Applications open for Capacity Builder Grant – UK

This funding is open to all Accredited (or Working Towards Accreditation) museums in the South West including National Portfolio Organisations but excluding National museums.

These grants can be used to help individuals, teams or groups of museums (collaborations) engage with training and other continuing professional development (CPD) activities. Maybe there is a conference coming up that would be a fantastic networking opportunity for a member of your staff; or perhaps a newly formed volunteer team would really benefit from a visit to another museum exhibition; or maybe you have identified a shared training need with another museum and could bring in a consultant to deliver a group session.

Individuals can be paid staff, volunteers, or trustees. They accept applications from freelance consultants who have a current contract with an eligible museum.

Museums can apply for up to one individual award per Capacity Builder round (up to two per year) and either one team or one collaboration award per year (one in either May or September 2024). Museums may also hold another Museum Development South West grant whilst applying for Capacity Builder grants. Any application for Capacity Building must come from the museum who will be the grant recipient (i.e., they do not pay individuals directly).

Aims

• Museum Development South West work to the Art Council investment principles through the scheme aims, which are tailored to support Accredited museums in the South West Area. This grant helps deliver the following scheme aim:
  • Organisational resilience: museums are thriving and adaptable community assets for now and the future (linked to Arts Council Investment Principles ‘Ambition and quality’ and ‘Dynamism’)
  • Their Capacity Builder grants aim to increase organisational resilience through developing the confidence and wellbeing of those working and volunteering in museums across the south west.
  • Please note that Museum Development South West is committed to supporting the museum sector in developing their Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and Environmental responsibility work. They therefore encourage applications that support either of these areas.

Funding Information

• The grants are supported with funding from Arts Council England.
• Applications for Capacity Builder grants must come from the museum who will be the grant recipient, they do not pay individuals directly.
• Individuals can apply for up to £400
• Teams from the same museum organisation can apply for up to £1000
• Collaborations between museums can apply for up to £1500 via a lead museum collaborator.

Eligible Activities

• The funds can support a range of activities, including but not limited to:
  • workforce health and wellbeing
  • research & development excursions
  • team training by a specialist or consultant
  • mentoring by a specialist or consultant
  • enrolling in training courses or conferences

Eligibility Criteria

• This grant funding is open to museums and heritage organisations which are:
  • Within the South West Area
  • Accredited, Full or Provisional status or Working Towards Accreditation
• They cannot accept applications from the following museums:
  • National Museums
  • National organisations (e.g. English Heritage, National Trust)
  • Non-Accredited museums or not Working Towards Accreditation.
• Collaborations of two or more museums may apply, provided all applicant museums meet the above criteria and do not already hold a Teams or Collaboration Capacity Builder grant. To be eligible for collaboration grants, the museums must not be part of the same overall organisation (e.g., local authority or trust) or based on the same site (e.g., two or more Accredited collections/museums within the same building). The application must be submitted by one ‘lead’ museum who will act as ‘banker’ for the grant with other museums listed as collaborators.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Capacity Builder Grants can only be used to support the development of those working in eligible museums across the South West. In addition, grants cannot include costs for the following either as part of the grant or as match funding:
  • Costs for existing staff or to provide backfill for existing staff deployed to deliver the project
  • General ICT equipment
  • Build/development of new websites or platforms
  • Software subscriptions
  • Training or consultancy services from South West Museum Development
  • Professional membership subscriptions
  • Venue hire or other overheads/re-charges relating to the applicant museum(s) or those in a collaboration partnership
  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Any expenditure for which the museum(s) cannot provide evidence (e.g., receipts, invoices)
  • Any expenditure incurred prior to the permitted project start date
  • VAT if your museum is VAT registered.

For more information, visit MDSW.