The DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund was set up in 2002 to improve the quality of displays, public spaces, environmental controls and access for disabled visitors in museums and galleries across England. The fund makes £4 million available in each year, with DCMS and the Wolfson Foundation each providing £2 million.
About the Wolfson Foundation
The Wolfson Foundation is a charitable foundation set up in 1955 with an annual income of some £39 million. Grants are generally given to act as a catalyst, to back excellence and talent and to provide for promising future projects which may currently be under-funded, particularly for renovation and equipment. There is a continued emphasis on science and technology, health, education and the arts.
More information is available at www.wolfson.org.uk
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Bidding for the DCMS/Wolfson Fund
Museums and galleries eligible to bid for money from the fund include institutions sponsored by DCMS, designated collections in museums or universities and museums with non-designated collections in regional hubs.
All bids are assessed by a panel consisting of representatives of DCMS, the Wolfson Foundation and independent experts. This panel considers issues such as the care and display of collections, the physical improvement of buildings and galleries and social inclusion.
Invitations to bid for the 2008-09 round of the Fund have now been sent to eligible institutions. Copies of the bid pro forma and guidance notes for bidders are available from this website. Please note that they differ from those of previous years.
A press release detailing the awards made as a result of the 2007-08 bidding can be found online.
If you would like more information about designated collections or the Regional Hubs you can obtain it from the website of the Museums Libraries and Archives Council.
Eligibility for Wolfson 2008-09 PDF (48kb)
