From 2025, The Culture Investment Programme replaced the Council’s previous grant schemes for arts and culture.
The new programme provides more flexibility and entry points to funding based on organisations level of experience, capacity and capability. This is designed to give agency to culture organisations to access the right investment to enable them to deliver high quality activities for the people of Aberdeen. In total 15 Aberdeen based organisations received £1.3m at the 2025/26 Council budget meeting to deliver high quality activity for the benefit of the public through Culture Investment Programmes.
The programmes are as follows:
Acorn £500 - £2,500 – seed funding for pilots and small projects. – OPEN 28th April 2025
Catalyst £5,000 -£15,000 – project and festival funding. CLOSED
Cultivate £15,000- £100,000 – year-round programmes of cultural activity. CLOSED
Cornerstone £100,000 plus - Large scale Aberdeen based organisations delivering culture programmes. CLOSED
Acorn – How to apply
The Culture Investment Programmes Acorn Funding is open to a wide range of Aberdeen based organisations and community groups, as well as individuals, to deliver high quality creative and cultural activity for the benefit of Aberdeen citizens. Grants of up to £2,500 are available to support eligible activities which include,
- One of events taking place in Aberdeen -e.g. an event, performances, exhibitions or workshops.
- New, one-off pilot cultural projects in Aberdeen.
- Test a new cultural activity (this can be as part of a recurring event – e.g. an annual festival).
- The retention of emerging talent and development of established organisations to pilot new projects.
- Activities that reflect the creative and cultural diversity of Aberdeen. This includes activities by, with or for those with protected characteristics or those living in the most disadvantaged areas of the city.
Deadline for applications is Monday 9th June 2025 at 12 noon.
Please download the Acorn Funding guidelines and application form below.
Please read the guidelines and general advice before completing your application form. If you require further support or translation of a document into Gaelic or another language or if you require BSL support. Please contact creativefunding@aberdeencity.gov.uk A translation would take 5 working days.
Acorn Funding Information Session
This workshop will provide an overview of the funding stream launching on April 28th, 2025, designed to support Aberdeen-based creative and cultural activities. Whether you're an individual artist or representing an organisation, this session will help you understand the application process and requirements for up to £2,500 in funding.
In this workshop, you'll:
- Learn about the new Acorn funding opportunity and how it fits within the broader Culture Investment Programme
- Discover the eligibility criteria for individuals and organisations based in Aberdeen
- Understand what types of high-quality creative activities qualify for support
- Explore examples like new pilot projects, testing cultural activities, talent retention initiatives, and diverse cultural activities
- Have your questions answered by the team.
Suitable for individuals and organisations looking to develop creative activities in Aberdeen who aren't currently receiving other Cultural Investment support (Cornerstone, Cultivate or Catalyst). The session will include time for questions and discussion.
To reserve your place, please book here
For individual support with applications, online sessions can also be arranged by emailing creativefunding@aberdeencity.gov.uk.
Date, Time, and Location:
Date: Thursday, May 8th, 2025
Time: 5:30 PM - 6:00 PM