The PRISM Fund 2012-2013 is now available.

The Preservation of Industrial and Scientific Material (PRISM) fund awards grants towards the costs of acquisition and conservation of items or collections which are important in the history and development of science, technology, industry, and related fields. 

The PRISM fund covers England and Wales. A parallel fund for the purchase of objects relating to the arts, literature and history is administered by the Victoria and Albert Museum. 

Corresponding schemes are administered in Scotland and Northern Ireland by the National Museums of Scotland and the Northern Ireland Museums Council respectively.

How much can PRISM award?

For the remainder of this financial year (and subject to review in April 2013), all grants are between £500 and £20,000 for any one application (except in exceptional cases). An institution can receive up to £20,000 per year from PRISM for acquisition and conservation projects combined (museum services are considered as single institutions for this purpose). Any one object may receive up to £20,000 in its lifetime.

Applications can be submitted at any time of the year, and will be assessed subject to budgetary constraints. We aim to give a decision within two months of receiving an application. Decisions are made by the Arts Council using established criteria together with the advice of expert assessors (normally from national institutions).

If you are interested in applying for funding, visit the eligibility and how to apply pages.