To be eligible for a loan, social sector organisations (SSOs) must:

• • be based and operating in Scotland, or if not, the activity funded by NZTF must deliver most of its impact in Scotland
• • show evidence of their ambition to transition to a net zero model and/or be looking to establish or grow circular economy practices
• • have enough trading income to make loan repayments

To be eligible for a grant, SSOs must aim to establish or grow circular economy practices in re-use/repair/sharing activities. Examples include:

• • a project which delivers new or additional re-use or repair activities with positive carbon benefits – which means the project must result in a carbon saving or add value to a ‘waste’ product or material
• • strategic projects which address significant challenges and create transformational behaviour change, and which are likely to require significant financing and partnerships
• • business growth and development of established reuse/repair/sharing activities (where projected sales and future income can be forecast)
• • replication of existing working models of circular economy practices

To be eligible for a grant, organisations must also meet UK subsidy control criteria. Please be aware that the fund will be provided through Special Drawing Rights, which allow a maximum of £322,000 for a single business in a 3-year period, including any de minimis support received in the past 3 years.

The minimum loan amount is £10,000 and the maximum is £1,500,000, with a fixed interest rate of 3%. No security or fees are required.

Grants of up to £20,000 may be available to organisations with a particular focus on projects that deliver new or additional re-use or repair activity that will achieve positive carbon benefits.