The interactive facilitated workshops will focus on actions which will best deliver town centre regeneration in Fort William, Nairn and Tain.
In a statement, the local authority said the bid is for £20,000, and if successful, the Council would contribute £15,000 of its own funding towards the events.
The events are planned to be held over a two-week period in the new year.
Masterplans already exist for Fort William and Nairn, where the Council wish to bring together key stakeholders to discuss the detail of town centre regeneration. For Tain, the Council has said it will be keen to work with interested parties to support development in the town centre while also looking at the opportunities for redevelopment of edge of centre sites. This includes those soon to be vacated due to the relocation of the Health centre and care home to new sites at Craighill.
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Councillor Thomas Prag, Chairman of the Planning, Environment and Development Committee said: "The Charrette process is proving a very popular and effective way of involving local people directly in the drafting of a development plan for where they live. By getting involved in small discussion groups with the 'professionals' they can see their ideas included in a live process which leads to a draft plan.
"We will work closely with groups in each of these communities to maximise the involvement of everyone concerned. Each mini-charrette will be tailored to local circumstances, in particular the degree of masterplanning and stakeholder consensus building work carried out to date.
"In Nairn and Fort William for example, the mini-Charrettes will have a stronger focus on implementation of previous masterplanning exercises.
"In Tain there will be a focus on the opportunities presented by the changes to service provision in the town, coupled with a need to protect and enhance heritage features for both the local community and for the benefit of the tourism industry We will keep the community up to date with the progress of our bid."
The bid for funding is being made by the Highland Council in partnership with a number of interested parties, including Community Councils and business groups in each town.
(JP/MH)
