Falkirk Council - Community Choices

We are pleased to announce that key dates for this year's Community Choices Small Grants Programme are now available, giving groups time to start developing project ideas and preparing for the application phase.

Key dates

• The application phase will open on Thursday 01 October 2026 and close on Monday 09 November 2026.
• The voting phase will open on Monday 18 January 2027 and close on Friday 12 February 2027.
• Successful projects will be announced on Thursday 18 March 2027.

Information Sessions

Two information sessions will be held in the coming weeks:

• Drop-in session: Falkirk Library, Monday 28 September 2026, 15:30 to 19:00
• Online session: Participate+, Thursday 08 October 2026, 12:00 to 13:30 (please register for attendance at the online session here)

If you have any questions about the programme or would like to discuss a project idea, please contact the Community Choices Team at any stage by emailing community.choices@falkirk.gov.uk  

About Community Choices

Community Choices is Falkirk Council's ward-based participatory budgeting programme, giving local residents a direct say in how public funding is invested in their communities. Through a public vote, residents help decide which local projects and activities receive funding.

Third sector organisations, charities and community groups can apply for grants of up to £5,000 to deliver projects and activities within one of Falkirk's nine electoral wards. Residents aged 16 and over then vote for the projects they would most like to see funded in the ward where they live.

Examples of previously funded projects and case studies are available on the Community Choices website.

In this phase, applicants can apply for Small Grants of up to £5,000 to support projects that benefit local communities, including:

• purchasing equipment
• delivering community activities or events
• making small improvements to community facilities and spaces

Full details of organisation and project eligibility can be found on the Community Choices website.

How to apply

The application form will be available on the Community Choices website from Thursday 01 October 2026.  The completed application form, together with any supporting documents, should be emailed to community.choices@falkirk.gov.uk.

Applicants who prefer to submit by post can do so using the address provided on the application form.

Other funding sources

For information, other funding sources and support can be found through CVS Falkirk & District and on Falkirk Council’s website Community funding | Falkirk Council.

Further Information

We have attached a poster for your information. Please feel free to share this with your networks and local communities to help raise awareness of the programme.

If you require any further information, please get in touch with the Community Choices Team at community.choices@falkirk.gov.uk  

Community Choices Team