Arts Council England has announced a new £16.9m Museum, Estate and Development Fund (MEND).

The funding, a strand of the Cultural Investment Fund (CIF), is a capital fund targeted at non-national Accredited museums and local authorities based in England. It is designated for “vital infrastructure and urgent maintenance backlogs which are beyond the scope of day-to-day maintenance budgets”.

Grants will range between £50,000 and £5m. ACE said the funding is hoped to allow museums to become more financially resilient and environmentally responsible by developing and implementing maintenance plans, to increase environmental performance of buildings and equipment and support the reduction in carbon emissions, improve the ability to offer independent access for disabled people and accommodate diverse user needs, and strengthen the contribution to the local community.

In March the recipients of the first round of MEND funding were announced, among them was Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, which was granted £4.9m to improve public access and fund structural work, and Brighton Museum and Gallery – located in the Royal Pavilion garden – which will receive £1.4m for the building’s roof.

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery largest recipient of latest DCMS and ACE funding

The online Expression of Interest form will open on Grantium on Monday 9 May 2022 with a deadline of Friday 17 June 2022.

The full online application form will open on Grantium on Monday 18 July 2022. The deadline for submitting a full application is 12pm (midday) on Friday 23 September 2022.

ACE will host a webinar for potential MEND applicants on 28 April, 10:30 – 12:00, sign-up is available here.

ACE has also announced the Libraries Improvement Fund (LIF) Round 2 and Cultural Development Fund (CDF) Round 3.

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