Small and medium-sized museums across the UK can apply for grants of up to £20,000 through the Museum Fundamentals programme from the Association of Independent Museums (AIM), delivered in partnership with the Julia Rausing Trust and the Pilgrim Trust.
The funding is available to museums with fewer than 50,000 visitors per year and is designed to strengthen core activities, improve collections care, and help organisations meet Accreditation standards.
Projects can include professional expertise, staff and volunteer training, environmental surveys, collection management planning, emergency planning, conservation work, environmental monitoring equipment, pest management, and storage improvements.
Funding can also support building improvements that benefit collections, collections management software, documentation materials, collections research, online access projects, new displays and interpretation, staff costs, and volunteer recruitment and expenses.
The programme operates through a two-stage application process. Organisations must first submit an expression of interest before being invited to complete a full application.
Autumn round: Closing date for expressions of interest: 5pm Friday 7 August 2026.
Full application: 5pm Friday 25 September 2026
Apply to Museum Fundamentals – AIM – Association of Independent Museums