Through a continued partnership with Art Fund, Museum Development North West’s Sustainable Improvement Fund – Recovery Grants programme is open to support North West museums with their recovery over the next 12 months.
The Sustainable Improvement Fund (SIF) is a major part of the Museum Development North West Programme (MDNW) and is taken from our core Sector Support Organisation funding from Arts Council England.
Through Museum Development UK’s continued partnership with Art Fund, MDNW has secured an additional £12,000 to add to our £50,000 SIF fund and award as Recovery Grants to support North West museums with their recovery over the next 12 months.
A single Accredited museum or museum working towards Accreditation can apply for up to £7,500. A partnership of museums or a museum service with multiple Accredited sites can apply for up to £10,000. Where a partnership of museums or a multi-site organisation is applying, the project must involve a minimum of two Accredited sites.
National Portfolio Organisations, national museums, English Heritage and National Trust properties are ineligible to apply, although they can be part of partnership bids.
The deadline for applications is 5pm Friday 10th September 2021.
We will support organisational resilience of museums around three key areas:
- Developing new sustainable offers for the future
- Re-engaging with audiences
- Creating and adapting programmes and services
Within these areas, museums can bid for a range of activity that meet the strategic needs of organisations in recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and those that allow museums to build back better. These could include, but are not limited to:
- Adapt or develop new ways to connect with, and meet the needs of your communities
- Invest in the health and wellbeing and development of your paid and volunteer workforce
- Enhance existing or start new digital activities to increase reach
- Respond to the climate emergency and reduce environmental impact
N.B. Collections are not directly mentioned in the criteria – but they can be indirectly supported where it supports a museum to meet one of the three key areas listed above.
The full guidance and the application form for the Sustainable Improvement Fund – Recovery Grants can be found below.
Sustainable improvement Fund – Recovery Grants Guidance
Sustainable Improvement Fund – Recovery Grants Application Form
Museum Development North West 
Thank you for this Sue Fox, Maryport Maritime Museum
On Tue, 10 Aug 2021 at 11:09, Museum Development North West wrote:
> museumdevelopmentnorthwest posted: ” Through a continued partnership with > Art Fund, Museum Development North Westâs Sustainable Improvement Fund â > Recovery Grants programme is open to support North West museums with their > recovery over the next 12 months. The Sustainable Improvement Fund” >