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  • Last updated: September 25th 2025

Bursary for museum marketing photography

Boost your marketing by applying for up to £1,000 to pay for new photographs of your museum or gallery.

An adult with light skin and long straight brown hair holds a young child with light skin and plaited brown hair in their arms. The child is smiling and pointing to a panel covered in illustrations of British wildlife.

Information for applicants

Applications for this bursary closed on October 20th 2025. We plan to launch a new round of this bursary in early summer 2026.

About the bursary

Eye-catching photography is a great way to promote your museum or gallery to potential visitors. It can transform your website, social media, and print materials. 

Your museum organisation can apply for up to £1,000 (including VAT) to spend on commissioning photography for marketing purposes. We have a total of £10,000 available to award.

Our marketing team will offer successful applicants continued support as they undertake their commissions.

Eligibility and requirements

  • This bursary is open to Accredited and non-Accredited museum organisations in Scotland.
  • Applicants must provide evidence that their organisation is compliant with the Scottish Government’s Fair Work First policy. 
  • Successful applicants will pay upfront for the photography, and then submit an invoice to MGS for reimbursement. Bursary recipients must submit their invoice, along with evidence of their expenditure on the commissioned photography, to MGS by 1st March 2026.
  • Bursary recipients will share all final edits of the commissioned photography with MGS. MGS will be granted permission to use this media for general marketing and promotional purposes, and share this media with third parties. 
  • MGS will then upload a selection of these photographs to Wikimedia Commons as open access images. For bursary recipients to fulfil this requirement, they will need to secure their photographer’s consent for the images to be shared under the CC BY-SA 4.0 open access licence, and submit evidence of this consent to MGS by 1st March 2026.

Details on how to fulfil the image sharing and open access requirements of the bursary can be found in the downloadable document below.

Guide: Open Access Licences and Photographer Contracts
(PDF, 58 KB)
Download

Advice for applicants

Our advice guide on working with photographers and models should help you to identify the photos you need, write a brief, and organise a photoshoot.

Our Marketing toolkit has a section on how to take and use photographs. This information can help shape your brief for photographers.

You can also email our marketing team with any questions about the bursary or your plans to commission photography.

Working with photographers and models
Professional photography can transform your marketing and attract new audiences to your museum or gallery. This guide will help you identify your needs, build a brief for photographers, and plan a photoshoot.
Information for Grants
Fair Work First
Read our guidance on the mandatory Fair Work requirements all funding applicants need to demonstrate.
Social Media Toolkit
Social media can play a key role in supporting your museum’s marketing and engagement objectives. This guide will help you develop a digital presence that's right for you and your audiences.