Multi-Year Funding Outcome Announcement

  • A record number of cultural organisations to receive stable, year-on-year funding to deliver culture and creativity for Scotland’s people 

  • All organisations currently funded by Creative Scotland to receive a significant uplift after years of standstill funding 

  • An additional 141 organisations will receive a multi-year funding commitment for the first time 

  • Significant increase in community-focused organisations being supported, alongside established cultural organisations, better representing Scotland’s geography and diversity 

  • Overall funding to the portfolio will increase further in 2026/27 

  • This cultural shift has been made possible thanks to a significant budget commitment from the Scottish Government

Today, Thursday 30 January 2025, in a significant moment for culture in Scotland, Creative Scotland has announced the largest portfolio of cultural organisations ever to be supported on a multi-year basis.​ 

The recent uplift in Grant-in-Aid funding from the Scottish Government, releasing the largest budget ever available to Creative Scotland, enables more than £200m in support to be provided to 251 organisations over the next three years. 

Further to this, 13 other organisations, will be supported by a £3.2m Development Fund, with a view to them joining the Multi-Year Funding portfolio in 2026/27. 

Over half of the organisations in the portfolio are being offered a multi-year funding commitment for the first time, reaching more parts of Scotland, and more parts of our society, than ever before. 

Those organisations which have an existing regular funding relationship with Creative Scotland will receive an average uplift of 34% in their funding in 2025/26, increasing to an average of 54% from 2026/27, bringing certainty and stability. 

Together, the organisations in this portfolio deliver cultural and creative work of quality, breadth and depth to audiences across Scotland and internationally and the portfolio is more representative of Scotland’s geography, diversity, people and communities than ever before. All this underlines Scotland’s reputation as a thriving creative nation where culture is valued and developed for all.  

​Importantly, the portfolio also provides significant support to Scotland’s local and national economy, through direct employment, by creating opportunities for freelancers, and by supporting individual artists and creative practitioners of all types. 

Robert Wilson, Chair of Creative Scotland said: 

“This is an extremely positive moment for culture in Scotland, bringing with it a renewed sense of stability and certainty to Scotland’s culture sector. 

“Thanks to the vote of confidence in the culture sector, demonstrated by the recently announced budget from the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland can offer stable, year-on-year funding to more organisations than ever before.  

“I’m particularly pleased that this funding will increase further from next year, enabling even more fantastic artistic and creative work to be developed here in Scotland.  

“Stable, long-term funding for as many organisations as possible is the underlying principle of the Multi-Year Funding programme, and we are delighted to be able to bring it to fruition.  

“This funding means that we are able to bring so many new, community focused organisations into the portfolio, while also providing significant increases to those more established organisations which have been on standstill, regular funding for so many years. 

“I’m also very pleased to be able to offer 13 further organisations significant amounts of development funding, to enable them to come into the portfolio in its second year. 

“This signals a significant moment of positive change for Scotland’s cultural community, and I hope that, after the deeply challenging time of the pandemic, and the difficulties that have faced the sector in the subsequent years, that now is the time that we can look forward with confidence and the Scottish culture sector can get on with what it does best, producing outstanding art and creativity for everyone to enjoy.” 

Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for Culture said:

“This is a foundational moment for culture and the arts in Scotland. More organisations than ever, in more parts of the country will benefit from the stability of Multi-Year Funding with the number of funded organisations more than doubling, from 119 to 251.

“Funded as part of a record £34 million increase for culture in the draft 2025-26 Scottish Budget, this significant increase in both the number of funded organisations, and the level of grant funding they will receive, has the potential to be truly transformational. It secures the future of key cultural organisations of all sizes across Scotland, which are major assets to our communities and our economy, supporting thousands of jobs and creating new opportunities for freelancers, artists and other creative practitioners.

“It means 251 culture organisations across Scotland, from Argyll and Bute to Shetland, Na h-Eileanan Siar, and the Borders, will receive Multi-Year Funding from April this year and a further 13 have the possibility of doing so from 2026-27. I am also reassured that the remaining unsuccessful applicants will all be offered bespoke support from Creative Scotland to adapt their business models.”

Download the list of organisations being awarded Multi-Year Funding, and their award for the next three years, as well as the list of organisations being offered development funding, and their conditional award for the next three years.

Organisations awarded Multi-Year Funding

Organisations offered development funding

Background

Multi-Year Funding

The Multi-Year Funding Programme has been developed in response to feedback from the culture sector and is designed to provide stable, long-term financial support to creative and cultural organisations in Scotland, covering core costs and programmes of work, from April 2025 to March 2028.   

Read full details on Multi-Year Funding, including guidance for applicants, timelines and the decision-making process: Multi-Year Funding | Creative Scotland

Multi-Year Funding Budget

In 2025/26, 251 organisations will receive a total of £60m, rising to a maximum of £74m in the years 2026/27 and 2027/28. 

A further 13 organisations will receive £3.2m to enable them to develop, with a view to them joining the Multi-Year Funding portfolio in 2026/27. 

The £60m budget being offered to organisations in 2025/26 by Creative Scotland includes £54m from the Scottish Government and £6m drawn from Creative Scotland’s National Lottery reserves. 

The budget will increase to £74m in 2026/27 and 2027/28, thanks to further budget commitment from the Scottish Government. 

The portfolio – at a glance

  • 251 organisations receiving three-year funding from 2025/26 - 2027/28 

  • A record 141 organisations are new to multi-year funding, bringing stability and longer-term certainty to more parts of Scotland’s culture sector than ever before 

  • More than a third of the portfolio (35%/87 organisations) receiving awards of between £50k and £120k in 2025/26 - an increase in smaller organisations now benefitting from year-on-year funding 

  • Organisations with an existing regular funding relationship with Creative Scotland will receive an average uplift of 34% in 2025/26, increasing to an average of 54% from 2026/27. 

  • Multi-Year Funding supporting organisations working across all parts of Scotland, with base locations in 27 Local Authorities, up from 21 previously. Over a third of organisations (35.5%) deliver their work across all parts of Scotland. 

  • There is a broad spread of creative practice across the portfolio, with 31% of organisations working on a multi-disciplinary basis, 18% working primarily in music, 18% in visual arts, 15% in theatre, 6% in Dance, with 5% working in literature, and 5% in screen. Many organisations in the portfolio produce work that crosses art-form boundaries. 

  • 169 (67%) of organisations produce work with a focus on a particular community or place focus to their work, and 164 (65%) have a specific EDI focus. There is an increased focus on Scotland's indigenous languages, with 14% of applicants including Gaelic language and culture in their work and 12% including Scots. 

  • 153 organisations (61%) work with and for children and young people 

  • 154 organisations (61%) in the portfolio also deliver their work internationally 

  • 77% of the portfolio are ‘presenting’ organisations, delivering performances, exhibitions and events directly to the public. 41% operate a cultural venue that is open to the public, 31% run a festival, and 27% run a production facility such as a workshop or a studio. More than half of all organisations being supported deliver support or development services for people and organisations in the culture sector 

  • The portfolio will support almost 4,000 direct jobs in Scotland as well as creating jobs and opportunities for an extensive community of freelancers, artists and other creative practitioners

Other routes to Creative Scotland funding 

Multi-Year Funding - for organisations requiring a minimum of £50,000 and above per year to cover core costs and programmes of work from April 2025 to March 2028 – is one of several routes to funding for both individuals and organisations through Creative Scotland: Multi-Year Funding

Our Open Funds offer support to those seeking backing for one-off projects and time-limited development activity. We have two Open Funds: 

  1. Open Fund for Individuals – for freelance and self-employed artists and creative practitioners to support periods of research, development and/or delivery of creative activity, such as specific projects and productions for up to 24 months and requiring funding of between £500 and £50,000 

  1. Open Fund for Organisations – for research & development, projects or programmes lasting up to 18 months and requiring funding of between £1,000 and £100,000. The fund can also support business change and development projects, such as those that make the organisation more financially sustainable or focus on broader organisational development

We also provide a series of Targeted Funds which support specific activities and development needs in an art form, specialism, or place. Examples include funds allocated by the Scottish Government for specific purposes such as the following which have all been designated for funding uplifts in 2025/26 as per Scottish Government's draft budget statement (published 4 Dec 2024): 

  • EXPO festival funds (to receive an extra £3m in 2025/26)  

  • UK National Lottery funds are targeted to support the screen sector through Screen Scotland (an additional £2m for Screen Scotland’s Production Growth Fund has been earmarked for 2025/26 from Scottish Government)

Media Enquiries

Please direct media enquiries to: [email protected]