Access and Support
Screen Scotland is committed to offering clear and accessible application processes that are open to everyone. We have several ways of supporting you to make your application.
Alternative Formats and Languages
Our published materials, including funding guidance and application forms, can be made available in other formats as required. We can accept applications and supporting materials written in English, Gaelic or Scots.
To request materials in other formats or languages, contact our Enquiries Service by emailing: [email protected]
If you are a d/Deaf BSL user, you can access our services with the Contact Scotland-BSL programme. Visit www.contactscotland-bsl.org for more information.
Access Support to make an application
We can help cover the cost of services that support you in applying for our funding.
Access support is available to individuals or lead applicants of groups, who are defined as disabled under the Equality Act 2010, with characteristics such as being:
To find out what support is available, and how to request it, please visit the Access Support section of our website.
If you have any questions, email us at: [email protected]
What is the Schools Screen Education Fund?
The development of Scotland’s future screen sector begins with education.
Screen Scotland’s ambition is to ensure every child and young person across Scotland has the opportunity to make or collaborate in the making of a film and screen product.
Screen Scotland believes talent is everywhere, and creating opportunities for that talent to develop is our priority. Engaging with film and screen learning is a creative, collaborative process which develops young peoples’ skills in filmmaking and builds creative and critical thinking, teamwork and communication skills.
The fund is designed to support innovative projects for pupils that will strengthen and grow screen education in schools, aligning with the fund’s key priorities:
Find out more about Screen Scotland’s vision in our Strategy to 2030/31 .
Who can apply?
Early Years, Primary or Secondary Schools in Scotland whose proposed activities meet the fund criteria.
Applications should be submitted by one lead school . If you plan to work with partners, the lead school must provide letters of commitment from each partner named.
How much can I apply for?
You can apply for between £500 - £5,000 per project.
When can I apply?
There are no deadlines for this fund, and applications will be accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.
How long will it take to get a decision?
Decisions will take up to eight weeks from the date we receive your completed application with all the information required to make a full assessment.
If you apply less than eight weeks before your project starts, your application will be deemed ineligible.
What can the funds be used for?
Funding can be used to support a range of costs in planning and delivering your project, such as:
This fund cannot support costs relating to:
How to Apply
Application process
To apply, please read this application guidance and apply through the Schools Screen Education Fund Application Form , available below. Applications should be submitted by one lead school.
Your completed application form and required supporting materials should be submitted by email to [email protected]
Supporting materials
In addition to the application form, please submit the following materials:
Project budget
A detailed, balanced budget, created using Microsoft Excel, with all costs broken down, including any guaranteed/pending partnership funding, stating whether this is cash or in-kind.
Letters of commitment
Confirmation of partnership funding
Safeguarding policy
For all work involving working with children, young people or vulnerable adults, we require a safeguarding policy and advise that expert advice is taken on this, as required. More details on safeguarding can be found in Appendix 1: Safeguarding .
Your school or local authority’s Equality, Diversion and Inclusion Policy
Other relevant supporting materials (optional)
Banking requirements
If a school does not have its own bank account, it must obtain written confirmation from its local authority. This confirmation should state:
The local authority authorises the school application.
The local authority’s bank details will be used to receive any awarded funds.
Any awarded funds will be made available exclusively to the named lead school.
Please ensure these arrangements are in place before submitting your application.
Addressing the criteria
Your application should clearly show how your project meets the fund criteria detailed below - these criteria align with the questions in the application form.
1. Aims and objectives
Your application should demonstrate that your project:
Has achievable goals by setting three SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timebound).
2. Project delivery and partnerships
Your application should demonstrate that your project:
3. Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
Equalities, Diversion and Inclusion is one of Screen Scotland’s key strategic priorities . At its core, it is about fairness, opportunity and ensuring everyone can take part in screen education. Projects that embrace EDI are stronger and more creative because they reflect the diversity of Scotland’s communities.
EDI can be defined as:
Your application should demonstrate that your project:
In addition to demonstrating how your project embeds and prioritises EDI through your application form, we expect all funded projects to:
Access Requirements
When planning your project, consider what participants may need to take part fully - this may include:
Accessible venues and facilities including step-free access, clear signage, gender-neutral toilets, quiet rooms.
Evaluating your project
If you successfully receive funding, you will be required to evaluate your project.
Evaluation should reflect the SMART objectives in your application and include feedback from participants and practitioners and outline any changes to the planned activity, why these changes occurred, and what the effect of those changes has been.
Decision making process
Stage 1: Submission and Initial Checks
If incomplete, you’ll be notified and given a short period to provide the missing information. If you do not do this, or if you do not meet the eligibility criteria for the fund, your application will not be assessed. You will be notified of this, and of the reasons why, by email.
Stage 2: Assessment
Stage 3: Recommendation and Panel
Stage 4: Decision
If successful, you’ll receive:
An award letter with grant conditions (if applicable)
A Funding Agreement
Details of any conditions that must be met before funding is released (e.g. proof of additional funding, insurance or project milestones)
Recommendations to help achieve your project goals (these are optional).
If unsuccessful, you will receive feedback and can request the full assessment.
Stage 5: Payment and Conditions
First payment (typically 75% of the award) is made once:
Subsequent payment is made after:
Stage 6: End of Project
Appendix 1: Safeguarding
Safeguarding encompasses the measures implemented to protect individuals from harm, abuse, and exploitation. Specific safeguarding obligations and legal requirements apply to those working with children, young people, or protected adults.
Definitions:
Although Creative Scotland primarily functions as a funder and does not hold a regulatory role, we expect grant recipients to take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously. Therefore, if your funded activity engages children, young people, or protected adults, you must demonstrate your understanding of steps needed to ensure their safety. You must also have a safeguarding policy.
Your safeguarding policy should be tailored to your activities and outline the principles of your safeguarding approach in a way that is proportionate to the needs of the groups you will be engaging with, the level of engagement you plan to have with them, and the level of risk involved.
As a guide, your safeguarding policy should:
Demonstrate that appropriate policies are followed when appointing staff or volunteers, and that regular training is offered to reduce the risk of harm or abuse. This should include appropriate background checks, such as PVG scheme membership for regulated roles.
If you need to create a safeguarding policy, we advise that you seek expert advice and use resources such as our Creating Safety guidance as well as the NSPCC .
Appendix 2: Legal and Compliance Requirements
Terms and Conditions
For the full Terms and Conditions of Creative Scotland funding, please visit our website .
Subsidy Control
Screen Scotland, as part of Creative Scotland, must comply with Subsidy Control legislation. Learn more on the Subsidy Control webpage .
Data Protection
Creative Scotland requires some personal information about you/your organisation to consider your application for funding. Without this information we will be unable to process your application.
If you would like to see a breakdown of the personal information we require, why it is required, what we do with that information and how long we keep it, please refer to our Privacy Notice on our website .
Creative Scotland may share your personal information with third parties to comply with the law and/or for our legitimate interests and/or the third parties concerned.
Where the personal information you have provided to Creative Scotland belongs to other individual(s), please refer to our Privacy Notice. Please ensure you share this Privacy Statement and Creative Scotland’s Privacy Notice with the respective individual(s).
You have some rights in relation to the personal information that Creative Scotland holds about you under data protection law. Information on how to exercise these rights is contained in our Privacy Notice or you can contact our Data Protection Officer .
If you have any concerns with how we have processed your personal information, you should contact our Data Protection Officer in the first instance, as we would welcome the opportunity to work with you to resolve any complaint. If you are still dissatisfied, you can submit a complaint to the Information Commissioners Office.
Complaints
As an organisation, we will always listen to and respond to any concerns that you may have. If you would like to make a complaint about either the service you have received from Creative Scotland or the way we have handled your application, we have a process that you can use.
Please note that Creative Scotland does not have an appeals process and for this reason, we are unable to accept complaints that relate solely to the decision we have made rather than how we have made it. For more information, please visit the complaints section of our website .
Freedom of Information (FOI)
Creative Scotland is committed to being as open as possible. We believe that the public has a right to know how we spend public funds and how we make our funding decisions. For more information, visit the Freedom of Information section of our website .
We are listed as a public authority under the Freedom of Information Act (Scotland) 2002. By law, we may have to provide your application documents and information about our assessment to any member of the public who asks to see them under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. We may not release those parts of the documents which are covered by one or more of the exemptions under the Act.
Please see the Freedom of Information website at www.itspublicknowledge.info for information about the Act generally and the exemptions. We will not release any information about applications during the assessment period, as this may interfere with the decision-making process.
