The new Strategic Investment Fund will invest up to £10 million over the next couple of years and forms part of SSEN’s Regional Community Benefit Fund, which has at present delivered £4m to communities in the region.

Together, the Strategic Investment Fund and Regional Community Benefit Fund will deliver at least £12m over the course of two years. This amounts to the biggest community funding package ever delivered by the electricity transmission network operator.

Up to £10m will be made available via the Strategic Investment Fund over the next two years. An initial £5m funding round will be launched on 17 September.

Through the initial Strategic Investment Fund funding round, organisations are able to apply for grants ranging from £1m and £5m. 

An additional £5m is anticipated to be made available through a second round of funding next year, enabling organisations to form longer-term proposals as well as partnerships.

What’s more, organisations can now apply for support through the third round of the Regional Community Benefit Fund.

A total of £2m is available via the third funding round, with organisations able to apply for grants of between £40,000 and £500,000 between now and 24 November for projects that deliver against one or more of these themes: Skills and employability, heritage and culture, tackling fuel poverty. 

Peter Peacock, independent chair of the Regional Community Benefit Fund, said: “The launch of the Strategic Investment Fund marks a significant step forward in community benefit funding across the north of Scotland.

“By making up to £10 million available over the next two years, the fund creates an opportunity to support ambitious, collaborative projects that can deliver lasting benefits at a scale not previously possible through our funding programmes.”

In March last year the UK government provided guidance, laying out the degree of funding areas near to new or extensively upgraded transmission infrastructure should be awarded, to pay for projects which have been identified by communities.

UK Government energy minister Michael Shanks said: “We’re determined to make sure that communities benefit from hosting vital transmission infrastructure. 

“That’s why this government introduced industry-wide guidance, setting out the amount of funding those areas should receive.”

Scottish Government energy minister Stephen Gethins said: “Scotland’s energy resources are valuable assets and we are committed to ensuring communities share in the benefits of the energy transition.

“This funding will support communities across the north of Scotland to deliver projects that reflect their priorities, helping to create a lasting legacy for local areas.”

SSEN Transmission’s director of customers and stakeholders, Christianna Logan, said: “The Strategic Investment Fund demonstrates our ambition to deliver community benefit funding that reflects the scale of investment taking place across the region, supporting larger projects that will accelerate meaningful, long-term benefits for local communities.”