What you need to know
The National Events Programme is one of EventScotland's core funds. The fund is designed to help deliver the National Events Strategy, Scotland The Perfect Stage. The fund also supports the strategic development of events. It has been created to support live public facing sporting and cultural events. These must take place outwith the local authority areas of Edinburgh and Glasgow. They must also drive domestic tourism within Scotland.
Positive impact
The National Events Programme is designed to support innovative new projects and activity at events. These elements will need to meet the programme criteria. Awards of between £5,000 and £25,000 are available to events. Events will need to align with the key impact areas outlined in our National Events Strategy. They must also have delivery budgets of more than £20,000 and attract over 1,000 in-person attendees. Finally, they must showcase Scotland’s key event and tourism assets.
Events are assessed on their merits. The EventScotland team will look at ways the event will create a positive impact for the host region and Scotland as a whole. Events are assessed on their viability and event management experience as well as the five impact areas:
- economic, tourism and business
- brand, identity and reputation
- media and profile
- social and cultural
- sustainability
An event's ability to deliver against these impacts will determine any EventScotland offer.
How to apply
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1
Read the guidance
Applicants are asked to download and read the programme criteria and guidelines from this page. They are asked to consider whether their event may be eligible for support through this programme.
This document was last updated in July 2024. This funding round is for events that will be taking place between January to April 2025 (inclusive) only. Applications close at 5pm on Wednesday 4 September 2024.
National Events Programme 2024 - guidelines and criteria
Published July 2024
Guidelines for National Events Programme round 52.
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2
Submit an enquiry
Applying for funding from EventScotland is a two-step process. Applicants are asked to submit a funding enquiry before any application to the fund could be made.
Access to complete a full application via the online EventScotland funding portal is granted once an enquiry was reviewed and an event is deemed eligible for consideration under this programme.
A member of the EventScotland team will then share further details on the process after review of an enquiry.
Please note that there is no guarantee of funding after completion of the application process. Outcomes will be shared with applicants in due course.
Submit a funding enquiry -
3
Submit your application
After an applicant has submitted an enquiry and this is reviewed by EventScotland, if their event is eligible for consideration for funding, applicants will be sent a link and further details on how to apply online.
Applicants are asked to ensure they submitted enquiries in plenty of time before the deadline to allow for subsequent completion of the online application process.
The round 52 deadline for submission of applications online via the EventScotland Funding Portal closes at 5pm on Wednesday 4 September 2024.
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4
Meet the deadline
Round 52 for applications closes at 5pm on Wednesday 4 September 2024. This round is for events that will be taking place between 1 January to 30 April 2025 (inclusive).