Museum Renewal Fund: stabilising now, building for the future

9 Oct 2025 01:38 PM

We are pleased to announce that the £20 million Museum Renewal Fund is now in place for museums and galleries across the country - see the full list of awardees below.

The Museum Renewal Fund, delivered by us on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, will support museums in stabilising their financial situation and building towards sustainable and thriving futures.  

The funding will be used by museums to support work towards two overarching objectives: 

  1. Stabilisation: Funding can be used to help museums meet the shortfall between operating costs and income during 2025-26, where this shortfall threatens to cause a reduction in programming, footfall or day(s) open to the public – for example, staffing hours, overheads, and reflation of reserves.
  2. Growth: Boosting business and financial sustainability beyond the funding period (March 2026), e.g. consultancy work, marketing, auditing, and testing of different modes of cultural delivery.  

Museums, galleries and other cultural organisations are crucial to communities across the nation. The Museum Renewal Fund will help to alleviate some of the pressures facing these organisations, including rising costs and income generation challenges, while giving them room to plan for future development and growth.  

Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England, commented: 

“Travelling through cities, towns, and villages across the UK, I have seen that museums and art galleries are often a proud focal point in communities, telling important stories about history, people and place. This funding will provide a crucial lifeline for local museums in stabilising their financial situation and building towards a sustainable future.”   

Emmie Kell, Director, Museums and Cultural Property, Arts Council England added:  

“We have listened to and worked with the museums sector and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to develop the Museum Renewal Fund. This new fund addresses head on the significant challenges and pressures facing museums, providing a £20million support package tailored to their needs. We know that when museums and galleries flourish, so do the communities they serve. We look forward to seeing the impact of this funding over the coming months.” 

Andrew Lovett OBE,  Member of Arts Council England National Council added: 

“My hope and expectation is that the investment announced supports a further renewal of leadership and long-term thinking, utilising this significant injection of support to allow our civic museums to build a more sustainable future.  Being relevant to peoples’ lives is key, balancing the demands of providing a thriving business alongside an important heritage service. I look forward to seeing how these museums rise to these challenges and thrive once more.” 

Successful Museum Renewal Fund awards  

Find out more about the Museum Renewal Fund.