HomeFrequently Asked Questions
How can I find funding for conservation?
You may be eligible to apply for funding for conservation or preservation from one of the following schemes: The National Manuscripts Conservation Trust · The Pilgrim Trust · Research Resources in Medical History · The Heritage Lottery Fund ·
Further information on sources of funding
The National Manuscripts Conservation Trust - Who is eligible to apply?
a. Record offices, libraries and other similar publicly funded institutions including local authority, university and specialist record repositories, and b. owners of manuscript material which is conditionally exempt from capital taxation or owned by a charitable trust provided that · reasonable access is allowed to members of the public · suitable storage conditions are available · there is a firm commitment to continuing good preservation practice · assurances are given for the reimbursement of the grant in the event of subsequent disposal of the material for which it has been made. Applications cannot be accepted from institutions directly funded by the government. The custodian of a deposited collection may apply for funding jointly with the owner. What material is eligible for grant aid? Manuscripts, documents or archives which are · the property of the applicant or required by law to be deposited on loan with the applicant (e.g. parish records under the Parochial Records and Records Measure 1978) and · of a national importance or significance which deserves special conservation treatment beyond the applicant's normal resources. The following types of material are not eligible: · public records within the meaning of the Public Records Acts · the official archives of the institution or authority applying for a grant (older records, particularly if they are unusual or unique survivals, may however qualify for consideration) · loan collections falling outside the terms of sub-paragraph (b) above · photographic material · audio-visual material · printed material. for further details The National Manuscripts Conservation Trust or email NMCT.
The Pilgrim Trust Who is eligible to apply?
Normally applications will only be considered from United Kingdom registered charities except where the applicant is exempt from registration, is a recognised public body or is registered as a Friendly Society. No grants can be made to individuals. What material is eligible for grant aid? The trustees' current priorities include social welfare, art and learning, preservation and places of worship. The trustees' are willing to consider applications for cataloguing and conservation within museums, galleries, libraries and archives, particularly those outside London, as part of the art and learning focus of the Trust. The Pilgrim Trust does not make grants for the following: · major capital projects and major appeals, particularly where 'partnership' funding is required and where any contribution from the Pilgrim Trust would not make a significant difference. · activities the Trust considers to be primarily the responsibility of central or local government.
Please contact the Director, Georgina Nayler, at The Pilgrim Trust, Cowley House, 9 Little College Street, London SW1P 3XS, for further information.
Research Resources in Medical History - Who is eligible to apply?
This scheme is open to any type of institution in the UK but not to individuals. Libraries and repositories in all sectors, and collaborative programmes or projects, which may be funded by other agencies or sources, are all eligible. What material is eligible for grant aid? The scheme focuses on the history of medicine and any collections associated with this field. There is no restriction to any particular material, project type, or historical period. Projects that have a wide and lasting application for study and research are preferred but proposal for the scheme could centre on: · conservation work to save fragile and damaged materials · conservation of important photographic collections Grants may be used to pay staff salaries and purchase any necessary equipment, for example, to improve environmental monitoring and control. Please see Research Resources in Medical History for further information.
The Heritage Lottery Fund - Who is eligible to apply?
You can apply for a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund if: · You are a not-for-profit organisation · Your project is concerned with heritage · You need a grant of £5,000 or more (although there are other grants schemes for smaller amounts) · You can raise at least 10% of your project costs from other sources, either as cash or as non-cash contributions (for projects over £100,000 in cost you will need to raise at least 25% from other sources) What material is eligible for grant aid? · local history archives · photographic collections · spoken history records · rare books · manuscripts · archives of all kinds The Heritage Lottery Fund wishes to give grants to ensure that records are properly conserved and better housed and presented. They are willing to support projects that help people get better access to records and understand more about them. We can also help buy important items to add to existing collections, and can make grants for appropriate projects to convert information about the collections into electronic form. Please see The Heritage Lottery Fund or email HLF for more information. ·
Alternatively you may be able to identify further sources of funding using the following online and printed resources:
Websites:
Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Association of Charitable Foundations
CORDIS: Community Research and Development Information
Printed sources:
- The Directory of Grant Making Trusts, 2003/04 edition, by Dave Casson et al, Charities Aid Foundation, London 2003
- A Guide to Company Giving, 4th edition, edited by John Smyth, Directory of Social Change, London 2002
- A Guide to the Major Trusts, 2003/04 edition
Vol 1: the top 300 trusts, edited by Luke Fitzherbert and Jo Wickens, Directory of Social Change, London 2003
Vol 2: a further 700 trusts, edited by Alan French, Directory of Social Change, London 2003 - A Guide to additional Sources of Funding and Revenue for Libraries and Archives, 2nd edition, Joanne Lomax et al, revised by Roy Sully, The British Library, London 2002
For general advice on how to make applications for conservation projects please see the booklet: Preparing funding applications for preservation and conservation projects (PDF format 34KB)
