SSEN Transmission has launched its first Community Benefit Fund for Argyll, making £3.2 million available to communities closest to a major new electricity infrastructure project in the region.

The Argyll and Kintyre Local Fund will support areas neighbouring the Argyll and Kintyre 275kV Reinforcement Project — a significant programme to upgrade the electricity network, strengthen security of supply and advance the transition to clean power.

Among the first funds of its kind established under new UK Government guidance, the £3.2m pot is designed to ensure that communities hosting vital new transmission infrastructure benefit directly from the investment. Funding will be available across ten community council areas situated nearest to the project route.

Applications are now open to projects and groups across Argyll, with the first-round deadline on Tuesday 4 August.

The announcement follows a recent call for members of a local decision-making panel, which will play a key role in guiding how funding is allocated. The panel will include community members from across Argyll alongside one representative from SSEN Transmission, and will be in place by the close of the first application window.

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The fund's design builds on feedback gathered during public consultation events held in September 2025, where residents shared views on local priorities and how the benefits of the 275kV reinforcement should be distributed within the region.

Linsay Chalmers, Community Investment Manager for SSEN Transmission's Community Benefit Funds in Argyll, said: "This is an exciting milestone for the first Argyll Community Benefit Fund, and reflects our commitment to ensuring communities hosting new transmission infrastructure see meaningful, long‑term benefits.

"It's been fantastic to meet and hear from the many incredible people working and volunteering in the community and across the third sector here in Argyll during the consultation for the fund, and we were really encouraged by the level of interest in joining the decision-making panel. It shows the depth of community activity and experience in Argyll so we are looking forward to seeing what comes forward during the funding applications process.

"The fund has been shaped around priorities that matter locally – tackling the root causes of depopulation, improving connectivity, and responding to the climate and biodiversity crises – and we're looking forward to working with the panel to turn this into real outcomes on the ground.

"The fund is open until Tuesday 4 August and we look forward to receiving applications from organisations keen to invest in the future of their local community here in Argyll."

For more information about the fund and how to apply, visit the Argyll and Kintyre 275kV Local Fund page.