Creative Scotland launches two new funds

Creative Scotland has launched two new funds, supported by the National Lottery, as part of its efforts to reshape its funding approach.

The two funds are the refreshed National Lottery Open Fund for Organisations and the new time-limited National Lottery Extended Programme Fund. 

Creative Scotland said that these funds have been designed for organisations that were not currently receiving regular funding. The new-look National Lottery Open Fund for organisations offers funding of between £1,000 (€1,125/$1,200) and £100,000 for projects or programmes that last up to 18 months. 

Applications for this fund can be made at any point and with no deadlines. 

The National Lottery Extended Programme Fund will offer funding between £100,000 and £200,000 for programmes of creative activity between 18 and 24 months. Applications can be made for this fund at any time up until the November 2023 deadline. 

The timescales associated with these funds fall in line with the planned implementation of Creative Scotland’s new approach to multi-year funding. The arts non-profit is aiming to open applications for multi-year funding later this year, with new funding awards to be in place from April 2025. 

Iain Munro, chief executive of Creative Scotland, said: “It’s thanks to National Lottery players that we can launch these two new funds, enabling cultural and creative organisations to deliver their work across Scotland. Offering funding for a broad range of projects in terms of scale and duration these new funds will enable longer term planning of creative programmes. 

“These funds mark an important step in the delivery of our new approach to funding for organisations, as part of the roll-out of our revised Funding Framework.”