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Regional Museum Exhibition Scheme 2024
From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
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- 1. Introduction
- 2. Objective/ Rationale
- 3. What will be funded
- 4. Eligibility
- 5. Applications
- 6. Matched funding
- 7. Additional requirements
- 8. Assessment
- 9. Successful applicants
- 10. Monitoring and follow up
- 11. Contact
- 12. Deadlines
- 13. Appeals Process
- 14. Freedom of Information Act
- 15. Privacy Statement
- 16. How to apply
The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media operates a scheme of funding support for local, regional and specialised museums, to promote and enhance these institutions through the provision of funding for capital exhibition costs.
This scheme will operate on a matched funding basis (75:25), where 25% of the proposed costs must be provided by the applicant. Please note that this does not mean that the full 75% of eligible costs will be allocated by the Department to successful candidates.
The objective is to create a fund to assist local, regional and specialised museums contribute to the fabric and meaning of national and local culture through an exhibition programme for locals and visitors alike. This will allow local and specific interpretations of historical events and their legacy and of the multiple identities and traditions which are part of the Irish historical experience.
In this, the scheme will also be meeting the high level goals of the Department, specifically the goal to enhance arts access and regional arts infrastructure and cultural tourism countrywide, in cooperation with national and local authorities and other partners.
It is proposed that the maximum grant awarded to any one successful applicant on a matched funding basis of 75:25 (of eligible costs) will be €15,000.
The below listings are not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive:
The scheme will fund:
• Research and curation costs towards the exhibition/ event;
• Exhibition panels;
• Other display material;
• Signage;
• Translation of display and signage material where this translation will be displayed;
• Production of associated literature;
• Equipment or enhancement/ modifications to equipment where this directly relates to the exhibition/ event;
• Development of website or online resources where this directly relates to the exhibition/ event;
• Educational and outreach equipment and resources;
The scheme will not fund:
• Energy efficiency projects;
• Lighting and sound equipment;
• Heating and plumbing upgrades;
• Mechanical and electrical works;
• Seating, staging and storage;
• Minor building works such as window replacement, upgrading facilities;
• Painting and decorating;
• Security systems;
• Personal digital equipment;
• IT related projects;
• Running costs, minor repairs or other ongoing costs;
• Annual Maintenance contracts;
• Office equipment, shredders;
• Accounts system upgrade;
• Kitchen equipment;
• PR / Marketing costs;
• Staffing costs;
• Reception / launch costs;
• Artist fees.
Applications are invited from local, regional and specialised museums and/or organisations and institutions that operate as not for profit institutions whose primary role is to collect, safeguard, hold in trust, research, develop and interpret collections of original objects and original objects on loan, for the public benefit.
The premises of eligible applicants must be open to the public - their collections should be unique in the country and relate to matters of national interest or international culture and must also be readily accessible by the public.
Applications involving partnerships or collaborations will be considered for funding under the Scheme.
Applicants may only submit one application to the scheme. Applicants are not permitted to seek funding from two other schemes administered by the Cultural Schemes and Initiatives Unit for the same project:
• Co-operation with Northern Ireland Funding Scheme; and
• Small Scale Local Festival and Summer Schools Funding Scheme
All applicants are required to sign up to the Safe to Create Code of Behaviour. Full details are available here: https://www.safetocreate.ie/.
Applicants must:
• Clearly set out the objective, purpose and targeted end result of the proposed project;
• Demonstrate the extent to which the project meets the objectives of the scheme;
• Clearly delineate all of the project costs in tabular format;
• Confirm that the project is realistic in terms of scale, capacity to deliver, costs, assistance sought and timeframe for delivery;
• Clearly detail the level of own resources being made available for the project;
• Provide detail on any other Government funding;
• Warrant that all representations made in pursuit of the application for funding are accurate and true;
• Have all the requisite regulatory approvals in place;
• Sign up to the Safe to Create Code of Behaviour. Full details are available here: https://www.safetocreate.ie/.
• Be tax compliant and
• not use hyperlinks to additional material as this will not be included in the assessment
Applications are assessed on a competitive basis and the assessment committee’s decision is final
The 2024 scheme will operate on a matched funding (75:25 of eligible costs) basis.
Please note that other own or external resources being provided to the project e.g. staffing, premises etc. will not count in terms of matched funding calculations.
All applications submitted must include confirmation of the availability of matched funding and the source of this funding (e.g. fundraising, local authority, etc.). Applications which do not include this confirmation will not be considered /assessed for consideration for funding by the Department.
In addition to the details and specifics of the project as outlined above, applicants are also required to provide the following:
• Articles and Memorandum of Association/Constitution or a Statement of standard rules and procedures of the organisation/institution;
• Proof that the museum site or premises is owned outright or that it is held under a long term lease (i.e. a copy of the lease/ deed or similar legal document);
• A copy of the most recent Annual Report and audited Accounts;
• A brochure showing opening hours and entrance charges or a statement of same; and
• Up-to-date Tax Clearance Certificate information. Please note applications cannot be assessed without a tax reference number
• Up to date visitor figures, where available, for previous year and current year to date.
All applications received will be considered and assessed. The criteria to be used in this regard may include, but not be limited to, the following:
• The extent to which the project meets the objectives of the scheme;
• Whether the project is realistic in terms of scale, costs, assistance sought and timeframe for delivery;
• Value for money;
• The capacity of the applicant to deliver the project and whether or not there exists a proven track record of high quality, on time and within budget delivery;
• The status of the applicant e.g. factors such as the designation of a museum as a county museum and/or its participation in the Museums Standards Programme operated by the Heritage Council of Ireland may be taken into account.
All successful applicants under the Scheme will receive a letter of offer and Service Level Agreement which will clearly set out the terms and conditions attached to the funding. These will include, but not be limited to, the following general terms and conditions (where applicable):-
• Successful applicants will be required to furnish a report on the project, such that would confirm the implementation and finalisation of the project;
• Officials from the Department must be allowed suitable access to the project for the purposes of inspection;
• The Department's contribution to the project must be acknowledged on all publicity and publications;
• Any information in relation to the project required by the Department from time to time must be furnished promptly;
• Invoices in respect of all expenditure must be provided together with proof of payment of same;
• All records of expenditure and related invoice and papers must be retained for inspection as required by officials or relevant auditors;
• In the case of any expenditure over €5,000, the requisite procurement procedures must be followed and evidence of same provided;
• Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of this scheme may result in funding being withdrawn and/or being excluded from application to further schemes for a determined duration.
The Department reserves the right to revoke any allocation, if suitable progress is not made in advancing the project and/or the terms and conditions of funding are not met.
Funding allocations under the scheme may be for a lesser amount than that sought by the applicant. All letters of offer of funding must be formally accepted in writing or by email.
Please note an official announcement with approved allocations will be published on the Department’s website.
All successful projects will be monitored on an ongoing basis in accordance with the terms and conditions outlined in the letter of offer and Service Level Agreement. Sufficient information must be made available to satisfy the Department that the project is proceeding and will be completed on time and within agreed costs.
Before final payment is made, the Department must be satisfied that a report on the project has been received and that sufficient information is to hand to verify that the project has been completed as agreed.
Details of the monies awarded may be published subsequently on the Department's website.
All queries can be emailed to L&RMS@tcagsm.gov.ie
If you have an application number, please remember to include this in all correspondence.
Please also note that this document may be updated from time to time.
The closing date for receipt of applications for funding under the Scheme is 1pm on 26th April 2024.
The suggested deadline for the submission of drawdown requests is 27th September 2024. Should an extension into 2025 be required, a formal request must be submitted to the Department for consideration in advance of the 27th September 2024 deadline.
Any funds allocated under the scheme must be drawn down in accordance with the terms and conditions outlined in the letter of offer and Service Level Agreement.
If the draw down request is not submitted by the deadline as specified in the Letter of Offer and Service Level Agreement, it will be revoked.
Who can appeal:
An appeal may be made by an applicant if the applicant considers that the process for reviewing their application was not adhered to. The applicant must be in receipt of a decision email from the Cultural Schemes and Initiatives Unit in order to make an appeal.
How you can appeal:
An appeal must be made within 5 working days of the date on the decision email. It is necessary to clearly set out the grounds for your appeal in an email which should be sent to the Cultural Schemes and Initiatives Unit Appeals Officer at L&RMS@tcagsm.gov.ie stating “Appeal” along with your application number in the subject line of the email.
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2014, details contained in applications and supporting documents may, on request, be released to third parties. If there is information contained in your application which is sensitive, please identify it and provide an explanation as to why it should not be disclosed. If a request to release sensitive information under the legislation is received, you will be consulted before a decision is made whether or not to release the information. However, in the absence of the identification of particular information as sensitive, it could be disclosed without any consultation with you.
The Department is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy and employs appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information from unauthorised access. The Department will not process your personal data for any purpose other than that for which they were collected. Personal data may be exchanged with other Government Departments, local authorities, agencies under the aegis of the Department, or other public bodies, in certain circumstances where this is provided for by law. The Department will only retain your personal data for as long as it is necessary for the purposes for which they were collected and subsequently processed. When the business need to retain this information has expired, it will be examined with a view to destroying the personal data as soon as possible, and in line with Department policy. Further information on Data Protection can be found on our website at https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/023ba-data-protection/.
Applicants must read the scheme guidelines before starting the application. The application form is available here - https://artsandculture.submit.com/show/48. . The applicant will need to register before commencing the application.
The applicant should ensure that their application form is completed in full and submitted. A draft version of the application can be saved before it is submitted – but please note that drafts will not be considered. Once an application has been successfully submitted, a confirmation email will issue. If you have not received a confirmation of submission please contact the Department as soon as possible to ensure your application has been received.
