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Invitation 98/06

Museums, galleries and collections

Bids for funds

To Heads of HEFCE-funded institutions
Heads of DENI-funded universities
Of interest to those responsible for Museums, galleries and collections: Finance
Reference 98/06
Publication date February 1998
Enquiries to Jennifer Newman
tel 0117 931 7441
e-mail j.newman@hefce.ac.uk

Executive summary

Purpose

1. This document invites bids for funding museums, galleries and collections in universities and colleges, to help institutions take advantage of National Lottery grants.

Key points

2. Only major projects, receiving or hoping to receive Lottery grants of at least £3 million, are eligible for support.

3. We will provide a maximum of £250,000 a year for any one project, for up to three years.

Action required

4. Proposals, using the form at Annex B, should be sent to Jennifer Newman at the HEFCE, to arrive by Friday 17 April 1998.

Introduction

5. Higher education museums, galleries and collections play an important role in supporting teaching and research throughout the sector. Following a review in 1994-95, and the recommendations of an advisory group, we have provided special initiative funding to a number of such museums and galleries.

6. Since then there have been significant external changes, most notably the availability of large grants from the National Lottery. We have therefore agreed to allocate additional special initiative funding to help universities and colleges take advantage of National Lottery funding for their museums and galleries.

Scope of the initiative

7. All universities and colleges funded by the HEFCE, with museums, galleries or collections that have secured or hope to secure National Lottery funding in the next year, are eligible to apply for grants. We expect that the main source of National Lottery funding in such cases will be the National Heritage Lottery Fund. This fund aims to safeguard land, buildings, objects and collections considered to be important to local, regional and national heritage. However, we will consider applications which relate to other National Lottery distributing bodies if relevant.

Level of support

8. We wish to target proposals that will have a significant impact at a regional and national level and make a substantial contribution to the higher education sector. To this end, we will consider applications for support towards projects that have attracted or are expected to attract National Lottery grants in excess of £3 million. The level of Council support will be no more than 3 per cent of the National Lottery grant, to a maximum of £250,000 in any one year, for up to three years.

Criteria

9. Institutions may submit bids for projects for which Lottery funding is already committed, or for which they expect to apply for Lottery funding before 31 August 1998. Bids may be for a maximum of 3 per cent of total committed or expected Lottery grant for the project in each of the three years 1998-99 to 2000-01. Where we approve an application before Lottery funding is committed, the ceiling of 3 per cent of total actual Lottery funding for the project in each year will apply.

10. Proposals must demonstrate a substantial national or regional contribution to teaching and research, and convey a significant benefit to the higher education sector.

11. An advisory group will assess the proposals against the criteria detailed below. Proposals must:

a. Relate to a museum, gallery or collection maintained and managed by an HEFCE-funded institution.

b. Demonstrate significant potential benefit to teaching and research beyond the host institution, regionally or nationally.

c. Show that the museum, gallery or collection is registered with the Museums and Galleries Commission, or indicate why not.

d. Show that there is a permanent collection of significance. Temporary collections are not eligible for support under this initiative.

e. Provide access to the museum, gallery or collection free of charge to higher education staff and students from HEFCE-funded institutions.

12. If the collection is owned by a Trust which is not part of an HEI, or the institution is considering setting up such a Trust in applying for Lottery grant, the proposal may not be eligible for funding under this initiative. In such cases, the HEI should consult us at an early stage.

13.These criteria are in addition to any conditions that may be imposed by the National Lottery.

Procedures

14. Proposals will be subject to two evaluation processes:

a. The Museums, Galleries and Collections Advisory Group will assess the proposal for special funding.

b. Where it has not already done so, the National Lottery will assess the institution's suitability for a Lottery grant.

15. Only applications that succeed in both evaluations will receive Council support.

16. We invite institutions to apply for funding using the form at Annex B. All sections of the form must be completed. A separate form must be completed for each museum, gallery or collection for which HEFCE funding is sought.

17. All submissions will be assessed competitively on the basis of the significance of the collection, and its contribution to education and research in the HE sector.

18. We intend to announce decisions in May 1998. Institutions will be notified of the outcomes by individual letter. We will then publish the names of successful applicants and the levels of funding provided.

19. HEFCE grant awarded for a project will be paid once Lottery funding has been committed and eligible expenditure can be demonstrated.

20. We envisage launching a further bidding round in autumn 1998 for funding in 1999-2000.

Date of return

21. Eight copies of each completed form should be returned, by Friday 17 April 1998, to

Jennifer Newman
HEFCE
Northavon House
Coldharbour Lane
Bristol
BS16 1QD.

Annex A

Membership of the museums, galleries and collections review group

Mr Bahram Bekhradnia Director of Policy, HEFCE (Chairman)
Mr Patrick Fallon Head of Museums Branch, Department of Culture, Media and Sport
Mr Paul Hubbard Head of Strategic Projects, HEFCE
Mr Alistair Smith Secretary to the University Museums Group and member of CVCP
Mr Mark Taylor Director, Museums Association
Mr Jeremy Warren Assistant Director, Museums and Galleries Commission

Annex B

Higher education museums, galleries and collections special initiative: application form

Cover sheet

______________________________________________________________________________________

Name of institution

______________________________________________________________________________________

Name of the Higher education museum, gallery or collection (HEMGC) for which Council funding is sought:

1. ____________________________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________________________

Contact at the institution __________________________________________________________________

Telephone number ______________________________________________________________________

Please copy and complete the following form for each HEMGC. We require eight copies of each submission.

Details of museum, gallery or collection

<>a. Full registration
1. Name of the HEMGC……………………………………………………………………………………
2. Is the HEMGC registered with the Museums and Galleries Commission or has it applied for registration to its appropriate Area Museum Council? Yes No
3. If no, please explain why not:
4. If yes, does it have:
Yes No
b. Provisional registration Yes No
c. Application under consideration with an Area Museum Council or the Museum and Galleries Commission. Yes No
5. Has the Museums and Galleries Commission awarded Designation to the HEMGC? Yes No
6. Does the HEMGC provide access free of charge, but subject to reasonable notice, to HE staff and students from HEFCE-funded institutions? Yes No
7. Does the university or college submitting the application maintain and manage the HEMGC? Yes No
8. Does the HEMGC provide access to the general public? Yes No
9. How many visitors (users) does the HEMGC receive each year?
10. If possible, please indicate how many visitors (users) are
a. HEFCE-funded staff and students
b. Others
11. Is this an actual figure or an estimate (delete as appropriate) Actual / Estimate

Supporting details: teaching and research

12. Outline the main academic subject areas of the HEMGC.







13. Please provide a self-assessment of the HEMGC's regional, national and international importance.





























14. Describe briefly under each of the following headings the teaching and research functions carried out by the HEMGC in a typical year, referring where appropriate to any special grants obtained and any resulting publications. As well as activities within the institution, please identify activities associated with the HEMGC outside the institution, for example interaction with schools, public bodies, industry, and so on. (As a guide, do not exceed 350 words under each heading).

a. Activities within the institution

i. Teaching




































ii. Research














































b. External activities

i. Teaching









































ii. Research












































c. Other activities











































Details of the application for Lottery grant

15. Please provide a brief outline of the project that has attracted, or expects to attract, a National Lottery grant. Include the level of funding sought from the Lottery, and funds provided from other sources.

(As a guide, do not exceed 350 words).









































Funding for the museum, gallery or collection

16 Please identify the sources of funding for the HEMGC:

a. Income provided by the institution from:

  1. HEFCE funds £………………
  2. Other income sources £………………

b. Income provided direct to the facility from:

  1. Donations/bequests £……………..
  2. Charges £……………..
  3. Other sources £……………..

17. Please identify any planned major changes in funding.







18. What is the annual level of funding sought from the Council for this HEMGC?

£………………