GrantRadar

Idlewild Trust

Conservation: Objects and Works of Art

The Idlewild Trust's Conservation grant gives one-off grants of up to £8,000 to UK Registered Charities and UK Publicly Exempt Charities to conserve objects and works of art of recognised national or international importance, held in museums, libraries, galleries, historic buildings or landscapes that the public can visit. Applicants must own the object and must already have a conservation report or treatment proposal from an accredited conservator. Priority goes to projects that share knowledge with other professionals or the public. The next round opens on 7 December 2026 and closes at midday on 12 February 2027.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £8,000
Deadline
117 days left
12 February
Effort
Heavy
budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

  • UK Registered Charities that have submitted two or more annual returns on time (registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR in Scotland, or registered or 'deemed' with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland), or UK Publicly Exempt Charities such as the national museums and galleries listed in the Charity Commission's CC23 guidance; the application form adds that museums or galleries of national importance with their own management and budgets within universities that are Publicly Exempt Charities are considered
  • Income must be above £5,000 a year
  • The applicant must own the object or work of art; charitable museums or libraries whose collections are owned by a local authority or university can be considered if they give details of the management agreement
  • The work must be housed in a museum, library, gallery, historic building or its grounds, and accessible to the public
  • A conservation report by an independent accredited conservator (or an in-house conservator accredited with Icon) must be completed before applying
  • Projects must be in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland
  • A current safeguarding policy is required
  • Places of worship, educational institutions, grant-making charities, individuals and non-charity CICs or social enterprises cannot apply
  • Only one type of Idlewild grant (Arts or Conservation) may be applied for at a time

What it funds

The conservation of cultural heritage of recognised national or international importance, such as objects and works of art in museums, libraries, galleries, historic buildings or landscapes accessible to the public, including:

  • Artefacts and objects
  • Textiles
  • Furniture
  • Metalwork
  • Manuscripts
  • Wall paintings

More than one object or work of art can be conserved in one application.

Priority goes to applications that include a knowledge sharing element, for example a webinar, lecture or published article for professional colleagues; a public engagement activity that improves understanding of conservation practice is encouraged. Collaborative interdisciplinary projects are welcomed.

The Trust funds either the total costs or a contribution towards a larger funding target, and regularly funds larger projects that already have a major funder in place.

What it will not fund

  • Places of worship (including churches), even if they are UK Registered Charities
  • Structural repairs to buildings
  • Routine maintenance, cleaning and preventative work to objects or works of art
  • Capital projects and new facilities, such as extensions, redevelopments, heating and lighting
  • Environmental projects, including conservation of land
  • Large projects, or those that at the time of application depend on securing a major grant
  • Conservation reports (the report must already exist; the Trust does not fund it)
  • Retrospective grants or projects in the final stages of completion
  • Primary, secondary or higher education institutions, including schools, colleges and conservatoires (collections held by universities are not excluded)
  • Charities whose sole or main purpose is making grants
  • Organisations with an income of £5,000 a year or less
  • Registered charities without at least two annual returns on the Charity Commission website, or whose reporting is not up to date
  • Individuals
  • Social enterprises or CICs that are not also UK Registered Charities
  • Charities or projects based outside the UK, in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, or involving travel outside the UK
  • Applicants who received an Idlewild grant within the last 24 months (measured between decision dates), or who were unsuccessful within the last year

How to apply

  1. Read the Funding Guidelines, the Conservation exclusions and the FAQs, and review the Conservation application questions document
  2. Commission or obtain a conservation report or treatment proposal from an accredited conservator, including independent authentication, condition, proposed treatment and cost
  3. From Monday 7 December 2026, register on the grant portal (the Conservation form at idlewildtrust-applications.org.uk/conservation/) and answer the yes/no eligibility questionnaire
  4. Complete the online Conservation form: organisation and contact details, listed building grading, project title and summary, region, dates, ownership, description of the object, why it is of national or international importance, why treatment is needed now, the conservation work, storage and care afterwards, public access, the conservator's qualifications, amount requested (up to £8,000), cost breakdown, secured and pending funding, management, measuring success and difference made
  5. Upload the supporting documents
  6. Submit by midday on Friday 12 February 2027; you will receive an email confirming receipt
  7. Applications are assessed by the Director and decided by the Board of Trustees; the decision is due by early June 2027
  8. If successful, return the signed offer letter with a recent bank statement within 30 working days to receive payment

Only online applications through the portal are accepted; contact the Trust if you have accessibility requirements.

Grantees must email a one-page A4 monitoring report, with images where relevant, when the project is completed or 12 months after the offer letter, whichever is sooner.

The Trust checks the applicant's website, accounts and other materials against the application. It gives limited advice before application and no detailed feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Have ready

  • Most recent signed annual accounts
  • Latest current management accounts showing actual and projected income and expenditure (a summary is acceptable)
  • Conservation Report or Treatment Proposal for the object or work of art, written by an accredited conservator
  • Photograph of the object or work of art as a whole
  • Photograph of the building or grounds in which the object will be housed or displayed
  • Organisation's Safeguarding Policy
  • Details of the ownership and management agreement, if the collection is owned by a local authority or university

Each file can be up to 10 MB. Successful applicants must also return a signed offer letter with a recent bank statement.

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