Next application deadline October 1st

The National Manuscripts Conservation Trust offers grants for the conservation and preservation of manuscripts and archives.  Since 1990 our grants have helped to make previously inaccessible collections available for study and research.

The next deadline for the submission of applications is 1st October 2014 and the results will be announced in July. If you want to plan ahead, the deadline after that is 1st April 2015.

We welcome grant applications from non-national institutions such as county record offices, museums, university archives or Special Collections sections, Cathedral archives and libraries, as well as owners of manuscripts that are exempt from capital taxation or owned by a charitable trust.  Our grants can cover conservation, binding and other preservation measures, including digitisation (providing it is part of a wider conservation project).  The significance of the collection that is the subject of a grant application and also detailed of the proposed conservation treatment carefully reviewed by Trustees when making their decisions.  The National Archives provides an expert opinion on all application and this informs the Trustees’ considerations.

Current recipients of NMCT grants include:  Universities of Southampton, Glasgow and Edinburgh; Cornwall Record Office; Wisbech Museum, the East London Mosque Trust, Worcestershire Record Office, Flintshire Record Office; The Archives and Records Council of Wales and the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society.

Applications must be submitted on our application form, which you can download from this website  If you have any queries about whether your project is eligible etc please do contact Mrs Nell Hoare, who manages the Trust.  You can contact her through this website.

07 Jan 2014
Conserving the Aylsham Lancaster Court Roll. NMCT grant 2012. Image courtesy of Norfolk Record Office.

Conserving the Aylsham Lancaster Court Roll. NMCT grant 2012. Image courtesy of Norfolk Record Office.

Winchester Bible, 13th century. NMCT grant 2013. Image courtesy of Winchester Cathedral.

Winchester Bible, 13th century. NMCT grant 2013. Image courtesy of Winchester Cathedral.