Grant History Audit
Verified — March 2026Independently verified grant track record for Comrie Development Trust (OSCR SC038596). Cross-referenced from SharePoint evidence, QuickBooks register (2007–2020), and Companies House accounts (2021–2025).
Verified Grant Income — Headline Figures
Confidence Breakdown
| Level | Grants | Total | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| HIGH | 11 grants | £1,245,247 | Primary documents (offer letters, award letters, payment claims) or clearly named in statutory accounts |
| MEDIUM | 10 grants | £2,061,737 | QuickBooks internal register or Companies House accounts only — no primary documents in SharePoint |
| Total (schedule) | 21 | £3,306,984 | Raw sum; net ~£2.9M after boundary overlaps |
Financial Trajectory (2021–2025)
Grant dependency declining as self-catering commercial income grows. Source: Companies House accounts.
| Year (to 31 Mar) | Total Income | Grant Income | Grant % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | £836,143 | £697,913 | 83% |
| 2022 | £530,965 | £377,891 | 71% |
| 2023 | £358,333 | £147,310 | 41% |
| 2024 | £333,396 | £79,517 | 24% |
| 2025 | £405,464 | £67,231 | 17% |
Grant dependency fell from 84% (2021) to ~20% (2025) — the self-catering capital project is delivering its intended outcome of sustainable commercial income.
Methodology note
This schedule was produced by cross-referencing three independent sources: primary SharePoint evidence (offer/award letters, payment claims), CDT's QuickBooks restricted income register (2007–2020), and Companies House statutory accounts (2021–2025). Prepared 26 March 2026.
| # | Funder | Programme | Received | Period | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Lottery Heritage Fund | Heritage Fund | £638,899 | 2016–2022 | HIGH |
| 2 | Historic Environment Scotland | Heritage Repair Grant | £134,188 | —–2022 | HIGH |
| 3 | SSE plc | Sustainable Development Fund — Development Grant | £36,300 | —–2022 | HIGH |
| 4 | SSE plc | Renewables — Sustainable Development Fund | £3,635 | 2022 | HIGH |
| 5 | Heinrich Steinmeyer Legacy Fund | Legacy bequest | £388,717 | — | MEDIUM |
| 6 | The Gannochy Trust | Core Grant (3-year) | £96,000 | 2022–2025 | HIGH |
| 7 | The Gannochy Trust | Revenue grants (pre-2022) | £53,000 | —–2021 | MEDIUM |
| 8 | Development Trusts Association Scotland (Scottish Government — Strengthening Communities Programme) | Strengthening Communities Programme (SCP) | £170,353 | 2016–2020 | HIGH |
| 9 | Scottish Government — Climate Challenge Fund | Climate Challenge Fund (multiple tranches) | £891,279 | 2008–2016 | MEDIUM |
| 10 | Highlands & Islands Enterprise / Community Challenge Fund | Capital Grant — infrastructure | £170,851 | 2007–2009 | MEDIUM |
| 11 | The Tudor Trust | Loan-to-grant conversion | £90,000 | — | MEDIUM |
| 12 | Anonymous trust (administered via Irving Geddes solicitors, Perth) | Loan-to-grant conversion | £40,000 | 2022 | HIGH |
| 13 | Perth & Kinross LEADER Programme / LEADER Tayside | Multiple LEADER grants (RTLAG, RPK series) | £172,627 | 2009–2020 | MEDIUM |
| 14 | Perth & Kinross Council — Community Environment Challenge Fund (CECF) | CECF | £9,298 | 2020–2021 | HIGH |
| 15 | Perth & Kinross Council | Multiple PKC programmes (infrastructure, COVID support, Rural Business) | £140,594 | 2009–2023 | MEDIUM |
| 16 | Scottish Government — Forestry Grant Scheme | FGS 2022 — Woodland Creation Native Broadleaves | £3,819 | 2020–2023 | HIGH |
| 17 | Historic Environment Scotland — Heritage Emergency Fund | Heritage Emergency Fund (COVID) | £83,200 | 2020–2021 | HIGH |
| 18 | Scottish Government — Third Sector Resilience Fund | Third Sector Resilience Fund (COVID) | £29,555 | 2020 | HIGH |
| 19 | Architectural Heritage Fund | Project Development Fund / Conservation Grant | £35,000 | — | MEDIUM |
| 20 | National Lottery Community Fund | Awards for All | £19,669 | — | MEDIUM |
| 21 | Social Investment Scotland | Infrastructure grant | £100,000 | 2009–2010 | MEDIUM |
| Total (21 grants) | £3,306,984 | ||||
Click any row to expand evidence detail. Totals include estimated boundary overlaps — net verified total approximately £2.9M (see Summary tab).
Critical Findings
CF-01 — Funding Database Requires Correction Before Use
Material misstatement risk · Severity: Critical
CDT's funding.json (portal) claims £4.1M from 55 grants. The verified figure is approximately £2.9M from 21 grant programmes. The £1.2M gap arises from AI extraction errors: source folder hallucinations (~£1.0M), duplicate entries (~£500K), stale "applied" statuses treated as awards (~£200K), HLF/NLHF double-counting (~£300K), and CDT listed as its own funder (£15.2K).
Recommendation: Do not cite the £4.1M figure in any funder submission. Use the verified schedule on this page.
CF-02 — Award Documentation Absent for Material COVID and Legacy Grants
Missing primary evidence for £190K+ · Severity: Critical for completeness
The following grants appear in Companies House accounts but have no offer or award letter in CDT's SharePoint:
| Grant | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Heritage Emergency Fund (HES) | 2021 | £83,200 |
| PKC Small Business Support | 2021–22 | £77,719 |
| Third Sector Resilience Fund | 2021 | £29,555 |
| DTAS Greenshoots | 2024 | £7,025 |
Recommendation: Locate and file award correspondence. Originals obtainable from HES/SCVO/PKC archives if not held.
Significant Findings
SF-01 — Gannochy Trust Receipts Exceed Offer Letter Amount
Unexplained variance · £6K above agreed £90K · Severity: Moderate
Accounts show £96,000 received (2023–2025) against a signed agreement of £30,000/yr × 3 = £90,000. The £6K overage (£33K in 2023 and 2025 vs £30K nominal) may reflect a permitted inflationary increase.
Recommendation: Obtain Gannochy's payment schedule confirmation and file with the grant agreement.
SF-02 — Funder Names Inconsistent Across CDT's Records
Naming errors in SharePoint, portal, and email · Severity: Moderate
| CDT Usage (incorrect) | Correct Name |
|---|---|
| Heritage Environment Scotland | Historic Environment Scotland |
| Adapt and Thrive (listed as funder) | SCVO — Adapt & Thrive is a programme, not a funder |
| Development Trust Association of Scotland | Development Trusts Association Scotland |
| National Heritage Lottery Fund | National Lottery Heritage Fund |
Recommendation: Use audit/funder-register.json as the canonical name reference.
SF-03 — Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust (PKHT) Grant Status Unresolved
Incomplete record · Amount unknown · Severity: Moderate
Exchange email evidence shows PKHT offered a conditional grant (CHG04) for a Conservation Management Plan. A 2025 payment reference (CHG17) appears in email but neither amount is confirmed or appears in accounts.
Recommendation: Confirm status of CHG04/CHG17 with PKHT and file offer letter and payment confirmation.
SF-04 — Rejection Outcomes Not Systematically Recorded
Outcome management gap · Severity: Moderate
Only one rejection is on record — the Robertson Trust (ref CV/001909, bikes project) — found as an .msg file in the SharePoint folder. In a mature grants management system, rejected applications would be flagged in the grants register with a date, reason, and lessons-learned note. The absence of any other rejections on file may mean CDT's success rate appears artificially high to funders reviewing the folder structure.
Recommendation: When establishing the live grants register, include an Outcome column (Awarded / Rejected / Withdrawn / Pending) with dates and, for rejections, a brief reason and lessons-learned note.
Governance Observations
GO-02 — Accounts Filed On Time
The 2025 accounts (year to 31 March 2025) were filed with Companies House on 10 March 2026 — within the 9-month statutory deadline. Accounts are prepared to an appropriate standard (FRS102 SORP, restricted fund accounting clearly maintained).
GO-03 — Financial Resilience Strengthening
Grant dependency fell from 84% of total income (2021) to approximately 20% (2025). The self-catering capital project is delivering its intended outcome: sustainable commercial income. Net assets remain strong at ~£984K. This trajectory is a materially positive indicator for a prospective major funder.
GO-01 — Grant Management Improving but Not Formalised
Strong monitoring evidence for major grants (Gannochy, DTAS, HES, SSE) — quarterly reports, completion reports, evaluation forms all filed. However: no live grants register post-2020, no systematic outcome tracking, and most "applied" statuses never updated. These are common weaknesses at CDT's size and do not indicate systemic failure.
Recommendation: Establish a live grants register (spreadsheet minimum) with: funder, programme, reference, status, conditions, reporting dates, contact.
GO-04 — Loans Significantly Reduced
CDT holds an Energy Saving Trust loan (originally £200K) and a Tudor Trust patient loan (originally £200K, ~£100K outstanding). The Tudor Trust loan is being converted to grant in instalments (£50K in 2022, £40K in 2024 per accounts). Given the growing trading surplus, the residual loan burden appears manageable.
GO-05 — Community Ownership Credentials Strong
CDT's verified grant history demonstrates the ability to engage across the full spectrum of funders: NLHF (single largest grant, £638,900, highest evidence standard), Historic Environment Scotland (technical repair grant with full audit trail), DTAS Strengthening Communities Programme (4-year funded capacity programme), Scottish Government (CCF, TSRF, SIACS, FGS), Perth & Kinross Council and Heritage Trust, Gannochy Trust, Architectural Heritage Fund, and the unique Heinrich Steinmeyer legacy. This breadth — lottery distributors, public bodies, private trusts, legacy — is a positive indicator of grant management maturity and community credibility.
Priority Actions
| Priority | Finding | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate | CF-01 | Do not cite £4.1M figure in any funder submissions — use verified schedule |
| Within 30 days | CF-02 | Locate and file award letters for HES Emergency Fund, TSRF, PKC COVID |
| Within 30 days | SF-01 | Confirm Gannochy Trust payment schedule (£96K received vs £90K agreed) |
| Within 60 days | SF-02 | Standardise funder names across all CDT records using audit/funder-register.json |
| Within 60 days | SF-03 | Confirm PKHT CHG04/CHG17 status and file offer letter |
| Ongoing | GO-01 | Establish live grants register with outcome tracking (outcome, date, reason, lessons) |
| Ongoing | GO-04 | Update portal Funding page with verified data once this audit is accepted |
Prepared 26 March 2026. Based on SharePoint evidence, Exchange email, QuickBooks register (2007–2020), and Companies House accounts (2021–2025). This is a due diligence assessment, not a statutory audit opinion.
CDT Grant Track Record — Verified Summary
Comrie Development Trust (CDT, OSCR SC038596) has a substantial and well-evidenced grant track record spanning nearly 20 years. The verified cumulative grant income since 2007 is approximately ~£2.9M from 20+ distinct funders, including national lottery distributors, public bodies, private charitable trusts, and a unique private legacy.
In the most recent five-year accounting period (2021–2025), CDT received £1,369,862 in named grant income, as confirmed by filed Companies House accounts (Companies House SC305425).
Capital Programme Delivery
CDT's centrepiece capital programme — the refurbishment of Cultybraggan Camp's self-catering and commercial units — raised and deployed a total project cost of £992,932 between 2016 and 2022:
- National Lottery Heritage Fund — £638,899 (grant ref HE-14-09163)
- Historic Environment Scotland — £134,188 (Heritage Repair Grant)
- SSE Sustainable Development Fund — £36,300
- CDT own funds — £66,745
- Volunteer labour — £116,800
The project is complete. The self-catering units are generating commercial income, which has materially reduced CDT's grant dependency from 84% of total income (2021) to approximately 20% (2025).
Funder Breadth
CDT has successfully secured grants from across the full spectrum of funding sources:
- Lottery distributors: National Lottery Heritage Fund (£638,899), National Lottery Community Fund (£19,669)
- Scottish public bodies: Historic Environment Scotland (£134,188), Scottish Government Climate Challenge Fund (£891,279), DTAS Strengthening Communities Programme (£170,353), Forestry Grant Scheme
- Local authority: Perth & Kinross Council (multiple programmes including infrastructure, COVID, woodland)
- Charitable trusts: The Gannochy Trust (£149,000), The Tudor Trust (£90,000+), Architectural Heritage Fund (£35,000)
- Private legacy: Heinrich Steinmeyer Legacy Fund (£388,717) — an extraordinary gift from a former German POW held at Cultybraggan during WW2
- Social investment: Social Investment Scotland (£100,000 grant component)
- EU/LEADER: Perth & Kinross LEADER Programme (multiple grants ~£172,000)
Grant Management Capacity
CDT maintains strong monitoring and reporting for its major grants. Quarterly reports, completion reports, and payment claim documentation are on file for the NLHF self-catering project, Historic Environment Scotland repair grant, SSE Development Grant, DTAS Strengthening Communities Programme, and Gannochy Trust core funding.
Restricted fund accounting is correctly maintained across all years in Companies House accounts, with separate fund categories (Cultybraggan Development, Heritage, Woodlands, Orchard, Sports, Operations). The Cultybraggan Development fund holds ~£719,867 at March 2025 — NLHF/HES project funds in reserve for long-term maintenance as required by grant conditions.
CDT's 2025 accounts were filed with Companies House on 10 March 2026 — on time within the 9-month deadline. Net assets stand at approximately £984,000.
Audit Opinion
This grant track record has been independently verified by cross-referencing primary SharePoint evidence (offer letters, award letters, payment claims, signed agreements), CDT's QuickBooks restricted income register (2007–2020), and five years of Companies House published statutory accounts (2021–2025).
CDT presents as a credible grant recipient with a track record of delivering complex capital projects, managing restricted funds correctly, maintaining long-term funder relationships, and building genuine financial resilience.
Prepared 26 March 2026. Companies House SC305425, OSCR SC038596. For due diligence purposes only.