National Manuscripts Conservation Trust

Open or will open again Archives and artefacts Arts, culture and heritage Antrim & Newtownabbey Ards & North Down Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Belfast City Causeway Coast and Glens Derry City and Strabane England Fermanagh and Omagh Great Britain Lisburn and Castlereagh Mid and East Antrim Mid Ulster Newry, Mourne and Down Northern Ireland Scotland Wales Medium (up to £60,000) Micro (up to £1,000) Small (up to £10,000)

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Overview

The NMCT is the only UK grant-giver that focuses solely on the care and conservation of manuscripts in the UK.

Who is eligible to apply?

They can give grants to:

Record offices and libraries in the UK that offer public access and are not directly funded by the government, including local authorities universities and specialised record repositories;
Owners of manuscripts and archives resident in the UK where the collections are conditionally exempt from capital taxation or which are owned by a charitable trust provided that:
- reasonable access is allowed to members of the public
- suitable storage conditions are available
- there is a firm commitment to continuing good preservation practice
- assurances are given for the reimbursement of the grant in the event of subsequent disposal of the material for which it has been made.

What material is eligible for grant aid?

Manuscripts, documents or archives which are:

The property of the applicant or required by law to be deposited on loan with the applicant (e.g. parish records under the Parochial Records and Records Measure 1978) and
Of a national importance or significance which deserves special conservation treatment beyond the applicant's normal resources.

What is available?

The majority of their grants are between £500 and £10,000; in recent years up to 25% of grants have been for sums greater than £10,000, the largest being £25,000. Your case for funding will be stronger if you can show that you have secured some funds towards the project, either from your own budgets or from other external funders.

What costs will grants cover?

Grants will be made towards the cost of repair, binding and other preservation measures, including reprography.
Grants may cover the cost of conservation by commercial conservation studios or the salaries and related expenses of staff or interns specially employed for the project and expendable materials required for the project. Where a senior member of existing staff will carry out the conservation, institutions can apply for funds to backfill their role for the duration of the conservation project.
VAT on project costs may be included in the grant if the applicant is unable to reclaim VAT.

The Trustees expect the conservators working on projects which it grant aids to be Accredited and, if they are in private practice, to be on the Conservation Register.

For FAQ's visit the website here

For examples of past grants visit the website here

Track grant Notes