Participatory Budgeting

Shared Future CIC delivers expert advice and support on Participatory Budgeting (PB). This democratic innovation is an effective way to engage and empower citizens in shaping public services and investments.

Participatory Budgeting (PB) enables local people to make decisions over local public budgets. These can be within local neighbourhoods and communities, or across a whole Local Authority area.

PB has been recognised as an effective way to:

  • Address inequalities in service provision and resource allocation
  • Engage and empower citizens through deliberation on public investment
  • Stimulate coproduction, trust and responsibility between citizens and government

PB is a flexible, values led method for elevating your community engagement. There is no “one-size fits all” approach. At the local level it can operate as a form of participatory grant making, where local people decide which projects receive funding. Or it can be used to address specific topics, such as community safety, health and well-being or climate change. The real power of PB is when it’s scaled up to consider a whole local budget, with significant resources and powers devolved to citizens.

“The truth about a government’s intention is not found in its vision, it is found in its budget.”

How we can help

We understand that PB needs to fit with local contexts and needs. It’s flexibility within different settings is its strength. Every budget or investment decision can be more participatory, more deliberative, and involve more people. We have a track record advocating for PB going back nearly 25 years. We have assisted countless local authorities, public bodies and community led organisations with their PB processes.

We also undertake research and run projects on how PB can build a stronger local economy. We support citizens take action on climate change through our PB briefings and free toolkits. We recognise the importance of being local, connected and close to each other, and of building a participatory democracy that meets everyone’s needs.

We can provide a range of flexible and affordable PB support services, including:

  • Strategic support on policy and implementation
  • Facilitating planning meetings
  • Bespoke training to staff, elected members and local residents
  • Writing reports, undertaking research and conducting PB evaluations.

If you want to find our more about PB, or want to grow your citizen engagement, we can help:

From an introductory briefing to a short support package we can help to get your PB programme underway and ensure its success. Or we can provide detailed advice, training and support to embed community participation into your large scale budget making processes.

Find out more

Our seven values & principles for Participatory Budgeting

Local
Ownership

Citizens should be involved in setting budget priorities, identifying unmet needs, proposing projects for public spending and making decisions concerning their community or place.


Scale

PB processes should move towards decisions over increasingly larger service budgets and investments (as opposed to only small-scale participatory grant making).

Shared Responsibility

PB is an effective way to build co-production, common purpose and a shared commitment from all stakeholders when there are clear roles, agreed aims and ways for everyone to become involved.

Support for Democracy

Participation, such as through PB, supports and strengthens representative democracy.
Public bodies should advocate for a wide range of approaches for public participation
within an ecosystem of local democracy.

Deliberation

PB processes should take citizens beyond personal choice and involve real, informed and meaningful deliberation around budget decisions.

Accessibility

Participants must have good and clear access to PB processes. This includes accessible venues, good information and support to participate.

Transparency

PB processes are designed to give citizens full and clear knowledge of public budgets in their area, even those over which they do not have a direct say.

PB Knowledge

View our PB knowledge area, with articles, examples and blogs, going back over 10 years.
With multiple categories to help you navigate the resources.

Access PB Knowledge

PB Knowledge

  • Helsinki’s flagship 10m euro Participatory Budget launches ideas phase for 2025

    Through the OmaStadi platform, residents of Helsinki can propose how the city should spend 10 million euros. All residents of Helsinki aged 13 and over are eligible to take part. Proposal can be submitted between September 22nd and October 5th, 2025. The proposals will be put to a vote in March 2026, and the city…

  • Voting opens in Tallinn’s 2025 Participatory Budget

    Voting is now open for Tallinn’s 2025 participatory budget. All residents aged 14 and above can choose 3 ideas. A total of €1 million has been earmarked in the city budget for implementing the winning projects. Of this amount, 75 percent is distributed equally among the districts, with the remaining 25 percent allocated based on…

  • Lisburn and Castlereagh’s Grand Choice PB launched

    Grand Choice is a new participatory budgeting initiative which means that local people get to decide how public funds are used to address needs in Downshire East, Northern Ireland. Community Planning partners have pooled their resources to fund up to £15,000 worth community projects. Local people with a valid email address within the Downshire East…

  • Oregan Metro Nature in Neighborhoods Community Choice Grants 2025

    Through Metro’s Nature in Neighborhoods Community Choice Grants, community members imagine, design and choose parks and nature projects in greater Portland. Their ideas and votes have the power to help shape the future parks and natural areas in your neighborhood.  Metro’s Community Choice Grants will award $2 to $3 million throughout parts of Clackamas County…

  • Belfast’s Bank of Ideas unlocks city-wide creativity with £60,000 towards local projects

    Communities take part in over 30 local creative projects in summer 2025, and into the autumn, thanks to funding from Belfast City Council’s Bank of Ideas. 34 schemes, across all parts of the city, shared in £60,000 of grants made available through the participatory budgeting programme, now in its second year. Many of the projects…

  • Research on the political impact of Participatory Budgeting processes

    Governments increasingly combine deliberative and direct-democratic instruments to address democratic dissatisfaction and declining political trust. However, how the general public evaluates these hybrid democratic innovations in relation to their political support remains largely unexplored. This study, by Jelle Turkenburg, called “In the Eye of the Beholder: Explaining the Effects of Local Participatory Budgeting on General…

  • North Ayrshire’s 2025 round of Participatory Budgeting exceeds £200k

    North Ayrshire Council has announced its latest round of Participatory Budgeting grants, with a total of £204,159. For the first time, the funding also includes a Community Wealth Building Fund of £30,000. As in previous rounds there is a longstanding locality budget, and also another youth fund of £48,808. Rather than Council staff making the…

  • People, Place, Purpose. 14 Case studies of public engagement from Climate Outreach

    14 stories of climate engagement come from across the UK and beyond. They feature the work of many different organisations and groups, on many aspects of the climate and nature crises. Together they showcase the impact public engagement on climate issues can have. They demonstrate how it can help us reduce climate-changing emissions, adapt to…

  • Let communities decide: Using participatory budgeting for renewable energy community benefits packages

    In 2023 the Ulupono Initiative in Hawai’i partnered with The USA based Participatory Budgeting Project to release a report, titled ‘Let communities decide: Using participatory budgeting for renewable energy community benefits packages.‘ It includes a detailed toolkit for how this exciting idea might be realised, and might it happen more in the UK too? A…

  • Year 4 of Just Transitions PB fund launches with another £1m

    Year 4 of the Just Transitions PB Fund is now live – groups can apply for up to £50,000 to support eco-friendly projects in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire or Moray. Applications can be submitted until the 29th September 2025. The Just Transition PB Fund aims to empower residents of Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen and Moray by giving them a…

  • Strengthening Public Oversight in Climate Initiatives from Transparency International

    “There is increasing global recognition of the importance of effective climate governance; both in terms of how climate decisions and investments are made, and how these commitments are translated into action, impact, and results. Yet, much of the global discussion still focuses on where climate finance flows – an essential but incomplete piece of the…

  • Evaluation of Just Transition PB funding in Scotland

    The Scottish Government commissioned an independent evaluation report of the Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray. The evaluation assessed the impact of the Fund in its first two years of operation (2022-2024), during which it supported a package of skills interventions, community-based projects and innovative technologies. In its first two years, the…

  • Edinburgh Visitor Levy to be spent through participatory budgeting

    Edinburgh council has been moving forward with its plans to introduce a visitor levy, sometime known as a tourist tax. It hopes to raise over £50m through the levy, and there are reported plans that £2million of the money raised would be used to fund PB in Edinburgh over three years. On July 4th 2025…

  • Take 500 returns to Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon

    Over 150 applications from community groups have been received this year for the TAKE£500+ Participatory Budget Fund. This project has been growing over the last four years and making real and lasting impact on our residents right across the borough – and this year is shaping up to be even bigger and better! Communities from…

  • Public investment should be at the heart of fiscal narratives

    By Andrea Correa / 23 June 2025 / OMFIF website In a recent article Andrea Correa, Senior Economist, at the Economic and Monetary Policy Institute comments on the challenges facing government when it tries to shift from spending to an investment mindset. OMFIF is an independent think tank for central banking, economic policy and public…

  • Barrhead Housing funds £6,000 School PB’s

    Barrhead Housing has distributed £6,000 to high-school projects selected by students. Cheques for £3,000 were presented to Barrhead High and St Luke’s High as part of the housing association’s Brighter Futures programme. As part of the programme, students were given the chance to vote on projects and decide where the cash would be spent. The…

  • Participatory Budgeting 2025 in North Ayshire

    North Ayrshire Council’s Connected Communities team are inviting individuals and community organisations to a series of information drop-in sessions ahead of the next cycle of the council’s Participatory Budgeting Fund (PB). Over 190 community groups and projects received a share of North Ayrshire’s £171,377 of PB funding since November 2024. This year a total sum…

  • Merseyside Police Participatory Budgeting 2025

    Communities across Merseyside and the Wirral have been deciding on funding from the Proceeds of Crime. For example, in Belle Vale £25,000 is available from the Big Bid, Belle Vale Matters fund. Grants ranging from £500 to £5,000 are available for projects that will benefit the Belle Vale area. Applicants will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas directly to…

  • Research Data on international PB from People Powered

    People Powered compile research and synthesize key findings about the impacts of participatory democracy around the world, and make them accessible for practitioners and researchers to better understand and advocate for participatory and deliberative programs. Read their 2025 research brief on the global impacts of Participatory Budgeting! Drawing from decades of data across more than 50…

  • Finland City of Oulu Participatory Budget 2025

    The city of Oulu’s 2025 Participatory Budgeting’s voting results have been decided. In April–May, citizens of Oulu voted on which ideas given by the citizens should be implemented with the Participatory Budgeting’s total budget of 240 000 €. “Approximately 40 % of the voters voted for the proposal ‘Sport hobbies for low-income families’. It received…

  • Dundee Climate Participatory Budgeting Round 3 is drawing to a close

    Community Choices is Dundee’s version of Participatory Budgeting – a democratic process which empowers people and communities to have a greater say in how public money is spent. Within that, Climate or Green PB features strongly. Now, in its third round, the 2025 fund winners are about to be announced. The first round allocated £375,000…

  • Video: Ballymena schools PB focussed on Wellbeing of Young People

    This 2024 schools PB programme was about a culture of democratic participation and increasing the number of young people with an understanding of community development, good relations, and democracy through Participatory Budgeting (PB). Watch their video made following their celebration event. The Ballymena Schools PB programme was supported by the Department for Communities and the…

  • The influence of Aberdeenshire’s children and young people on climate change

    More than a thousand pupils across Aberdeenshire influenced the distribution of £41,000 to fund school projects related to climate change and carbon reduction in 2023-2024. 27 projects across the region from both primary and secondary schools were ultimately funded through Aberdeenshire Council’s participatory budgeting in schools process. As part of the process, pupils from primary…

  • PB for community improvement proposals in Aberdeen

    Voting openned on Monday 17 February 2025 for people, young and older, living in Aberdeen’s Priority Neighbourhood Areas (North, South and Central) to select the projects they think are best suited to meet their community needs. Aberdeen City Council’s Participatory Budgeting programme UDECIDE asked eligible voters to choose from proposals for individual projects worth up…

  • College of Policing produces guidance on PB

    The College of Policing, using examples from Merseyside Police, has produced an information resource for PB. Stating the aim is to encourage and support the use of this community-led approach to improve engagement and empowerment within communities. According to the guide the intended outcomes of PB are to: Access the guidance in the College of…

  • Nearly 30,000 people take part in the prioritisation stage of the Barcelona participatory budget

    In just ten days, 29,651 people gave their support for projects put forward by members of the public, to select which appear on the final ballot. As of the 20th March 2025, users can view the 253 projects that will be in the final voting stage, to be held from 12 to 17 May 2025…

  • 22 community groups secure Community Choices funding in Falkirk

    Over 6100 valid votes were cast across all nine council wards in the most recent PB process in Falkirk, held in February 2025. Helping 22 of the 57 community groups in the public vote secure their share of just over £100,000. Since launching in 2020, more than £3.4m has been allocated through Falkirk’s Community Choices,…

  • Long Beach’s Youth Power Participatory Budget

    In April 2025 young people ages 12-26 who live, work or play in Long Beach, California had the chance to vote on how $550,000 will be spent on a wide range of youth-centered projects, with awarded sums ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. Nearly 2,000 individuals, aged between 12 and 26 voted. “Young people are at…

  • RiotFest, Chicago commits to offering millions in community payback through PB

    RiotFest is a long running music festival in the city of Chicago. As part of its commitment to the community that hosts this largescale but a times disruptive event, it has agreed a generous community payback scheme, in association with Chicago’s parks department. “The Riot Fest multi-year agreement includes significant community benefits, including up to…

  • Have Your Say in Galway City East, Eire

    Galway City Council are running a new funding scheme of €25,000 under their newly introduced Participatory Budgeting process. Galway City Council agreed it will designate a percentage of its annual budget for Community Participatory Budgeting. The amount initially determined for 2025 – 2029 is €25,000 per annum. Proposals will be invited from communities and residents…

  • Oregan Metro Nature in Neighborhoods Community Choice Grants 2025

    Through Metro’s Nature in Neighborhoods Community Choice Grants, community members imagine, design and choose parks and nature projects in greater Portland. Their ideas and votes have the power to help shape the future parks and natural areas in your neighborhood.  Metro’s Community Choice Grants will award $2 to $3 million throughout parts of Clackamas County…

  • People, Place, Purpose. 14 Case studies of public engagement from Climate Outreach

    14 stories of climate engagement come from across the UK and beyond. They feature the work of many different organisations and groups, on many aspects of the climate and nature crises. Together they showcase the impact public engagement on climate issues can have. They demonstrate how it can help us reduce climate-changing emissions, adapt to…

  • Let communities decide: Using participatory budgeting for renewable energy community benefits packages

    In 2023 the Ulupono Initiative in Hawai’i partnered with The USA based Participatory Budgeting Project to release a report, titled ‘Let communities decide: Using participatory budgeting for renewable energy community benefits packages.‘ It includes a detailed toolkit for how this exciting idea might be realised, and might it happen more in the UK too? A…

  • Year 4 of Just Transitions PB fund launches with another £1m

    Year 4 of the Just Transitions PB Fund is now live – groups can apply for up to £50,000 to support eco-friendly projects in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire or Moray. Applications can be submitted until the 29th September 2025. The Just Transition PB Fund aims to empower residents of Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen and Moray by giving them a…

  • Strengthening Public Oversight in Climate Initiatives from Transparency International

    “There is increasing global recognition of the importance of effective climate governance; both in terms of how climate decisions and investments are made, and how these commitments are translated into action, impact, and results. Yet, much of the global discussion still focuses on where climate finance flows – an essential but incomplete piece of the…

  • Evaluation of Just Transition PB funding in Scotland

    The Scottish Government commissioned an independent evaluation report of the Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray. The evaluation assessed the impact of the Fund in its first two years of operation (2022-2024), during which it supported a package of skills interventions, community-based projects and innovative technologies. In its first two years, the…

  • Dundee Climate Participatory Budgeting Round 3 is drawing to a close

    Community Choices is Dundee’s version of Participatory Budgeting – a democratic process which empowers people and communities to have a greater say in how public money is spent. Within that, Climate or Green PB features strongly. Now, in its third round, the 2025 fund winners are about to be announced. The first round allocated £375,000…

  • The influence of Aberdeenshire’s children and young people on climate change

    More than a thousand pupils across Aberdeenshire influenced the distribution of £41,000 to fund school projects related to climate change and carbon reduction in 2023-2024. 27 projects across the region from both primary and secondary schools were ultimately funded through Aberdeenshire Council’s participatory budgeting in schools process. As part of the process, pupils from primary…

  • Resources on international climate themed PB

    Yves Cabannes was a leading researcher and practitioner in Participatory Budgeting, and in recent years had been focussing his work on climate themed PB. Over the years he shared with us a number of publications that explore this topic in depth. Sadly, Yves passed away recently. Greening cities through Participatory Budgeting: Answers to climate change…

  • 1million Just Transition PB fund results announced across North-east and Moray

    Following last year’s online public vote, residents in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray can now find out which local eco-friendly projects will receive a share of £1million in funding from the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Participatory Budgeting (PB) Fund. Details of the 46 projects supported by this year’s funding pot have been released, showcasing initiatives that…

  • Lisburn and Castlereagh’s Grand Choice PB launched

    Grand Choice is a new participatory budgeting initiative which means that local people get to decide how public funds are used to address needs in Downshire East, Northern Ireland. Community Planning partners have pooled their resources to fund up to £15,000 worth community projects. Local people with a valid email address within the Downshire East…

  • Oregan Metro Nature in Neighborhoods Community Choice Grants 2025

    Through Metro’s Nature in Neighborhoods Community Choice Grants, community members imagine, design and choose parks and nature projects in greater Portland. Their ideas and votes have the power to help shape the future parks and natural areas in your neighborhood.  Metro’s Community Choice Grants will award $2 to $3 million throughout parts of Clackamas County…

  • Belfast’s Bank of Ideas unlocks city-wide creativity with £60,000 towards local projects

    Communities take part in over 30 local creative projects in summer 2025, and into the autumn, thanks to funding from Belfast City Council’s Bank of Ideas. 34 schemes, across all parts of the city, shared in £60,000 of grants made available through the participatory budgeting programme, now in its second year. Many of the projects…

  • North Ayrshire’s 2025 round of Participatory Budgeting exceeds £200k

    North Ayrshire Council has announced its latest round of Participatory Budgeting grants, with a total of £204,159. For the first time, the funding also includes a Community Wealth Building Fund of £30,000. As in previous rounds there is a longstanding locality budget, and also another youth fund of £48,808. Rather than Council staff making the…

  • People, Place, Purpose. 14 Case studies of public engagement from Climate Outreach

    14 stories of climate engagement come from across the UK and beyond. They feature the work of many different organisations and groups, on many aspects of the climate and nature crises. Together they showcase the impact public engagement on climate issues can have. They demonstrate how it can help us reduce climate-changing emissions, adapt to…

  • Let communities decide: Using participatory budgeting for renewable energy community benefits packages

    In 2023 the Ulupono Initiative in Hawai’i partnered with The USA based Participatory Budgeting Project to release a report, titled ‘Let communities decide: Using participatory budgeting for renewable energy community benefits packages.‘ It includes a detailed toolkit for how this exciting idea might be realised, and might it happen more in the UK too? A…

  • Year 4 of Just Transitions PB fund launches with another £1m

    Year 4 of the Just Transitions PB Fund is now live – groups can apply for up to £50,000 to support eco-friendly projects in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire or Moray. Applications can be submitted until the 29th September 2025. The Just Transition PB Fund aims to empower residents of Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen and Moray by giving them a…

  • Evaluation of Just Transition PB funding in Scotland

    The Scottish Government commissioned an independent evaluation report of the Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray. The evaluation assessed the impact of the Fund in its first two years of operation (2022-2024), during which it supported a package of skills interventions, community-based projects and innovative technologies. In its first two years, the…

  • Edinburgh Visitor Levy to be spent through participatory budgeting

    Edinburgh council has been moving forward with its plans to introduce a visitor levy, sometime known as a tourist tax. It hopes to raise over £50m through the levy, and there are reported plans that £2million of the money raised would be used to fund PB in Edinburgh over three years. On July 4th 2025…

  • Take 500 returns to Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon

    Over 150 applications from community groups have been received this year for the TAKE£500+ Participatory Budget Fund. This project has been growing over the last four years and making real and lasting impact on our residents right across the borough – and this year is shaping up to be even bigger and better! Communities from…

  • Lisburn and Castlereagh’s Grand Choice PB launched

    Grand Choice is a new participatory budgeting initiative which means that local people get to decide how public funds are used to address needs in Downshire East, Northern Ireland. Community Planning partners have pooled their resources to fund up to £15,000 worth community projects. Local people with a valid email address within the Downshire East…

  • Belfast’s Bank of Ideas unlocks city-wide creativity with £60,000 towards local projects

    Communities take part in over 30 local creative projects in summer 2025, and into the autumn, thanks to funding from Belfast City Council’s Bank of Ideas. 34 schemes, across all parts of the city, shared in £60,000 of grants made available through the participatory budgeting programme, now in its second year. Many of the projects…

  • North Ayrshire’s 2025 round of Participatory Budgeting exceeds £200k

    North Ayrshire Council has announced its latest round of Participatory Budgeting grants, with a total of £204,159. For the first time, the funding also includes a Community Wealth Building Fund of £30,000. As in previous rounds there is a longstanding locality budget, and also another youth fund of £48,808. Rather than Council staff making the…

  • Let communities decide: Using participatory budgeting for renewable energy community benefits packages

    In 2023 the Ulupono Initiative in Hawai’i partnered with The USA based Participatory Budgeting Project to release a report, titled ‘Let communities decide: Using participatory budgeting for renewable energy community benefits packages.‘ It includes a detailed toolkit for how this exciting idea might be realised, and might it happen more in the UK too? A…

  • Year 4 of Just Transitions PB fund launches with another £1m

    Year 4 of the Just Transitions PB Fund is now live – groups can apply for up to £50,000 to support eco-friendly projects in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire or Moray. Applications can be submitted until the 29th September 2025. The Just Transition PB Fund aims to empower residents of Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen and Moray by giving them a…

  • Evaluation of Just Transition PB funding in Scotland

    The Scottish Government commissioned an independent evaluation report of the Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray. The evaluation assessed the impact of the Fund in its first two years of operation (2022-2024), during which it supported a package of skills interventions, community-based projects and innovative technologies. In its first two years, the…

  • Take 500 returns to Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon

    Over 150 applications from community groups have been received this year for the TAKE£500+ Participatory Budget Fund. This project has been growing over the last four years and making real and lasting impact on our residents right across the borough – and this year is shaping up to be even bigger and better! Communities from…

  • Barrhead Housing funds £6,000 School PB’s

    Barrhead Housing has distributed £6,000 to high-school projects selected by students. Cheques for £3,000 were presented to Barrhead High and St Luke’s High as part of the housing association’s Brighter Futures programme. As part of the programme, students were given the chance to vote on projects and decide where the cash would be spent. The…

  • Participatory Budgeting 2025 in North Ayshire

    North Ayrshire Council’s Connected Communities team are inviting individuals and community organisations to a series of information drop-in sessions ahead of the next cycle of the council’s Participatory Budgeting Fund (PB). Over 190 community groups and projects received a share of North Ayrshire’s £171,377 of PB funding since November 2024. This year a total sum…

  • Merseyside Police Participatory Budgeting 2025

    Communities across Merseyside and the Wirral have been deciding on funding from the Proceeds of Crime. For example, in Belle Vale £25,000 is available from the Big Bid, Belle Vale Matters fund. Grants ranging from £500 to £5,000 are available for projects that will benefit the Belle Vale area. Applicants will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas directly to…

  • Video: Ballymena schools PB focussed on Wellbeing of Young People

    This 2024 schools PB programme was about a culture of democratic participation and increasing the number of young people with an understanding of community development, good relations, and democracy through Participatory Budgeting (PB). Watch their video made following their celebration event. The Ballymena Schools PB programme was supported by the Department for Communities and the…

  • Belfast Take 5 steps health PB

    Participatory Budgeting in Belfast gives residents a direct say in the decisions that affect them. It helps generate new ideas, strengthen community spirit and direct funding to where residents think it will make a difference. The most recent participatory budgeting project in Belfast supports the Take 5 steps to wellbeing. These are: Projects could apply…

  • Guide to Evaluating the Wellbeing impacts of Participatory Budgeting

    This new guide and toolkit reflects on recent experiences of Participatory Budgeting (PB) within the Gwent area of Wales, from early 2020 to January 2023. Produced by Shared Future, following qualitative research in Gwent, and building on our long experience of community empowerment, it focusses primarily on the wellbeing impacts of PB. It covers the…

  • Democratic Journeys: Participatory Budgeting in a time of Covid Podcast

    The podcast series Democracy Journeys, by the Association of Municipalities and Regions of Sweden (SALAR) is about citizen dialogue, co-creation and democracy at a local and regional level. Each episode focuses on developing democracy and strengthening the relationship between citizens and a municipality or regional Government. Listen to Podcast #38: Participatory Budgeting in a time of Covid Each episode focuses…

  • “Our voice is being heard at last”… building social inclusion through Participatory Budgeting

    Social isolation is a key requirement towards promoting wellbeing and preventing undue pressure on public services, such as costly hospital admissions. With an elderly mother of my own who is increasingly needing care at home it’s a subject close to my heart. Not least because of my passion for Participatory Budgeting (PB), that aims to…

  • £50,000 to tackle poor mental health in North Ayrshire

    People from across North Ayrshire were offered the chance to stake their claim for up to £1,250 for worthy projects which will improve the lives of others. A total of £50,000 was up for grabs in the participatory budgeting event which aims to give financial backing to projects and programmes which make a positive difference…

  • Well London uses Participatory Budgeting to improve health and wellbeing

    Running over a number of years the Well London health and wellbeing initiative has been using participatory budgeting styled events to select projects for support, using money from the National Lottery and other local funding sources. Across a wide number of areas hundreds of people have been engaged in projects that bring wellbeing. As reported…

  • Barrhead Housing funds £6,000 School PB’s

    Barrhead Housing has distributed £6,000 to high-school projects selected by students. Cheques for £3,000 were presented to Barrhead High and St Luke’s High as part of the housing association’s Brighter Futures programme. As part of the programme, students were given the chance to vote on projects and decide where the cash would be spent. The…

  • Video: Ballymena schools PB focussed on Wellbeing of Young People

    This 2024 schools PB programme was about a culture of democratic participation and increasing the number of young people with an understanding of community development, good relations, and democracy through Participatory Budgeting (PB). Watch their video made following their celebration event. The Ballymena Schools PB programme was supported by the Department for Communities and the…

  • Triangle Housing Grand Choice PB

    Communities and residents living in the Killutagh area of Northern Ireland received grants through Triangle Housing for funding for small projects. In the 2024 round they could apply for up to £1000. Triangle housing regularly uses the same format in different communities. Projects needed to demonstrate how it relates to one of the Take 5…

  • The environmental projects that won Brent’s first’ Participatory Budgeting’ ‘You Decide’ event

    Brent residents have cast their votes to choose which projects should share a £500,000 funding pot that aims to reduce carbon emissions in the borough by at least 100 tonnes. Voting from residents took place on Saturday 29 January 2022. This is the first time that Brent has used this bold new Participatory Budgeting programme.…

  • How Participatory Budgeting Can Create Affordable Housing and a Just Economy

    In August 2020, KRISTANIA DE LEON wrote about how PB can help address a persistent challenge around affordable housing in the USA. In New Jersey, for example, as housing prices rise and wages remain low, many New Jerseyans are struggling to find and keep affordable housing. The author argues that PB is one way to…

  • Academy of Urbanism on participatory budgeting as aid to urban development

    The Academy of Urbanism is well used to reporting on the innovations that bring about an urban renaissance. In an article by Katy Hawkins the Academy now looks at participatory budgeting (PB) in the USA, the UK and more widely. Following exciting developments in PB in Paris, where PB is being used to spend €426m…

  • Helsinki’s flagship 10m euro Participatory Budget launches ideas phase for 2025

    Through the OmaStadi platform, residents of Helsinki can propose how the city should spend 10 million euros. All residents of Helsinki aged 13 and over are eligible to take part. Proposal can be submitted between September 22nd and October 5th, 2025. The proposals will be put to a vote in March 2026, and the city…

  • Voting opens in Tallinn’s 2025 Participatory Budget

    Voting is now open for Tallinn’s 2025 participatory budget. All residents aged 14 and above can choose 3 ideas. A total of €1 million has been earmarked in the city budget for implementing the winning projects. Of this amount, 75 percent is distributed equally among the districts, with the remaining 25 percent allocated based on…

  • Oregan Metro Nature in Neighborhoods Community Choice Grants 2025

    Through Metro’s Nature in Neighborhoods Community Choice Grants, community members imagine, design and choose parks and nature projects in greater Portland. Their ideas and votes have the power to help shape the future parks and natural areas in your neighborhood.  Metro’s Community Choice Grants will award $2 to $3 million throughout parts of Clackamas County…

  • Research on the political impact of Participatory Budgeting processes

    Governments increasingly combine deliberative and direct-democratic instruments to address democratic dissatisfaction and declining political trust. However, how the general public evaluates these hybrid democratic innovations in relation to their political support remains largely unexplored. This study, by Jelle Turkenburg, called “In the Eye of the Beholder: Explaining the Effects of Local Participatory Budgeting on General…

  • People, Place, Purpose. 14 Case studies of public engagement from Climate Outreach

    14 stories of climate engagement come from across the UK and beyond. They feature the work of many different organisations and groups, on many aspects of the climate and nature crises. Together they showcase the impact public engagement on climate issues can have. They demonstrate how it can help us reduce climate-changing emissions, adapt to…

  • Let communities decide: Using participatory budgeting for renewable energy community benefits packages

    In 2023 the Ulupono Initiative in Hawai’i partnered with The USA based Participatory Budgeting Project to release a report, titled ‘Let communities decide: Using participatory budgeting for renewable energy community benefits packages.‘ It includes a detailed toolkit for how this exciting idea might be realised, and might it happen more in the UK too? A…

  • Strengthening Public Oversight in Climate Initiatives from Transparency International

    “There is increasing global recognition of the importance of effective climate governance; both in terms of how climate decisions and investments are made, and how these commitments are translated into action, impact, and results. Yet, much of the global discussion still focuses on where climate finance flows – an essential but incomplete piece of the…

  • Research Data on international PB from People Powered

    People Powered compile research and synthesize key findings about the impacts of participatory democracy around the world, and make them accessible for practitioners and researchers to better understand and advocate for participatory and deliberative programs. Read their 2025 research brief on the global impacts of Participatory Budgeting! Drawing from decades of data across more than 50…

  • Finland City of Oulu Participatory Budget 2025

    The city of Oulu’s 2025 Participatory Budgeting’s voting results have been decided. In April–May, citizens of Oulu voted on which ideas given by the citizens should be implemented with the Participatory Budgeting’s total budget of 240 000 €. “Approximately 40 % of the voters voted for the proposal ‘Sport hobbies for low-income families’. It received…

  • Nearly 30,000 people take part in the prioritisation stage of the Barcelona participatory budget

    In just ten days, 29,651 people gave their support for projects put forward by members of the public, to select which appear on the final ballot. As of the 20th March 2025, users can view the 253 projects that will be in the final voting stage, to be held from 12 to 17 May 2025…

  • Helsinki’s flagship 10m euro Participatory Budget launches ideas phase for 2025

    Through the OmaStadi platform, residents of Helsinki can propose how the city should spend 10 million euros. All residents of Helsinki aged 13 and over are eligible to take part. Proposal can be submitted between September 22nd and October 5th, 2025. The proposals will be put to a vote in March 2026, and the city…

  • Voting opens in Tallinn’s 2025 Participatory Budget

    Voting is now open for Tallinn’s 2025 participatory budget. All residents aged 14 and above can choose 3 ideas. A total of €1 million has been earmarked in the city budget for implementing the winning projects. Of this amount, 75 percent is distributed equally among the districts, with the remaining 25 percent allocated based on…

  • Oregan Metro Nature in Neighborhoods Community Choice Grants 2025

    Through Metro’s Nature in Neighborhoods Community Choice Grants, community members imagine, design and choose parks and nature projects in greater Portland. Their ideas and votes have the power to help shape the future parks and natural areas in your neighborhood.  Metro’s Community Choice Grants will award $2 to $3 million throughout parts of Clackamas County…

  • Research on the political impact of Participatory Budgeting processes

    Governments increasingly combine deliberative and direct-democratic instruments to address democratic dissatisfaction and declining political trust. However, how the general public evaluates these hybrid democratic innovations in relation to their political support remains largely unexplored. This study, by Jelle Turkenburg, called “In the Eye of the Beholder: Explaining the Effects of Local Participatory Budgeting on General…

  • Evaluation of Just Transition PB funding in Scotland

    The Scottish Government commissioned an independent evaluation report of the Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray. The evaluation assessed the impact of the Fund in its first two years of operation (2022-2024), during which it supported a package of skills interventions, community-based projects and innovative technologies. In its first two years, the…

  • Edinburgh Visitor Levy to be spent through participatory budgeting

    Edinburgh council has been moving forward with its plans to introduce a visitor levy, sometime known as a tourist tax. It hopes to raise over £50m through the levy, and there are reported plans that £2million of the money raised would be used to fund PB in Edinburgh over three years. On July 4th 2025…

  • Public investment should be at the heart of fiscal narratives

    By Andrea Correa / 23 June 2025 / OMFIF website In a recent article Andrea Correa, Senior Economist, at the Economic and Monetary Policy Institute comments on the challenges facing government when it tries to shift from spending to an investment mindset. OMFIF is an independent think tank for central banking, economic policy and public…

  • Research Data on international PB from People Powered

    People Powered compile research and synthesize key findings about the impacts of participatory democracy around the world, and make them accessible for practitioners and researchers to better understand and advocate for participatory and deliberative programs. Read their 2025 research brief on the global impacts of Participatory Budgeting! Drawing from decades of data across more than 50…

  • Finland City of Oulu Participatory Budget 2025

    The city of Oulu’s 2025 Participatory Budgeting’s voting results have been decided. In April–May, citizens of Oulu voted on which ideas given by the citizens should be implemented with the Participatory Budgeting’s total budget of 240 000 €. “Approximately 40 % of the voters voted for the proposal ‘Sport hobbies for low-income families’. It received…

  • Nearly 30,000 people take part in the prioritisation stage of the Barcelona participatory budget

    In just ten days, 29,651 people gave their support for projects put forward by members of the public, to select which appear on the final ballot. As of the 20th March 2025, users can view the 253 projects that will be in the final voting stage, to be held from 12 to 17 May 2025…

  • Merseyside Police Participatory Budgeting 2025

    Communities across Merseyside and the Wirral have been deciding on funding from the Proceeds of Crime. For example, in Belle Vale £25,000 is available from the Big Bid, Belle Vale Matters fund. Grants ranging from £500 to £5,000 are available for projects that will benefit the Belle Vale area. Applicants will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas directly to…

  • College of Policing produces guidance on PB

    The College of Policing, using examples from Merseyside Police, has produced an information resource for PB. Stating the aim is to encourage and support the use of this community-led approach to improve engagement and empowerment within communities. According to the guide the intended outcomes of PB are to: Access the guidance in the College of…

  • Pushing at the limits: Participatory Budgeting and prisoner rehabilitation in Canada

    Jez Hall writes about how PB can push the limits of empowerment to the most unusual of suspects. One of the amazing things about Participatory Budgeting(PB) is how it can push boundaries and break down walls. Even the walls around the criminal justice system? A step too far? Whether its in empowering young people by…

  • “Our voice is being heard at last”… building social inclusion through Participatory Budgeting

    Social isolation is a key requirement towards promoting wellbeing and preventing undue pressure on public services, such as costly hospital admissions. With an elderly mother of my own who is increasingly needing care at home it’s a subject close to my heart. Not least because of my passion for Participatory Budgeting (PB), that aims to…

  • 2,500 people vote on projects to end Islamophobia in Edinburgh

    It is a sad but undeniable fact that post Brexit levels of hate crime have risen across some parts of the UK, most notably England and Wales.  Intolerance, ignorance, prejudice and inequality have emerged as communities try to make sense of the Brexit impact on society. This information, and intelligence held by communities in Edinburgh,…

  • Helsinki’s flagship 10m euro Participatory Budget launches ideas phase for 2025

    Through the OmaStadi platform, residents of Helsinki can propose how the city should spend 10 million euros. All residents of Helsinki aged 13 and over are eligible to take part. Proposal can be submitted between September 22nd and October 5th, 2025. The proposals will be put to a vote in March 2026, and the city…

  • Belfast’s Bank of Ideas unlocks city-wide creativity with £60,000 towards local projects

    Communities take part in over 30 local creative projects in summer 2025, and into the autumn, thanks to funding from Belfast City Council’s Bank of Ideas. 34 schemes, across all parts of the city, shared in £60,000 of grants made available through the participatory budgeting programme, now in its second year. Many of the projects…

  • North Ayrshire’s 2025 round of Participatory Budgeting exceeds £200k

    North Ayrshire Council has announced its latest round of Participatory Budgeting grants, with a total of £204,159. For the first time, the funding also includes a Community Wealth Building Fund of £30,000. As in previous rounds there is a longstanding locality budget, and also another youth fund of £48,808. Rather than Council staff making the…

  • Barrhead Housing funds £6,000 School PB’s

    Barrhead Housing has distributed £6,000 to high-school projects selected by students. Cheques for £3,000 were presented to Barrhead High and St Luke’s High as part of the housing association’s Brighter Futures programme. As part of the programme, students were given the chance to vote on projects and decide where the cash would be spent. The…

  • Participatory Budgeting 2025 in North Ayshire

    North Ayrshire Council’s Connected Communities team are inviting individuals and community organisations to a series of information drop-in sessions ahead of the next cycle of the council’s Participatory Budgeting Fund (PB). Over 190 community groups and projects received a share of North Ayrshire’s £171,377 of PB funding since November 2024. This year a total sum…

  • Video: Ballymena schools PB focussed on Wellbeing of Young People

    This 2024 schools PB programme was about a culture of democratic participation and increasing the number of young people with an understanding of community development, good relations, and democracy through Participatory Budgeting (PB). Watch their video made following their celebration event. The Ballymena Schools PB programme was supported by the Department for Communities and the…

  • The influence of Aberdeenshire’s children and young people on climate change

    More than a thousand pupils across Aberdeenshire influenced the distribution of £41,000 to fund school projects related to climate change and carbon reduction in 2023-2024. 27 projects across the region from both primary and secondary schools were ultimately funded through Aberdeenshire Council’s participatory budgeting in schools process. As part of the process, pupils from primary…

  • Long Beach’s Youth Power Participatory Budget

    In April 2025 young people ages 12-26 who live, work or play in Long Beach, California had the chance to vote on how $550,000 will be spent on a wide range of youth-centered projects, with awarded sums ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. Nearly 2,000 individuals, aged between 12 and 26 voted. “Young people are at…

  • Hope For Cheetham Youth Participatory Budgeting

    100+ children and young people. 21 youth organisations. £200,000 up for grabs. What could go wrong? Not a lot it seems. Shared Future were happy to support Choose For Cheetham 2025, after the steering group decided to use participatory budgeting (PB) to select who should get funded. Hope for Cheetham is a community-led, long-term project…

  • Educating for Democracy: Participatory Budgeting in Schools

    Educating for Democracy: Participatory Budgeting in Schools A new book, detailing why Participatory Budgeting is an important innovation in citizenship education was published this month. Shared Future director Jez Hall contributed a chapter to Educating for Democracy: The Case for Participatory Budgeting in Schools, available from Edward Elgar Publishing. The book provides a detailed examination…

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