What is BeConnected?

The Highland Council administers a number of different funding streams, along with other sources of support, which community groups can access to develop and deliver projects in their area.  In the past, this has mainly been through open calls for projects, which inevitably have been oversubscribed leading to disappointment and frustration for a lot of applicants.  In addition, there is an increasing move towards ensuring that projects being funded fit well with the outcomes in each area’s Area Place Plan (The plan for your area can be found HERE).

BeConnected is a new online resource that will form a dynamic addition to these plans to ensure that they stay up to date and relevant.  The online map gives community groups an opportunity to flag up projects in their area that are a priority; and ensures that funders are aware of what is being developed at grass roots level across Highland, and what stage these proposals are at. 

Please note that submitting a proposal on the map is not an application for funding. Feedback will only be provided if your proposal is invited to proceed to the next stage (see "How will using this map connect our project to funding opportunities" below)

We hope that BeConnected will:

• Reduce the number of open calls for projects where groups have a short window to compete against each other for limited pots of money
• Provide a rolling resource for funders to ensure that decision makers are aware of what projects are in development
• Allow support to be targeted to projects at the right stage of their development
• Provide a resource for targeting other means of support such as the in kind support available from developers
• Declutter the funding landscape and reduce the burden of work for the third sector in competing for funding streams
• Help the Council to plan future support and identify gaps where further work is needed
• Allow groups to identify other similar projects being developed elsewhere in Highland to potentially build links for learning and sharing experiences

How will using this map connect our project to funding opportunities?

We hope that this map will serve as a valuable resource for organisations and community groups, helping funders to identify and connect with proposals that reflect the priorities set out in the Area Place Plans. Proposals submitted via BeConnected will be reviewed on a rolling basis and eligibility considered for funding opportunities. Please see below flow map. For more information and to explore examples of potential opportunities, please visit our Connect with Opportunities page. 

If you are a member of community group or organisation and you want to share your project on Be Connected, register your organisation, activate your account* and then follow our step by step guide!  *Please check your spam/ junk folder if you do not receive your activation email.