Local museums across Scotland get £2m to build financial resilience

This article was first published by the Museums Association.

Museums Galleries Scotland has awarded grants worth £2m through a new scheme supporting museums to achieve long-term sustainability.

The Museum Futures programme was announced by the Scottish Government last year to “accelerate innovation and collaboration while securing a more sustainable future for Scotland’s museum sector”. 

This tranche of £2m funding will support museums to increase their leadership capacity, address barriers to financial resilience, and invest in ambitious projects that will improve their financial positions. 

The £4m Museum Futures programme, which was developed in partnership by the Scottish Government, Museums Galleries Scotland and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, came in direct response to the significant challenges facing the museum sector. It offers funding via a number of different streams, as well as non-financial wraparound support.

The Scottish Government recently committed to a second year of funding for the programme in its 2026-27 budget.