The fund will support a national network of organisations that promote museum development, and will also complement existing support provided by other funding agencies, including Local Authorities.

This programme will form part of our overall investment plans for museums in our next funding round, for 2015-18. You can find out more about our early investment plans for that period here.

Alan Davey, Chief Executive, Arts Council England, said:
‘England’s museums are exceptional, and this fund will support the widest possible range of those museums to develop resilience and create powerful experiences for visitors.

‘The public are responding to the fantastic quality of museums in this country, with ever-increasing visitor figures. This fund is particularly important for smaller museums and will help to ensure that Museum development providers are able to support museums to flourish at a challenging time for the sector.’

Links and more information

Museums development grants programme
Open to applications from 3 April 2014, this programme will help develop the England museums sector in achieving ambition and accessing support. Find out more.

Accreditation
Our Accreditation scheme, which this new development programme supports, sets nationally agreed standards for museums in the UK. There are currently just under 1,800 museums participating in the scheme, demonstrating their commitment to managing collections effectively for the enjoyment and benefit of users. Find out more.

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