Museum Futures programme

There is the opportunity to be supported to take a risk, and try new ways of doing things, that will benefit your organisation in the longer term.

Museums will have the opportunity to make transformational decisions based on a clearer understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities, having had the chance to focus on strategic development to an extent that has not been possible before.

The museums sector will be better connected and mutually supportive, demonstrating stronger, more collaborative and innovative leadership and business practice. They will be embedding sustainability at the heart of their organisations and increasing their practical understanding of the organisational behaviours and practices needed for the future.

More museums will have available capacity and support aiding the move towards new organisational models and the skills needed to develop their sustainability.

There will be access to additional funding and tailored training around identified business needs.

There are opportunities for both Accredited and non-Accredited museums and galleries in Scotland within the programme. Non-Accredited museums that can demonstrate they meet certain criteria, including meeting the Museums Association definition of a museum, will be able to access some, but not all, of the funding and support available.

Yes. However, limited exceptions to the requirement to pay the Real Living Wage may be applied where applicants can clearly demonstrate that the funding will support them to get to a position where they will be able to pay the Real Living Wage.

We strongly advise that you find the time to complete the Organisational Health Checker tool. This is a questionnaire that will help you identify your organisation’s strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities and will provide direction on how to best invest in the programme and get the most from it. The tool will help you as an organisation to focus on key areas of your operations. You will be required to engage with the tool to access certain funding or wraparound support. The Museum Futures programme delivery team can provide support with this.

Museums will be able to apply to the Heritage Fund for match funding for activity they want to undertake as part of the Programme. This will be useful where activity costs exceed the upper limits of the MGS grants programme. Museums will need to apply directly to the Heritage Fund and should discuss their approach with MGS and the Heritage Fund so that both organisations can support them to develop their applications appropriately.

Funding options and wraparound support will be rolled out in quick succession, though not all at the point of launch. Through the Organisational Health Checker tool and subsequent discussions, we will also be able to gauge what other support would be necessary for the sector to work toward being more resilient organisations. A test and learn approach will be taken, with evaluation built in from the start so that the impact of the funding and support can be analysed and learning implemented quickly.

The Open Fund

Creating Leadership Capacity – This is intended to free up leaders to engage and focus on strategic development. This will be available when we launch the programme.

Addressing Barriers to Progress – This will empower museums to get the foundations right so that they can make the most of their assets and become investment ready.

Innovation and entrepreneurship This will de-risk and incentivise museums to experiment with entrepreneurial activity. Applications for fundings will be welcomed after the initial awards of capacity-creating grants and accepted throughout the year. A key factor in the timing of individual applications will be the applicant’s engagement with the Organisational Health Checker tool and other elements of the accompanying support programme.

Wraparound programme of support

A wraparound programme will operate alongside the distribution of the funding. Its purpose will be to: ensure the most effective use of the distributed funding; address skills needs which are identified as funding activity progresses; capture and develop learning generated through the funded activity.

The wraparound support programme will also be accompanied by responsive micro-grants that will be offered to  address small-scale needs identified through the programme.

There will be a selection of skills development support made available at the start of the programme.

All funded activity is expected to commence within the current financial year. Funding awarded to support leadership capacity should be used primarily within this period. Other funded activity will be expected to be completed within one to two years of the award. Specific requirements for each fund will be available on our website shortly. While the majority of training is expected to take place within this financial year, there is flexibility for some training to be undertaken within the first quarter of the next financial year.

If you can’t find an answer to your question above, please email the Museum Futures programme delivery team at MuseumFutures@museumsgalleriesscotland.org.uk