Who qualifies

We support projects that make a difference to life in the mainly rural communities where we operate. We are keen to support community and voluntary organisations that are charitable, educational or benevolent in purpose. We also welcome applications from local schools, especially those involving projects that reach out into their communities. Beyond all else, you have to be able to demonstrate the need for your project, real community benefits and value for money. Please note that we cannot consider applications covering a wider area unless they can show specific and substantial benefit to the "host" community and its immediate surrounds. The closer your project is to the IGas location to which it applies the stronger your case.

We welcome applications from organisations that involve:

• A broad span of the community – demonstrating support for a wide cross-section of people
• Children and young people – especially projects focused on improving access to activities and services, and where young people play a key role in the decision-making
• Vulnerable people – especially projects involving increased access to services and facilities for people with disabilities, the homeless and the elderly
• Community regeneration – projects that improve health and education, reduce crime levels, regenerate employment, housing and the physical environment
• Energy - projects that improve energy efficiency, employ green energy and reduce carbon
• Self-help groups – community-based groups that deliver basic services
• Environmental and wildlife projects – especially those involving improvements to communal land. Public access is essential
• Education and skills development – group and community-based programmes, particularly for those who have had no previous access to training opportunities
• Health – projects providing access to services that aim to improve the health and well-being of communities
• Heritage – projects that celebrate and protect local heritage
• Sustainability – projects that promote sustainable development.

Funding is not available towards salaries or running costs - we expect the projects and organisations we support to be sustainable beyond the year of the grant.

We do not normally fund projects from commercially-orientated organisations where there is an element of profit from the proposed project. For further information, including our approach to Community Interest Groups (CICs), please see our Guidelines leaflet.