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About Accreditation

About the scheme

It tells everyone involved with a museum that they’re doing the right things to help people to engage with collections and protect them for the future.

The Museum Accreditation scheme does this by making sure museums manage their collections properly, engage with visitors, and are governed appropriately.

What is the Museum Accreditation scheme for?

To encourage 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

To build people’s confidence in how museums manage collections in trust for society, and how they manage public resources.

And to reinforce a shared, ethical way of doing things for everyone involved in running a museum.

What’s its reach?

Accreditation covers all types and sizes of museums and galleries and there are currently more than 1700 museums participating in the scheme across the UK.

The scheme works for museums of all sizes: from the smallest volunteer-run museums to national museums. It’s not a one-size-fits-all scheme and we’ll assess your application according to your museum’s size and type.

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History of the scheme

The Museum Registration scheme was established in 1988. Since then it has supported museums across the UK to focus on standards. In 2004 the scheme was renamed Accreditation to better reflect its purpose.

We published the current Accreditation Standard in November 2018. This replaced the previous version which was published in 2011.

The 2018 standard was developed through widespread consultation with the museums sector throughout the UK. Key partners and a variety of sector voices offered valuable support, advice and insight. We heard from museums of all types and sizes from the smallest volunteer run to the nationals and from across the UK.

The 2018 Standard and accompanying guidance are available to download on our website here.

The UK Accreditation partnership

The scheme is managed as a UK partnership between Arts Council England, the Welsh Government, Museums Galleries Scotland and the Northern Ireland Museums Council.  Our shared commitment and UK reach gives the scheme greater impact and cohesion. The scheme has led the way in raising museum standards in the UK and has been used as a model and source of inspiration for similar schemes overseas.

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Benefits of the scheme

Why does Museum Accreditation matter?

We manage the scheme, building on 30 years of experience of what works best. This time has really made it clear how much strong museums matter to our country:

  • Museums are at the very heart of our cultural identity: they’re places for sharing stories, ideas and connections.
  • Museum collections are much more than individual objects: they’re irreplaceable public assets. They’re our heritage, and people trust museums to safeguard them for the next generation.
  • Museums shape communities: whether that’s by bringing together people with shared interests or providing places and events that draw local communities together.

Museum Accreditation tells everyone involved with a museum that they’re doing the right things to run it properly.

At its heart, it answers one simple question: how do you show that your museum is well run?

What Accreditation means to museum staff and volunteers…

Museum Accreditation is the benchmark for a well-run museum. The award:

  • Shows a museum is being properly managed and governed – and other museums recognise that
  • Demonstrates a museum’s professionalism – which makes it easier to get funding and helps give confidence to lenders and donors
  • Means a museum is looking after their collections and managing them appropriately
  • Helps museums meet their users’ needs
  • Shows the museum team that they’re working to an industry-wide standard.
  • Gives access to professional advice and support, including mentors and Museum Development in England
  • Helps keep museums on track by giving them ways to formalise plans, policies and procedures and so improve services

…and why that matters

Because working for a well-run museum helps staff and volunteers concentrate on what really matters: sharing their collections and stories with people who want to see them and keeping them safe for future generations.

“Accreditation is a wonderful scheme that has done a lot of good for so many museums, ensuring standards are being met, and for the organisations it gives the confidence to plan for the future and reflect on the past.” - Feedback from the 2017 Museum Accreditation survey

What Accreditation means to local authorities…

Museum Accreditation is the benchmark for a well-run museum. The award:

  • Help authorities show that their museums meet their visitors’ and users’ needs
  • Shows their museums are being managed and governed properly
  • Can boost museums’ reputations, win funding and give confidence to donors and other supporters
  • Helps museums manage their collections fairly, ethically and legally
  • Gives museums a set of minimum requirements they have to meet, which include accountability and performance management/monitoring progress
  • Opens up opportunities for museums, including funding opportunities and new partnerships
  • Help museums audit their collections, and assess risks to them

…and why that matters

Because it reassures local authorities that their museums meet the national standard – they’re well run and taking the right steps to meet their visitors’ and users’ needs.

“It is hugely beneficial for us. As a local authority museum it helps us to set and maintain standards. Accreditation puts this in a format our authority can comprehend and respect. It helps us to convey our message as a professional dedicated organisation.” - Feedback from the 2017 Museum Accreditation survey

What Accreditation means to museum visitors…

Museum Accreditation is the benchmark for a well-run museum. The award:

  • Shows a museum is being properly managed and governed
  • Lets people know that anything they donate to a collection will be accessible to the public and will be looked after ethically
  • Shows a museum looks after its collections properly and safeguards them for the future
  • Helps museums understand what their users and visitors want and make plans for the future

…and why that matters

Because it means people can actually access collections and stories – seeing the items that matter to them and knowing that future generations will be able to do the same.

“Accreditation helps to instil confidence in the public that we are run properly.“ - Feedback from the 2017 Museum Accreditation survey

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List of Accredited Museums

About 1,700 museums are currently Accredited, showing their commitment to responsible management.

See below to download the list of all Accredited museums, data about the number of museums and galleries in the scheme, their geographical distribution and status. To request earlier data or publications, email our Accreditation team.

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Open data: Accredited Museums grants from 2017-2019

Accredited Museums grants from 2017-2019

This data is published working with the 360Giving initiative to also publish our grant data through GrantNav.

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