Friday September 18th 2026
Edinburgh City Chambers
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Edinburgh’s cultural organisations will be able to apply for a share of a new £2.62 million funding pot after councillors backed measures to support the city’s arts and cultural sector.
Members agreed yesterday (September 17) to extend funding for existing Third Party Cultural Grants partners until March 2028, alongside the launch of a new Innovate Fund supported by the city’s Visitor Levy.
A one-off 25 per cent increase, worth around £1.065m, was also agreed for existing funded organisations, including the Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival and Fringe Society, as well as community organisations.
The £2.62m Innovate Fund will open for applications next week and is available to eligible cultural and arts organisations of all sizes, including those working at a local community level.
The fund is intended to improve resilience, encourage new approaches to programming and strengthen cultural activity across the city.
Applicants will also need to demonstrate how their projects will benefit visitors to Edinburgh.
Councillors agreed that the eligibility criteria should be interpreted as broadly as possible while complying with legislative requirements. Organisations not currently receiving Third Party Cultural Grants will also be encouraged to apply.
The aim is to allow a wider range of cultural groups and organisations to access the funding available.
The funding forms part of a wider £25m-plus investment in culture, heritage and events over the next three years through the Visitor Levy.
The council said the combination of continued investment and a focus on innovation would support growth across the city’s cultural sector while benefiting residents, visitors and organisations.
Cllr Margaret Graham, Culture and Communities Convener, said:
“I have listened and heard the views and feedback of our cultural partners in recent weeks and the 25% uplift they have secured will provide certainty for the next year.
“I was absolutely clear, however, that this agreement could not be at the expense of our smaller cultural organisations across the city – many of which receive no funding at all. I have been a long time advocate of young people and communities and I know first-hand the value of local arts groups in our communities across the city.
“The funding package we agreed today will see all our cultural partners benefit, whatever their size or stature, but we need to find a fairer and more sustainable way of doing business in future – something that will high on the agenda at the round table discussion I will be calling in the coming weeks.”
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