Funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Arts & Business

The Scottish Government has made new funding available to Arts & Business from its CashBack for Communities initiative to encourage sponsorship of arts activities to help divert young people from becoming involved in crime and anti-social behaviour.

The funding comes from money and goods seized from organised crime under the Government's Proceeds of Crime initiative. Funding of £600,000 has been made available to Arts & Business over two years (2008 - 2010).


The aims of the Arts & Business scheme are to:

• Increase the number of businesses sponsoring arts activities that promote inclusion through the arts for young people between the ages of 10 and 19
• Promote the 'inspirational' power of the arts to expand the horizons of young people and help divert them from becoming involved in crime and anti-social behaviour
• Involve those who may not otherwise have arts opportunities, especially Looked After Children and the Young Carers community

An arts organisation receiving an eligible business sponsorship will be able to apply for £1 of funding for every £1 of sponsorship it receives. (The maximum grant is £40,000 and the minimum grant is £1,000. Both in-kind and cash sponsorship are eligible.) The funding must go towards additional activity for which the sponsor receives additional benefits.

Full details regarding eligibility criteria and priority funding areas can be found in the application Guidelines. Please refer to these before making an application. Download the CashBack for Communities  Application Form here. If you are new to securing business sponsorship for your activities you can also download a sample Sponsorship Contract here to assist you with your application.

Given that the CashBack for Communities funding has the aim of assisting in countering anti-social behaviour among young people, we strongly recommend that there be consultation with the relevant Local Authority department engaged in tackling this issue (Community Safety or equivalent). A list of relevant Local Authority Contacts can be downloaded here.

Arts organisations planning to provide activity for Looked after Children or Children in Care should consider working with, or taking advice from, voluntary sector organisations working with relevant young people such as Includem, Barnardo's, National Children's Homes, The Princess Royal Trust for Carers or the appropriate department of the local authority.