New £3.8m Visitor Levy fund to improve Edinburgh's cultural and heritage buildings opens for applications
Council Leader Jane Meagher said the new fund will “make the city a more accessible and welcoming destination for everyone”
Applications are now open for a new multi-million pound Visitor Levy fund to futureproof Edinburgh’s cultural and heritage buildings.
The Small Scale Accessible and Sustainable Capital Fund is a three-year programme which will use £3.8 million from Edinburgh’s newly-introduced Visitor Levy to help upgrade and invest in some of the city’s historic buildings.
Grants of between £10,000 and £500,000 will be available to invest in making buildings more accessible for visitors and helping to cut carbon emissions.
Examples of works that could be done with grants allocated to those with successful applications include installing new ramps and lifts, upgrading insulation and windows, and delivering new technology including wayfinding apps or live captioning equipment.
Council leader Jane Meagher said: “Edinburgh’s cultural and heritage buildings and spaces are at the heart of what makes our city a world leading cultural destination. We want to invest in these places and protect their futures as high quality, green, creative and well-maintained visitor destinations that everyone can enjoy.
“A thriving cultural sector in our capital city is one that benefits visitors and residents alike.
“The Visitor Levy is all about sustaining and enhancing everything that makes Edinburgh so special. By using some of its proceeds to upgrade these unique places, we can make the city a more accessible and welcoming destination for everyone.”
Applications for the project are now open and will continue with rolling deadlines. The first round of applications will close on Friday, November 20, while the second round closes on Friday, February 26, 2027 and the final round closes on Friday, December 10, 2027.
Organisations and owners can submit an application via the City of Edinburgh Council website.
The Small Scale Accessible and Sustainable Capital Fund has been delivered through the Culture, Heritage and Events investment programme.
The fund is part of a number of investment programmes worth over £90 million delivered by Edinburgh’s Visitor Levy, which was introduced earlier this year.
The programmes already operating as part of the Visitor Levy fund include a £2.62m Innovate fund for eligible cultural and arts organisations, a £132,000 contribution towards Edinburgh’s Festival Carnival and Mardi Gras events and the creation of the City Centre Police Unit in partnership with Police Scotland.