Community Fridge Fund 2023
Applications for our Community Fridge Fund 2023 are now closed. If you have submitted an Expression of Interest form, we will be in touch with next steps on the full application.
What is the Community Fridge Fund?
After a successful pilot project last year, we have launched the Community Fridge Fund 2023. The fund can give applicants like community groups, charities, and local businesses the power to tackle food waste and increase security by hosting a community fridge.
Community fridges are a means of redistributing unwanted or surplus food, preventing it from going to waste and providing good food to citizens for free. That's better for both people and the planet.
FAQ's
How do I apply to the Community Fridge Fund?
From October 3rd potential applicants will be able to register their interest and receive an expression of interest form via the Zero Waste Scotland website. Eligible applicants will then be invited by email to submit a full application later in the month, with applications to the fund closing on December 3rd 2023. The funding is expected to be released in early 2024.
Who can apply to the Community Fridge Fund?
Any organisation that's registered and operated in Scotland can register interest in receiving a grant and will be invited to apply if eligible. Please refer to the guidance notes for full eligibility criteria.
What are the benefits?
For settings that already operate a food redistribution service, successfully applying to the Community Fridge Fund can help them scale their operation by adding a cold storage capacity, hence extending food range and shelf life. It can also help them access a valuable network of fellow circular economy pioneers.
Meanwhile, for organisations or businesses looking to venture into food redistribution for the first time, it has potential to increase footfall and build customer loyalty as well as reputational benefits associated with providing a valued service to the community.
Community Fridges are also an effective way to tackle food waste, which is a key driver of Scotland's carbon emissions and contributes significantly to climate change.
Redirecting good food from going to waste can help organisations meet their own sustainability ambitions, showcase awareness and responsiveness to customer demand for sustainable action, and help close the gap on Scotland's food waste reduction targets.
What is Zero Waste Scotland's role?
Zero Waste Scotland exists to lead Scotland to use products and resources responsibly, focusing on where we can have the greatest impact on climate change.
Using evidence and insight, our goal is to inform policy, and motivate individuals and businesses to embrace the environmental, economic, and social benefits of a circular economy.
Zero Waste Scotland has put the issues of food waste on the map, and we are tasked by the Scottish Government with coordinating efforts to prevent and cut the amount of food being wasted in Scotland.