Programme Awards

Programme Awards are available to organisations with an annual income of more than £100,000. Organisations do not need to be based in Scotland but the proposed work does need to aim to have an impact in Scotland.

Big change that lasts is sometimes described as systems change, strategic change, long-term change. What we mean by big change that lasts is work that has a clear, thought-through and demonstrable potential to lead to significant impact on poverty and trauma at scale, either in general or for particular populations groups or geographical areas at greater risk of poverty and trauma in Scotland.

Through our Programme Awards, we are interested in providing funding and working alongside organisations to drive the ideas and work that can ultimately deliver the change we wish to see on tackling poverty and trauma in Scotland. This could be through:

• development and feasibility awards – work to develop good ideas with good potential for change at scale, including work to build partnerships and participation to design and deliver good ideas.
• test and demonstration awards – work to test and demonstrate new approaches to services and work that can reduce poverty and trauma in Scotland.
• Research focused on change - we are not a research funder but we will fund research where it can clearly and demonstrably connect to action to deliver change
• Advocacy, policy, campaigning and influencing projects – to change policy, practice, attitudes and behaviours

We will look to ordinarily make awards for up to five years or less, and between a total award amount of between £20,000 and £500,000. The fund is open to registered charities, Community Interest Companies, Housing Associations and Credit Unions.

The Robertson Trust is increasingly aiming to build participation with people with experience of poverty and trauma into what we do. This includes what we fund and who we work with. Meaningful and ethical co-design and co-production with people with experience of poverty and trauma will therefore be one of our key criteria for assessing applications through our Programme Awards.  

The Robertson Trust supports change work across our funds and organisations with a turnover of less than £2 million are able to apply through our other funds.