Who Can Apply?

Not sure if you are eligible to apply? Read our eligibility guidance for individuals and organisations.

Our Funding Programmes are open to a variety of individuals and organisations, including:

  • individual artists and creative people
  • groups such as arts organisations and cultural agencies
  • or a mixture of both

Our funding programmes have specific details and exclusions on who can and cannot apply. If you are considering making an application to one of our funds, you should read the specific guidelines first.

This page outlines the sorts of individuals and organisations who are, in general, eligible to apply for funding.

Some types of individuals who can apply for funding:

Artists or Creative Practitioners
  • Individuals working at a professional level in the arts, screen and creative industries and who are based in Scotland.

Creative Groups
  • Bands, groups, ensembles.
  • Partnerships where two or more people always work together on projects as one collaborative unit.

Professional Collaborations
  • Individuals can apply jointly for funding, however one will have to take the lead and assume responsibility for managing the application and any funding awarded. The funding will be in the person's name, unless you operate your joint practice under a group name.
  • Individuals working collaboratively will need to provide Creative Scotland with evidence of a partnership agreement.

Individuals who cannot apply:

Many of our Targeted Funds, and funds administered by partner organisations, have specific criteria for who can and cannot apply. Always check the relevant guidelines first. In general, all our funding programmes cannot usually support the following:

  • Individuals who are not based in Scotland.
  • Students in full-time education or undertaking a long-term, formal or accredited course of learning.
  • Individuals working in sectors outside the arts, screen and creative industries and seeking funding for non-artistic or non-creative activity.
  • Individuals working in the museums or heritage sector, unless you can demonstrate that the main benefit of the project will be to a creative area supported by Creative Scotland.
  • Academics or other education professionals seeking professional development funding.

Some types of organisations which can apply for funding:

Registered Charities
  • Registered charities and other non-profit making organisations based in Scotland and undertaking activity related to the arts, screen and creative industries.

Artists Groups
  • As long as you already have an appropriate management structure in place, a written constitution that clearly demonstrates that you are a not-for-profit organisation, and have dedicated UK banking arrangements.

Companies Limited by Guarantee
  • You should clearly demonstrate that your programme of work will promote the public good and will not be solely for private or commercial gain

Consortia, joint organisations or groups of organisations applying together
  • One of the organisations must take the lead and assume responsibility for managing the application and any funding award made. Once we have made an award, you cannot change the lead organisation to which the funding has been paid without the prior written consent of Creative Scotland. All consortia that are successful in applying for funding must provide a legally binding partnership agreement.

Cultural and Leisure Trusts and Local Authorities
  • Organisations that manage venues or deliver services in the arts, screen or creative industries in Scotland on behalf of Local Authorities. Cultural and Leisure Trusts, and Local Authorities, must demonstrate in their application that the funding they are applying for is additional and not a substitution for their own resources.

Community Interest Companies (CIC)
  • CICs must be registered at Companies House and we would expect to see provisions in the articles or memorandum of association that prohibits the distribution of profits or other assets.

Other Public Sector agencies
  • Bodies working in other sectors such as health, education, leisure or tourism in Scotland who are undertaking activity related to the arts, screen and creative industries.
Companies Limited by Shares
  • Companies Limited by Shares can apply to the fund but they must demonstrate in their budget that the activity that will not generate a profit in the period between the start date and end date in the application.