Advice

About the UK Museum Accreditation Scheme 

The UK Accreditation Scheme sets out nationally agreed standards for museums and galleries, which inspire the confidence of the public and funding and governing bodies.

It helps everyone involved with a museum to do the right things, helping people to access and engage with collections, and protect them for future generations.

The Accreditation Scheme does this by making sure museums manage their collections properly, engage with visitors, and are governed appropriately by encouraging all museums and galleries to meet an agreed standard in:

• how they’re run
• how they manage their collections
• how they engage with their users

The scheme is managed as a UK Partnership between Arts Council England (ACE), the Welsh Government, Museums Galleries Scotland and Northern Ireland Museums Council. It is run for museums and galleries of all sizes and types across the UK.

To find out more about the scheme, follow this link.

What are the benefits to being accredited? 

Accreditation provides the framework for a well-run museum. It demonstrates a museum’s commitment to excellence, and tells everyone involved with a museum that they’re doing the right things to run it properly.

The accreditation award:

• Demonstrates a museum’s professionalism – which makes it easier to get funding and helps give confidence to lenders and donors.
• Shows the museum team that they’re working to an industry-wide standard with the museum being properly managed and governed.
• Helps keep the museums on track by giving them ways to formalise plans, policies and procedures and so improve services.
• Helps local authorities show that their museums meet their visitors’ and users’ needs.
• Helps museums manage their collections fairly, ethically and legally.
• Can boost museums’ reputations, win funding and give confidence to donors and other supporters.
• Shows visitors that the museum looks after its collections properly and safeguards them for the future.
• Allows visitors to access collections and stories.
• Enables museums to access Museum Development support and funding opportunities.

What about first time applicants? 

The first step would be to speak to your Museum Development Adviser or Accreditation Adviser and determine if you meet the basic criteria.  More information can be found on how to apply here.  Then, you will need to submit an Eligibility Questionnaire to Arts Council England for assessment. The initial assessment will be carried out by local Museum Development teams, but the final decision still rests with the Arts Council Accreditation Manager, based on local recommendations.

Once approved you will be given ‘Working Towards Accreditation’ status and invited to submit a full application within three years of the date of your WTA letter.

New and returning applicants must submit their application through the ACE online portal Grantium.

MD North Accreditation Advice 

Museum Development North aims to provide all museums in the North of England with advice and support towards achieving and maintaining ACE Accreditation.

Our Accreditation Advisers provide general Accreditation advice, to:

• Museums preparing a return
• Museums preparing to submit an Eligibility Questionnaire application
• Museums Working Towards Accreditation who are preparing to submit an application
• Museums recognised as Provisionally Accredited whilst addressing their Required Actions towards meeting the Accreditation Standard
• Museums continuing to work towards maintaining the Accreditation Standard in their everyday practice between Return submissions.

MD North Accreditation Advisers  

From April 2024 to April 2025 our Accreditation Adviser Kelly Chapman will be on maternity leave. Accreditation advice is being provided by:

Emma Chaplin is the first point of contact for accreditation support for museums in the North West, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. Contact Emma by email: emma@emmachaplin.co.uk.

Heather Lomas is the first point of contact for museums located in the North East, North Yorkshire and East Yorkshire/North Lincolnshire. Contact Heather by email: office@heatherlomas.co.uk.

What support do we offer? 

Workshops
MD North has launched its Accreditation programme for 2024-25. This year’s programme includes refresher workshops on different aspects of the Accreditation standard. The programme also includes workshops specifically for museums preparing an Accreditation return, for Accreditation mentors and those wanting to find out more about becoming a mentor, and for museums considering applying for Accreditation for the first time. Find all the current training dates here

These interactive online workshops will be hosted by MD North’s Accreditation Advisers, Emma Chaplin and Heather Lomas.

There are 25 places on each workshop. Places are available for museums in the north of England which are not funded by central government. If there are more than two delegates from a single museum booked on a workshop we reserve the right to amend delegate lists to allow museums from the waiting list to participate.

The return schedule has been published up to March 2025. If your museum is not yet on the list, you do not need to wait for an invitation to begin preparing your return, especially if you know you have policies and plans that are due for a review or update soon. Museums are expected to maintain Accreditation standards between returns and these workshops provide a refresher to assess your organisation against the standard. See Arts Council England’s guidance on Maintaining the requirements of the Accreditation standard between returns for more information.

One-to-One Support 
You can contact us directly via email. Our Regional Accreditation Advisers work flexible days, therefore pre-arranging telephone/online meeting support is a good idea where possible.

On-site analysis 
These will occur where necessary. Please contact the Accreditation Adviser or Museum Development Adviser in your area for information.