Our new grants scheme with Art Fund, to support museums in the process of recovery.

South West Museum Development, along with our fellow Museum Development Providers is delighted to be working in collaboration with Art Fund to distribute new Recovery Grants to museums and heritage organisations.  We know, from the many years of delivering small grants, how a small amount of investment can make a significant impact locally.

About our Recovery Grants

  • Grants up to £10,000
  • Available to museums and heritage organisations in the South West
  • For organisations ineligible for, or unable to successfully access the other emergency packages and financial measures available to the sector
  • Applications opening 1st July 2020

Many museums and heritage organisations across our region are fully or partly volunteer run, alongside a small number of paid staff.  The Emergency Funding short turnaround, new application processes, alongside the implementation of the Job Retention or Furlough Scheme and limited eligibility criteria, left many community museums with limited options.  Our Recovery Grants aim to reach as many of these organisations as possible.

Recovery Grants will provide simple, fast support to help museums to:

  • Adapt existing, or develop new, ways to connect with their community
  • Purchase materials and equipment to improve or restart activity
  • Support activity to assess the viability of and readiness for reopening
  • Support the health and wellbeing of the paid, and volunteer, workforce to enhance existing, or start new, digital activities*

*Applicants are required to ensure approaches address equality and accessibility, especially when considering the development of digital solutions.

Recovery Grants are about more than planning and preparing to re-open.

The impact of the pandemic has changed our sector and our communities.  For some museums, particularly those in rural areas, re-opening may not yet feel appropriate. This funding can fuel the creativity and ingenuity demonstrated prior to the pandemic, and support museums to adapt and find new ways to connect, engage and inspire their communities.

Given the diverse needs of our sector, Recovery Grants are flexible and will fund a wide range of activity, apart from capital project costs and revenue costs such as salaries and general running costs.

Full guidance and application forms will be released 1st July 2020 on our Grants page

For further information please get in touch and select ‘grants’.