Young Start
- Project location: Scotland
- Amount: £20,001 to £100,000
- A decision in: 12 weeks
- Programme status: Open to applications
This fund will pause to new applications at midday, 19 December 2025 and will reopen in Spring 2026.
We're improving Young Start so it better represents the voices and ideas of children and young people.
If you plan to apply or have any questions, contact us:
- email advicescotland@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk
- call 0300 123 7110
What we want to support
Through Young Start we want to help children and young people become more confident, so they can realise their own potential. We fund work that helps people between age 8 and 24, who live in Scotland.
You can apply for funding between £20,001 and £100,000 to run your project for up to 3 years.
We want to fund work that achieves at least one of the following three outcomes:
- children and young people have better physical, mental and emotional wellbeing
- children and young people have better connections with the wider community
- children and young people get access to new skills and training opportunities which will help them to get a new job or start a business
We want to fund organisations that design their work with the children and young people they support. We’ll want to see that you:
- involve them in how you design, develop or deliver your organisation’s work
- make use of their skills and interests
- complement and make connections with the existing services they use
About Young Start
Young Start awards money from dormant bank and building society accounts that have seen no customer-initiated activity for at least 15 years. It's run by The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland for the Scottish Government.
Already got funding?
Download the Young Start logo and read the guidance on how to acknowledge your grant.
