Craft Scotland
Craft Scotland is the national development agency for contemporary craft in Scotland, supporting makers and curators through learning programmes (COMPASS), bursaries (Inches Carr), exhibition opportunities, and a Craft Directory of over 3,500 makers, funded primarily by charitable grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersEdinburgh, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Craft Scotland does
Craft Scotland is the national development agency for contemporary craft in Scotland, operating since 2008 as a registered Scottish charity (SC039491) and company limited by guarantee (SC270245) headquartered in Edinburgh. Its core function is sector development rather than direct commerce: it supports makers, curators, and the wider craft ecosystem through learning programmes, bursaries, exhibition opportunities, and an online directory. The organisation runs a platform-plus-programmes architecture built on a website (craftscotland.org) hosting the Craft Directory (over 3,500 maker profiles), What's On event listings, and the Craft Scotland Journal editorial hub, supplemented by a Mighty Networks-based learning platform (COMPASS: Online). Its flagship programmes include the year-long COMPASS Emerging Maker and Emerging Curator cohorts (5 cohorts since 2018), the Inches Carr Craft Bursaries (£2,000 emerging / £5,000 established, taken into Craft Scotland's custodianship in 2022), the Making History Residency with Historic Environment Scotland, and the MAKE with the Knit Shop CLPL project in Dundee primary schools. Annual participation at Collect (Somerset House, London) — ninth presentation in 2024 — anchors its international showcase activity, supplemented by partnerships with Swedish Crafts Centre, Cockpit, and Hospitalfield.
The organisation employs a small core team of seven staff (Director Irene Kernan, Creative Director Stacey Hunter, plus operations, finance, learning, and marketing leads) and operates on a non-commercial revenue model dominated by charitable grants from Creative Scotland, William Grant Foundation, and Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Self-generated income is limited to £49 annual Craft Directory profile fees and modest opportunity application fees, with a 15% discount for directory members. Pricing across the public-facing services is therefore essentially free or low-friction; the business model is grant-funded sector development, not commercial SaaS or marketplace economics. GTM is hybrid: event-driven (Collect, HARVEST, exhibitions, residencies) combined with community-led activation through the Maker Community platform, Journal content marketing, and direct outreach to maker and curator personas.
Craft Scotland firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Craft Scotland
- Legal name
- Craft Scotland
- Website
- https://craftscotland.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Craft Scotland is the national development agency for contemporary craft in Scotland, supporting makers and curators through learning programmes (COMPASS), bursaries (Inches Carr), exhibition opportunities, and a Craft Directory of over 3,500 makers, funded primarily by charitable grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Craft Scotland industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Arts Development Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA), Textile & Fiber Arts Classes (Weaving, Knitting, Embroidery, Dyeing) (THAJAKAB)
Keywords
Where Craft Scotland is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edinburgh
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Craft Scotland business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Charitable Funding & Grants: Craft Scotland is a registered Scottish charity (SC039491) and company limited by guarantee (SC270245), primarily funded through grants and partnerships with Creative Scotland, William Grant Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and other charitable organisations.
- Craft Directory Profile Fees: Makers pay a fee to maintain a profile on the Craft Directory, which provides visibility and business development opportunities. The Craft Directory fee is £49.
- Opportunity Application Fees: Fees associated with applying for Craft Scotland opportunities such as awards, bursaries, and exhibition slots. Craft Directory profile holders receive a 15% discount on application fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Craft Directory profile for makers |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Craft Scotland opportunity application fee |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Programme Administrator salary |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Inches Carr Craft Bursary - Emerging Maker |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Inches Carr Craft Bursary - Established Maker |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Craft Scotland product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Craft Scotland operates a national development agency supporting Scottish contemporary craft makers through a portfolio of learning programmes (COMPASS: Emerging Maker, COMPASS: Emerging Curator, and COMPASS: Online), funding mechanisms (Inches Carr Craft Bursaries of £2,000–£5,000), exhibition opportunities (Collect at Somerset House, HARVEST, Making History Residency, Workflow), and online platforms including the Craft Directory of 3,500+ makers, the What's On events listings, and the Craft Scotland Journal. The agency funds its work primarily through grants from Creative Scotland, William Grant Foundation, and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
Product overview
Craft Scotland is the national development agency supporting makers and promoting craft in Scotland. The organization operates a platform-plus-programmes architecture, consisting of its Craft Directory (a searchable database of over 3,500 Scottish makers), the What's On events platform, and the Craft Scotland Journal editorial content hub. Supporting these core platforms are its flagship learning and development programmes: COMPASS (Emerging Maker Programme, Emerging Curator Programme, and COMPASS: Online), the Inches Carr Craft Bursaries, the Making History Residency, and the MAKE with the Knit Shop educational initiative. The organization also facilitates international exhibition opportunities through its participation in Collect and produces themed exhibitions like Workflow.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- COMPASS: Craft Scotland's dynamic learning and development programme delivering tailored support for the craft sector, including the Emerging Maker Programme and Emerging Curator Programme
- HARVEST
- Craft Directory
- Craft Week Scotland
Products and services
- COMPASS: Emerging Maker Programme Year-long learning and development programme that nurtures Scottish craft talent and equips makers with skills to create sustainable businesses and creative practices, including online workshops, residential experiences, and mentoring by Cockpit's business incubation team.
- COMPASS: Online Free-to-access online learning and development platform for makers and craft professionals, offering courses on routes to market, sustainable making, and health and wellbeing, powered by Mighty Networks.
- COMPASS: Emerging Curator Programme Development programme supporting emerging craft curators at the early stages of their creative practice through networking, professional development sessions, and research trips such as Stockholm Craft Week.
- Craft Directory Ultimate guide to Scottish contemporary craft talent featuring profiles of over 3,500 makers across Scotland with contact details and discipline information, available via £49 annual subscription.
- Inches Carr Craft Bursaries Prestigious bursary awards supporting emerging and established Scotland-based makers with £2,000 (Emerging) and £5,000 (Established) bursaries for practice development, research, training, courses, residencies, or equipment.
- MAKE with the Knit Shop Two-year Career Long Professional Learning project for primary schools in Dundee, embedding craft approaches across the curriculum to develop numeracy skills, delivered in partnership with Knit Shop, Panel, and Dundee Creative Learning Network.
- What's On Public events listings platform featuring craft workshops, courses, and exhibitions across Scotland.
- Craft Scotland Journal Editorial platform featuring maker stories, craft news, exhibition reviews, and sector updates, including the monthly 'The Craft Edit' newsletter.
- Collect Exhibition Annual presentation of Scottish makers at Collect, the leading international fair for contemporary craft and design held at Somerset House, London, showcasing Scotland-based makers.
- Making History Residency Maker-in-residence initiative in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland, placing makers in Scotland's historical buildings (e.g. Arbroath Abbey) for community engagement projects such as Felicity Bristow's 'Roots and Crowns' workshops with Home-Start Angus families.
- Workflow Exhibition International exhibition project curated collaboratively by the COMPASS curator cohort, displayed at Swedish Crafts Centre in Stockholm.
- HARVEST Contemporary Craft Fair Annual contemporary craft fair organised by Craft Scotland featuring makers, exhibitions, and public engagement.
Quantifiable outcome
- COMPASS programme has supported 5 cohorts of emerging makers since 2018
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Craft Scotland
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Craft Scotland technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Craft Scotland partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.
- CockpitcoreLondon-based organisation supporting contemporary makers through studio space and business advice. Cockpit's Business Incubation team delivers one-to-one mentoring sessions for COMPASS programme participants, providing expertise in business development for craft practitioners.
- Konsthantverkscentrum (Swedish Crafts Centre)strategicSwedish Crafts Centre is the only occupational organisation for professional craft artists in Sweden with 800 members. Partnership on Workflow 2024 exhibition at The Swedish Crafts Centre, Stockholm, curated by COMPASS: Emerging Curator Programme cohort.
- World Crafts Council (Europe)minorTransnational network representing nearly 40 craft organisations from over 20 European countries with mission to promote and valorise crafts. Supported Workflow 2024 Talk at Swedish Crafts Centre.
- MAKEstrategicManifesto for craft in Scotland drawn from aspirations and concerns of Scotland's craft community. Partnership on MAKE with the Knit Shop project, guided by Panel with advisory group of makers.
- PanelstrategicCuratorial arts organisation led by Catriona Duffy and Lucy McEachan, based in Glasgow. Panel promotes design and craft in relation to particular histories, archives and collections through exhibitions, events and cultural projects. Leads MAKE with the Knit Shop project.
- Knit ShopstrategicIndependent knit factory in Dundee owned by award-winning Scottish textile and product designer Donna Wilson. Partnership on MAKE with the Knit Shop CLPL project for primary school teachers, bridging design, industry and education.
- Dundee Creative Learning NetworkminorLocal authority-led initiative providing support in developing creative teaching, creative learning and creativity skills across subjects. Partnership on MAKE with the Knit Shop programme in Dundee primary schools.
- Historic Environment ScotlandstrategicGovernment body responsible for historic environment in Scotland. Partnership on Making History Residency initiative, hosting makers in residence at historical buildings including Arbroath Abbey, with access to archive resources.
- HospitalfieldstrategicRenowned arts centre in Arbroath hosting five-day immersive residential for COMPASS programme participants. Makers engage in case studies, peer-to-peer critiques, and explore personal and professional values.
- Arbroath 2020+1minorFestival and community project facilitating Making History residency at Arbroath Abbey. Partnership enables community engagement craft project with Home-Start Angus charity.
- Home-Start AngusminorCharity supporting young families in Angus. Community partner for Making History residency, with maker Felicity Bristow running 'Roots and Crowns' book-making workshops with families.
- Crafts CouncilcoreNational development agency for contemporary crafts in the UK. Organises Collect international fair at Somerset House where Craft Scotland showcases Scottish makers annually. Partnership is central to Craft Scotland's international reach strategy.
- Culture & Business ScotlandminorOrganisation bridging culture and business sectors. Craft Scotland is a member, indicating commitment to business engagement alongside artistic mission.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Craft Scotland competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Craft Scotland social profiles
Digital presenceCraft Scotland financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Craft Scotland leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Craft Scotland funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Craft Scotland M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Craft Scotland
What does Craft Scotland do?
Craft Scotland operates a national development agency supporting Scottish contemporary craft makers through a portfolio of learning programmes (COMPASS: Emerging Maker, COMPASS: Emerging Curator, and COMPASS: Online), funding mechanisms (Inches Carr Craft Bursaries of £2,000–£5,000), exhibition opportunities (Collect at Somerset House, HARVEST, Making History Residency, Workflow), and online platforms including the Craft Directory of 3,500+ makers, the What's On events listings, and the Craft Scotland Journal. The agency funds its work primarily through grants from Creative Scotland, William Grant Foundation, and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
Is Craft Scotland a public or private company?
Craft Scotland is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Craft Scotland founded?
Craft Scotland was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Craft Scotland based?
Craft Scotland is headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Craft Scotland make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Charitable Funding & Grants are the primary driver. The others are craft Directory Profile Fees and opportunity Application Fees.
Does Craft Scotland have an API?
No public API is recorded for Craft Scotland.
What industry is Craft Scotland in?
Craft Scotland's product category is Arts Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAAAD, Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media), with a secondary code of THAJAKAA, Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture).