Funding Sources for Museums
Page Updated 20/2/23
South East Museum Development Grants
Details about our 2022-23 small grants programme are available from 1st April 2022 on our grants webpage.
Arts Council England (ACE) Project Grants
- Art Council National Lottery Project Grants
- Museums (both accredited and non-accredited) can apply.
- For requests under £30,000 there is an 8-week turn around.
- For requests over £30,000 there is a 12-week turn around.
Grantium
- You must register for a Grantium account to submit a grant application to Arts Council.
- Grantium is the online portal ACE uses to administer their grants.
- It can take a bit of time to set up (up to 2 weeks) so don’t wait until the last minute get it sorted. There is a Step-by-Step Guide to Grantium available on our website.
- For assistance with Grantium, please contact ACE’s Customer Service team
National Lottery Heritage Fund – Grants
- National Lottery Grants for Heritage (£3000 to £10,000)
- National Lottery Grants for Heritage (£10,000-£250,000)
- National Lottery Grants for Heritage (£250,000-£5million)
- Applications under £250,000 are assessed on a monthly basis.
- Repair Grants for Heritage at Risk – grants towards the repair and conservation of listed buildings, scheduled monuments and registered parks and gardens, intended to reduce the risk faced by sites on the Heritage at Risk Register
- Heritage Protection Commissions– funding for strategic research and to build skills and capacity in the historic environment. Funds through both Open Proposals Programme and Calls for Proposals
- Regional Capacity Building Programme– for activities and projects which are regional in coverage and promote the understanding, management and conservation of the historic environment
Association of Independent Museums (AIM) Grants
Membership network for independent museums, galleries and heritage organisations across the UK. Administers grants for museums to help AIM members with a variety of needs including training, conservation, and exhibitions.
South Downs National Park Grants and Funds
Funding support for community projects within the South Downs National Park.
Grants for the repair and conservation of rural historic buildings and structures, including where appropriate their gardens, grounds and outbuildings. Usually listed or scheduled buildings. Usually make grants to projects which are ready to begin but will also consider seed funding to kick start a project.
An affordable subscription service for small organisation providing access to grants and finance opportunities from local, national and international funding sources.
Revenue, project and capital grants in the following categories. The Foundation remains open to new applications and are offering flexibility around timescales and reporting to current grantees. Are taking a phased approach to grants, including considering medium term core costs needs for resilience as well as planning for longer-term strategic projects.
- Museums and Heritage– support organisations that conserve and interpret our nation’s heritage for future generations, ensuring it is accessible and available to all
- Arts – support organisations that delight and inspire audiences across the UK. Major Grants – £100,000 and above; Regular Grants – under £100,000
UK’s leading grants and policy database.
Grants of up to £5,000 for UK charities for conservation of historic buildings, conservation of historic objects or paintings, arts projects engaging with marginalised audiences for the appreciation of arts, performances or exhibitions.
One of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts. Trustees are prepared to consider unsolicited proposals so long as they closely match one of their areas of interest (i.e., Arts & Heritage UK, Health and Social Welfare).
Supports registered charities in projects that support the arts and conservation.
National network of community-led organisations; work aims to inspire local communities to change and improve by helping people to set up locally owned and led organisations, support organisations to exchange ideas and best practice on community asset ownership, community enterprise and social action, run major national programmes to support and empower local communities
- Museums Association Benevolent Fund
- Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund
National Heritage Memorial Fund
The National Heritage Memorial Fund has been awarding grants to safeguard the UK’s most important heritage since 1980.
- Standard funding stream
National Manuscripts Conservation Trust
Helps preserve important manuscript and archive collections by awarding grants for their conservation. Applications accepted from non-national archives and record offices, as well as specialist libraries, universities, and museums
Nesta Arts & Culture Impact Fund
Flexible repayable finance for socially driven arts and heritage organisations for a range of purposes (e.g., developing new income streams, capital projects, working capital).
- Access & Participation Fund £30K – £400K, 1-4 years; rolling assessment
- Teacher Development Fund up to £150K, 2 academic years; one deadline per year
- Arts-based Learning Fund £30K-£400K, 2-3 years, rolling assessment
- Shared Ground Fund (migration/integration) £30K-£400K, up to 4 yrs, rolling assessment
- Youth Fund (14-25yrs) up to £90K, up to 3 years, rolling assessment
Committed to preserving the UK’s unique heritage for the benefit of future generations. The main emphasis is on projects that conserve historical buildings, monuments, and collections; also encourages projects that promote awareness either by making collections more available or by supporting academic research and ones that improve access.
- Preservation and Scholarship– projects that conserve historical buildings, monuments and collections; also encourage projects that promote awareness either by making collections more available or by supporting academic research and ones that improve access.
Sainsbury Family Charity Trusts
The Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts is the operating office of 18 grant-making trusts established by members of the Sainsbury family. Each trust works autonomously as an independent legal entity with a separate board of trustees. Many of the trusts work closely with their chosen beneficiaries over a long period to achieve particular objectives and the majority of unsolicited proposals received by the Trusts are likely to be unsuccessful. See the website for further details and a list of all the trusts.
Material of any date relating to arts and culture is eligible for support: archaeological and ethnographical material; objects illustrating social and popular culture, decorative and fine art; rare books; documents and letters with good historical content, estate maps, writers’ manuscripts and archival photographs. Objects to be bought at auction are also eligible.
Aims to improve the civic health of society mainly through education and research, specifically supporting excellence in the fields of education, science and medicine, health and disability, and arts and humanities.