allow them to reach large or multiple communities, with a particular focus on reaching significant numbers of children and families living in or at greatest risk of poverty.

• Can demonstrate how their operating model enables the design of services to be informed by community/lived experience input, ensuring that support is tailored to local need and complements existing or planned local delivery.

• Have demonstrable experience of delivering holistic, place-based whole family support that has achieved positive and measurable outcomes for children and families, evidenced improvements in wellbeing or stability, and proven effectiveness in meeting complex needs.

Partnership Applications

If you are applying as a partnership:  

• the partnership as a whole must meet the eligibility criteria set out above. 

• you should make sure that all organisations are fully sighted on the application.

• arrangements should be clearly defined in a partnership agreement or memorandum of understanding, so that all partners understand their role and what is expected of them.

• include plans for ongoing partnership working and collaboration.

What won't be funded

• Work that does not meet Scottish Government policy priorities or the fund criteria.

• Work that is not going to be delivered in Scotland.

• Capital works including for building projects.

The Scottish Ministers reserve the right to reject an application where:

• an application is submitted late, is completed incorrectly, is materially incomplete or fails to meet any submission requirements which have been notified to the applicants; and/or

• the applicant (including any partners) is guilty of a material misrepresentation or false statement in relation to its application and/or the application process.

 The Scottish Ministers reserve the right at any time:

• not to consider applications other than those submitted in accordance with the requirements of the application process;

• to issue amendments or modifications to the application documents during the application process;

• to require an applicant (including any partners) to clarify their application in writing and/or provide additional information (failure to respond adequately may result in an application being rejected);

• alter the timetable of any aspect of the application process;

• to not award any grant funding under the Whole Family Support Third Sector Delivery Fund;

• to cancel the application process at any time.

The following are the key objectives for the Fund. Alongside eligibility criteria, these are the key criteria against which applications will be assessed. 

Your proposal should: 

Be clearly aligned with the approach to Whole Family Support set out in the third Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, “Bringing Hope, Building Futures”. This includes making sure that families get the right support when they need it, where they need it, and for as long as they need it. Proposals should make clear how they will enable or deliver place-based, holistic, integrated and person-centred support in line with the approach set out in the Delivery Plan. 

Define the expected outcomes and reach of the proposal, and set out how it will drive integration across services and with local activity to deliver Whole Family Support. 

Deliver services and support across multiple local authority areas or at a national level. When assessing applications, consideration will be given to the extent to which they include a focus on rural or island communities. 

Target support to low income households‑ and families most at risk of poverty, ensuring the proposal prioritises those with the greatest need. 

Demonstrate a clear ability to impact positively on one or more of the six priority family types through the proposed activities. 

Focus on addressing in a holistic way (including through coordinating with other statutory services) the child poverty drivers related to whole family support, which may include housing, employability, childcare, health and wellbeing, transport, improving early child development, financial wellbeing etc. 

Ensure the proposal is fully aligned with the National Principles of Holistic Whole Family Support, GIRFE/GIRFEC, the Place Principle and the National Standards for Community Engagement. 

Demonstrate a robust understanding of local needs and context, showing how the proposed approach is shaped by place, community strengths, and existing provision. The proposal should clearly outline how gaps in current services will be addressed, how duplication will be avoided, and how the bidder will coordinate with local partners, including CPPs and their substructures (CSPPs, LEPs, and local planning partnerships) to ensure alignment with local delivery of WFS. 

Include clear plans for partnership working and collaboration. We encourage joint proposals, effective use of local assets and supports, and consideration of approaches that enable involvement of smaller or non‑national partners. 

Evidence existing capacity and capability, or the ability to draw on capacity from partners, to enable early delivery. 

Provide comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plans that include clearly defined measures, robust data collection methods, regular reporting cycles, and mechanisms for continuous feedback. These plans should ensure consistency across delivery partners, demonstrate how the organisation will effectively assess its own performance, and contribute to shared learning that supports wider system reform efforts. 

Set out how learning generated through delivery will be captured and shared across SG and partner networks, ensuring insights contribute to continuous improvement, inform wider system reform, and support effective practice across the sector.

 Value for Money: Proposals must be fully costed and clearly demonstrate value for money. This should include:

• how the project will maximise the proportion of spend that goes directly on delivery;

• how greater efficiency, effectiveness and equity will be achieved;

• how longer term sustainability will be built into the approach;

• why government funding is required for the proposed activities;

• how expected outcomes, impact and scale are balanced with the available evidence, budget and resources; and

• a sustainability plan for the period after Scottish Government funding ends, including how activity will be maintained, transitioned or integrated into existing services

A full definition of value for money can be found in the Scottish Public Finance Manual.

Where applicants are already in receipt of funding for the delivery of existing aspects of Whole Family Support, your application should make clear how additional funding will complement or enhance existing activities. It is open to applicants to propose to combine different funding streams to maximise positive impact.

Applications will close at midnight on Thursday 7 May.

To apply for a grant, please complete and submit the application form, ensuring that your application clearly addresses all requirements outlined in the eligibility and objectives and criteria sections.

Your application should be evidence based and include:

• A clear description of proposed activities, expected outcomes, and impact

• A well defined purpose, audience, outputs, and outcomes

After you submit your application

An independent panel will be established and will assess applications during May, making final recommendations to Scottish Ministers. Final awards will be confirmed as soon as possible after assessment.

If your application is successful

if your application is successful, you will receive an offer of grant detailing the conditions of funding.

Further information can be found here - Whole Family Support Third Sector Delivery Fund