Creative Scotland has detailed its plans to award a ‘record number’ of cultural organisations with stable, year-on-year funding as part of its multi-year funding announcement. 

This is the largest number of cultural organisations ever to be supported on a multi-year basis, enabling more than £200 million in support to be provided to 251 organisations over the next three years. In addition, 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.

According to Creative Scotland, the significant increase in funding will shape a creative portfolio more ‘representative of Scotland’s geography, diversity, people and communities than ever before’. 

More than half of the organisations in the portfolio are being offered a multi-year funding commitment for the first time. 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.

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.’ 

One of the beneficiaries of the funding is Glasgow's CCA, which suffered months of financial uncertainty in 2024. The multi-use arts venue took to Instagram to write, 'We are absolutely delighted to share that CCA has been awarded multi-year funding from Creative Scotland. We want to thank Creative Scotland for believing in us, and for the significant uplift in our funding across the next three years.
'The past year has been incredibly tough. We have fought incredibly hard to keep CCA alive and to make sure we would be here for the long term. This funding is a recognition of that fight, and a testament to the resilience, creativity and determination of our team, the artists we work with, and the community that has stood by us.
‘To everyone who has championed us and believed in what we do - thank you. Because of you, we’ve been able to navigate this challenging time, and now, we can look ahead with renewed energy.’

The CCA will reopen on Tuesday 1 April. 

The announcement comes after months of uncertainty for the Scottish arts community after the Scottish government was forced to delay decisions to its multi-year funding programme in October 2024, and after the shutdown of Creative Scotland’s Open Fund For Individuals after delays in funding clarification from the Scottish Government (the Open Fund was reopened on Tuesday 8 October).