The National Lottery Extended Programme Fund is a new time-limited funding opportunity for arts and cultural organisations launched in February 2023.
The fund aims to create the opportunity for non-profit organisations to get longer term support than is currently available through the National Lottery Open Fund for Organisations, during a period when they may also be making an application to Creative Scotland’s Multi-Year Funding Programme.
The fund will be assessed against 6 key criteria, including an enhanced focus on equalities, fair work and environmental sustainability.
For further information on these criteria, why they are important and the outcomes they will help to contribute towards, visit the Funding Criteria page.
The fund can support organisations seeking funding to deliver a programme of activity to audiences – such as programming a gallery, venue or arts centre, or for developing and delivering an arts or cultural festival.
The fund can also support organisations to deliver programmes of developmental activity that are open and accessible to the wider creative community.
As the funding comes from the National Lottery and is intended to support activity that maximises public benefit, any type of constituted non-profit distributing artistic, creative or cultural organisation based in Scotland can apply.
Non-profit distributing organisations based outside Scotland but operating with a UK-wide remit, can apply if the funding is for activity taking place in Scotland, and which will be of direct benefit to people in Scotland.
All other non-profit applicants based outside Scotland can only consider applying for support if they are delivering activity that takes place in Scotland, they are working with Scotland-based partners, and they are able to demonstrate that their work is directly benefiting those based here (be they audiences or the creative community).
All applicant organisations must have a UK bank account in the same name as the applicant organisation.
Please note: as part of the Scottish Government’s Bute House Agreement, all organisations applying for funding from Creative Scotland from 1 July 2023 will be required to pay all directly employed staff at least the Real Living Wage.
Eligible applicants can seek support of between £100k – £200k for a programme of creative activity lasting between 18-24 months.
The fund is time-limited and closed at 2pm on 14 November 2023.
Applicants will receive a decision on their application within 16 weeks of submission.
Please note that these timelines are impacted by Christmas public holidays for applications received between September and November 2023. See Page 10 in the Guidance for Applicants for more details.
Applications are now closed. For information on what the application process was, and further details on aspects like eligibility, read the Guidance for Applicants, and details of the Funding Criteria.
Because of the timescales involved in delivering this fund, there will be only one opportunity to apply - if unsuccessful, applicants will not be able to reapply.
