Details

The Culture Investment Programme replaced the Council’s previous arts and culture grant schemes in 2025. It provides clear routes to funding based on applicants’ experience, capacity and the scale of the activity they want to deliver.

The programme supports high-quality creative and cultural activity for the people of Aberdeen. It aims to help creativity flourish, widen access to cultural experiences and strengthen the city’s cultural sector.

Our investment principles

• Ambition: Encourage creative ambition and excellence in delivery.
• Public benefit: Ensure Council investment delivers clear benefits for the public and contributes to the programme priorities.
• Local impact: Help Aberdeen’s cultural sector build its capacity, capability and long-term sustainability.
• Diversity: Reflect the diversity of the city and foster creativity in every community.
• Collaboration: Encourage organisations to work together, support grassroots organisations and individual practitioners, and create fair opportunities for people to develop their careers in Aberdeen.
• Grow investment: Help the cultural sector attract and maximise investment in culture and creativity.
• Inclusive: Make the funding guidance clear, accessible and inclusive, with monitoring that is consistent and proportionate to the level of investment.
• Open: Make decisions through open application processes, publish information about decisions and use monitoring evidence to inform future investment.

 Funding streams

There are four funding streams to support creative and cultural activity in Aberdeen:

Acorn          £500 – £2,500 – seed funding for pilots and small projects. – OPEN 28th April 2027

Catalyst     £5,000 -£15,000 – project and festival funding. – Open 2nd October 2026

Cultivate     £15,000- £100,000 – year- round programmes of cultural activity. CLOSED

Cornerstone     £100,000 plus – Large scale organisations delivering culture programmes. CLOSED

Catalyst Funding 2027/28: how to apply

Catalyst Funding is open to Aberdeen-based not-for-profit organisations, community groups, and festival and event organisers that do not currently receive Culture Investment support through Cornerstone, Cultivate or Acorn.

Applicants can apply for between £5,000 and £15,000 to deliver high-quality creative and cultural activity for the benefit of Aberdeen residents. Funding is subject to Council approval through the 2027/28 budget process. Awards are expected to begin from April 2027, subject to approval and completion of the required checks and grant agreement.

Catalyst Funding opened on Friday 2 October 2026.

Application deadline: Monday 9 November 2026 at 12 noon.

Funding can support:

• New, one-off, large-scale and ambitious not-for-profit cultural projects in Aberdeen.
• Testing new activity, including activity that forms part of a recurring event such as an annual festival.
• Work that encourages and retains Aberdeen-based artists, producers, promoters and creative partners to deliver ambitious programmes.
• Pilot projects and new collaborations.
• Activity that reflects Aberdeen’s creative and cultural diversity, including work by, with or for people with protected characteristics or people living in the city’s most disadvantaged areas.

Please download and read the Culture Investment Programme Guidelines and Catalyst Application Form before completing your application.

If you need support, a translation into Gaelic or another language, or British Sign Language support, email creativefunding@aberdeencity.gov.uk. Please allow five working days for a translation request.

Catalyst Funding Information Session

This free online session will explain the Catalyst Funding opportunity, the application process and the requirements for grants of up to £15,000. It is suitable for Aberdeen-based organisations, community groups, and festival and event organisers that are not currently receiving Culture Investment support through Cornerstone, Cultivate or Acorn.

The session will cover:

• How Catalyst Funding fits within the wider Culture Investment Programme.
• Who can apply and the eligibility requirements.
• The types of creative and cultural activity the fund can support.
• Examples of eligible projects, including pilots, collaborations, new activity and activity that supports local talent.
• Key application information and the Monday 9 November 2026 deadline.
• Questions from attendees.

Date: Tuesday 13th October 2026