Multi-Year Funding: Briefing Sessions summary

Introduction

Creative Scotland has recently completed a programme of Briefing Sessions for organisations which are interested in applying for Multi-Year Funding.

Throughout June, we held seven such sessions, speaking to more than 420 people from across Scotland's culture and creative sector. At the mid-point of the sessions, we issued this external update to further share some of the information being conveyed.

Our communications promoting the sessions achieved extremely high levels of engagement and every session was very quickly fully subscribed. Nevertheless, we were able to accommodate every organisation that requested a slot.

The sessions themselves focussed on three things:

  • The context for the Multi-Year Fund, including the economic and operating context for cultural organisations and the tight budgets we are likely to have available to support the fund;
  • Background to the Fund and why it has been developed in the way it has;
  • Key facts about the fund for applicants to be aware of, including the application process and timeline.

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Briefing Session Presentation Recording

A recorded version of the presentation we used in the sessions is now available to view.

 

The key information for potential Multi-Year Funding applicants to take away from the sessions included:

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Next steps

In terms of next steps:

  • The Guidance for the Multi-Year Fund will be published on 26 July.
  • On the same date, we will also be opening the online portal for organisations to formally register their Intention to Apply. Any organisation which intend to apply for Multi-Year Funding must register by 10 August.
  • Also on 26 July, we will announce dates for a round of Information Sessions that we have scheduled for August and September for potential applicants.

As well as the presentation, each Briefing Session offered the opportunity for attendees to ask questions and the Creative Scotland team answered many of these questions live.

As a summary, the questions asked tended to fall into the following themes, and we provide indicative responses below. Please note, this is a summary of some of the questions asked during the Briefing Sessions. Full details on the Fund will be provided when we publish the Guidance on 26 July.

Questions and Answers

Q. What is the timeline for the Fund?

The timetable for the Multi-Year Funding Programme is as follows:

  • Stage 1 Full Guidance Published and portal open for applicants to complete an Intention to Apply: 2pm, Wednesday 26 July 2023
  • DEADLINE: For applicants to formally register their Intention to Apply: 2pm, Thursday 10 August 2023
  • Portal Opens for Stage 1 applications: 2pm, Wednesday 6 September 2023
  • DEADLINE: Portal Closes for Stage 1 applications: 2pm, Wednesday 25 Oct 2023
  • Stage 2 Guidance update published: Wednesday 17 January 2024
  • Applicants informed of Stage 1 decisions: by end Feb 2024
  • Portal Opens for Stage 2 applications: 2pm, Wednesday 6 March 2024
  • DEADLINE: Portal Closes for Stage 2 applications: 2pm, Wednesday 24 April 2024
  • Applicants informed of Stage 2 decisions: by end Oct 2024
  • Multi-Year Funding begins: Tuesday 1 April 2025

Q. How will Creative Scotland ensure that the organisations that Multi-Year Funding supports are representative of Scotland’s cultural and creative sector?

We are encouraging applications from organisations across Scotland, working in a diverse range of settings, areas of practice and with diverse audiences.

We have promoted information about the Fund widely, through our own channels and through stakeholders, and engagement levels have been extremely high to date.

We have endeavoured to make our application process as accessible as possible and, through the use of set criteria for the Fund which apply to all applicants, as equitable as possible.

The application assessment process itself also includes a process of Portfolio Review which will aim to ensure that applications recommended for progress to Stage 2 takes into account national spread, distribution, and diversity of activity being supported.

Q. Why are you requiring organisations to register their intention to apply at the start of the process?

If you intend to apply for Multi-Year Funding, you will need to log on to our online portal and complete a simple notification to tell us that you are planning to make an application, together with an indication of the amount of funding you will be requesting.

This is mandatory for all applicants.

This will not form part of the assessment process but will enable us to plan our resources for the number of applications that we can expect.

In addition, this will also provide us with an indication of the overall demand for Multi-Year Funding and the ambition that exists across the culture and creative sector in Scotland. This will help inform our ongoing discussions on future funding with the Scottish Government.

The Intention to Apply will open on our online application portal at 2pm on 26 July 2023 and will close at 2pm on 10 August 2023.

IMPORTANT: anyone who has not submitted their Intention to Apply during this period will not be able to progress to make a full Stage 1 application.

Q. What budget will Creative Scotland have to support Multi-Year Funding?

Creative Scotland has a one-year budget from the Scottish Government, which, combined with National Lottery funding, is £96m for the current financial year 2023/24. Our budget is set out in our Annual Plan for 2023/24.

We currently support c350 organisations on a ‘multi-year’ basis, through our Regular Fund, our Open Funds and our Targeted Funds. This equates to c£45m.

Currently, we have no budget commitment from the Scottish Government beyond March 2024 and therefore do not know what budgets will be available to us in future years to support the Multi-Year Fund. Given the anticipated levels of demand and uncertainties over future year budgets, we will not be able to support as many organisations, as we currently do.

We continue to advocate on a daily basis for increased funding for culture and creativity in Scotland, both publicly, by promoting the work that we fund and the value that it delivers for Scotland’s people, and in terms of ongoing dialogue with Scottish Government, policymakers and other stakeholders.

This will continue as we progress through the Multi-Year Funding process with a view to maximising the budgets available to us to support the Fund.

Q. What support will you give to smaller organisations who are looking to apply, but have specific challenges or do not have the same level of resources that larger, more established organisations have?

Creative Scotland wants to ensure that our application processes are clear and accessible to everyone.

We have communicated information on the Multi-Year Fund as widely as possible and have been pleased at the levels of engagement, including the diversity of scale and practice illustrated by the organisations who signed up for our Briefing Sessions.

The application process itself has been developed to ensure that it is consistently applied, equitable and accessible for smaller orgs as well as larger organisations, including allowing for appropriate lead times for applications, and available support,

Applicants who require support, further information or have any general enquiries about the fund and how to apply can contact our Enquiries Service who will be able to advise applicants or put them in contact with one of our Officers.

We also have a number of ways we can support you to make your application:

  • We can offer guidance to applicants on the process of making an application;
  • Access support is available for disabled applicants, tailored to individual requests;
  • Support includes Sign Language Interpreters for meetings and scribing support for applicants with dyslexia;
  • Information is available in alternative formats (including large print, Braille, Easy Read, audio version and other languages such as Gaelic and BSL);
  • We can accept applications and supporting materials written in English, Gaelic or Scots;
  • We offer video walk-throughs of our online application forms;
  • Additional one-to-one support is available to applicants with access requirements.

Q. What other Funds exist for organisations if Multi-Year Funding does not suit their needs?

Any organisation which is seeking more than £50k per year on a year-on-year basis should consider applying to the Multi-Year Funding programme.

Alongside the Multi-Year Fund, Creative Scotland will be looking at ways to best meet the needs of organisations which require less than £50k each year.

We will also continue to offer open access funding for project-based work of different types and scales for organisations and individuals.

This will be done in the light of the outcomes of the Multi-Year Fund decisions and available budgets when known.

In the meantime, our Open Funds as currently designed, remain available.

Q. What other Funds will be available for organisations that are unsuccessful in their application for Multi-Year funding?

We will evolve our open access funds, including the Open Fund for Organisations, in the light of the Multi-Year Fund decisions and budget context.

In the meantime, our Open Funds as currently designed, remain available.

Q. How will ‘transition funding’ for unsuccessful applicants work?

Transition funding may be made available, where appropriate, for some organisations currently in receipt of repeat funding from Creative Scotland but who are unsuccessful in being awarded funding through the Multi-Year programme.

Any funding support would be dependent on the availability of funds and be part of helping organisations plan for any restructuring or realignment that may help with future sustainability.

More details on any Transition support will be available at the time of communicating decisions.

If you have any questions on the Multi-Year Fund or any other aspect of Creative Scotland or Screen Scotland funding, or any other areas of our work, please contact our Enquiries service who will be able to help.

Again, watch out for the Guidance being published on 26 July, as well as registration for Intention to Apply, which will also open on 26 July.