SWestrans funding for active travel and sustainable travel behaviour change projects 2025-26
The People and Place Grant Fund programme in Dumfries and Galloway supports behaviour change interventions which encourage people to choose active or sustainable ways to travel instead of using private vehicles.
It delivers against all of the principles and themes of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Plan 2023 - 2028 as well as several of the objectives in SWestrans' Regional Transport Strategy.
The objectives of our People and Place programme are to:
- increase the proportion of active and sustainable journeys in our region
- increase awareness of the benefits of active and sustainable travel to encourage future behaviour change
- increase the use of active and sustainable travel modes among underrepresented groups in the region, by helping to address the additional barriers they face
- collaborate with local authority and third-sector partners to strengthen capacity and capability in active and sustainable travel
Our People and Place programme is supported by the Scottish Government through Transport Scotland's People and Place Fund, which provides funding to each of the seven regional transport partnerships across Scotland for activities which support their active travel vision: to enable walking, wheeling (including those using a wheelchair or mobility aid) and cycling to become the most popular mode of transport for short, everyday journeys. For 2025/26, sustainable travel is also supported by the programme.
This support allows SWestrans to offer grant funding to Dumfries and Galloway Council and associated partner organisations, charities and community groups across our region for the delivery of projects which will result in active and sustainable travel behaviour change. The focus areas for the grant funding are:
- schools and young people
- workplaces
- accessibility and inclusion
- capacity and capability
- sustainable travel
Available funding
Indicative funding of £964,000 is available to SWestrans (estimated at £367,000 revenue and £597,000 capital funding). Any such funding received shall be administered by Dumfries and Galloway Council. We hope to allocate £80,000 of revenue and £100,000 of capital funding specifically to community led projects. This replaces the Community Projects Transition Fund (CPTF) delivered by Paths for All in previous years.
Subject to funding confirmation, strategic fit and affordability, SWestrans would like project delivery to begin at the start of April 2025. We are now inviting expressions of interest from delivery partners and local initiatives across four behaviour change themes for 2025-26:
- Active Travel Schools Dumfries and Galloway
- Active Travel Workplaces Dumfries and Galloway
- Active Travel Access and Inclusion Dumfries and Galloway
- Sustainable Travel Dumfries and Galloway
Who can apply?
Constituted Third Sector, community or voluntary groups, registered charities and social enterprises who meet our funding criteria can apply for project funding. We are also specifically targeting community led projects this year, with a dedicated communities fund for applications of up to £25,000.
We are currently in discussion with all the organisations who we funded last year, to assess the merits and affordability of providing further funding for them, as well as a number of potential Dumfries and Galloway Council projects.
As this funding is only available for projects within the SWestrans region, any projects that are not entirely delivered within Dumfries and Galloway will need to be supported by all the Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) which cover the area of interest, with the establishment of a lead RTP for the whole project.
Projects should be completed by 31 March 2026.
How to apply?
Please submit an expression of interest (EOI) by completing and returning the form below by the 10 March 2025. Please note that the community fund will remain open for applications as long as we have sufficient funds to offer it.
We understand that it's not always easy to translate a good idea into a tangible project. If your community group has a good idea, we may be able to provide support, to help you refine your idea into a project that we can fund; to identify other ways of achieving your objectives or to signpost you to other projects and programmes in the region that can deliver for you.
Transport Scotland's terms of funding for 2025/26 have still to be finalised, but they are unlikely to change significantly from those detailed in last year's application guidance. The only major addition is that projects which support sustainable travel will now be eligible.
Please send completed Expressions of Interest and any supporting information to swestrans@dumgal.gov.uk by 5pm on Monday 10 March 2025.
What happens next?
We are keen to support collaborative working and would encourage multiple organisations to submit joint or collaborative bids. We may also suggest that you work with other organisations to strengthen your bid.
We will contact you for further information about your application or give further updates as we process and assess it. We will be able to complete the process more quickly if you respond as soon as possible.
We will aim to notify applicants of the outcome of the grant application as soon as possible after the closing date, however final grant awards will only be made once funding and definitive terms and conditions from Transport Scotland have been confirmed to SWestrans.
Further applications will be invited if any funds remain unallocated, to focus on community projects.
