What the fund supports

The fund will continue to support organisations to deliver a wide range of creative activity.

This includes funding for:

• a specific one-off project or production or
• a period of creative research and development or
• a longer term programme of work.

It can also support organisations to undertake business and organisational development that will:

• enhance their business sustainability through the development of new or more diverse income streams

or

• consider broader organisational development costs.

Examples of the types of activity that the fund can support can be found in the Guidance for Applicants below. It is not exhaustive and is provided to give applicants an indication of the types of activity that can be applied for. If you have any queries about what you are wanting to apply for, please contact our Enquiries Service before starting your application.

Eligibility

Any type of constituted artistic, creative or cultural organisation based in Scotland can apply, but as the funding comes from the National Lottery, and is intended to support activity that maximises public benefit, any project that seeks support for commercial activity where the primary purpose is to create a profit is unlikely to be successful.

For full eligibility information, read the Guidance for Applicants.

Funding Criteria

All applicants are required to consider the six key funding criteria when making their application. For further information on these criteria, why they are important and the outcomes they will help to contribute towards, visit the Funding Criteria page.

Funding amounts

Eligible organisations can apply for funding between £1k and £100k for projects or programmes lasting up to 18 months.

We have sample budgets available to support you in your application:

• Download Sample Budget 1 – Programme Example
• Download Sample Budget 2 – Project Example

Deadlines

The fund is open all year round – with no deadlines.

As standard, if your application request is between £500 and £20,000 you will hear the outcome in 10 weeks. If your application request is between £20,001 and £100,000 you will hear the outcome in 14 weeks.

Please see above for details of our 25/26 Christmas closure and the effects it will have on our processing timelines.

How to apply

Once you’ve read the Guidance for Applicants, and details of the Funding Criteria, you can apply online using our online application portal.