Government Indemnity Scheme (GIS) 

The GIS allows the public access to objects within the UK which might not otherwise be available, by providing borrowers with an alternative to the considerable cost of commercial insurance. It means that a museum, gallery or library can arrange to borrow objects from non-national institutions and in the event of loss or damage, compensation will be paid to the owner by the Government. Therefore the Government, rather than an insurance company, carries the risk. The GIS can cover loans whilst they are in transit, to and from the borrowing venue, storage, setting up, display and dismantling i.e. nail to nail. It enables thousands of objects to be exhibited around the country and in cash terms it has real value. At a notional rate of 0.5%, a common commercial insurance premium, it saves museums around £5 million a year. Most importantly it facilitates loans, and allows bigger and better exhibitions and long-term displays, giving the public further opportunities to see a wide range of objects in museums, galleries and libraries throughout the UK from Culloden to Croydon.

The GIS has covered many major exhibitions in the UK, notably those of the work of Poussin, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Canaletto, Monet and Van Gogh, as well as German Expressionists, French Impressionists, modern American artists and of course British artists ranging from Turner, Gainsborough, and Constable to Spencer, Hockney, and Whiteread.

The GIS is not fine art biased and does not only cover loans from the UK and this is reflected in the enormous range of objects that have been indemnified. These include icons from Bulgaria, mosaics from Italy, dinosaurs from China, sculpture from India, gold from the Ukraine, electric bulb installations from the USA, carpets from Persia and teapots from England. Please visit the showcase to view a selection of objects which highlights the wide scope of the GIS.

List of current exhibitions indemnified under the Government Indemnity Scheme

 List of current exhibitions

Information

  Frequently Asked Questions about the Government Indemnity Scheme (GIS)
Standard Conditions of Indemnity (PDF 191KB)
Guidelines for non-national institutions (PDF 1.5MB)
Guidelines for national institutions (PDF 88KB)
Please note: These are in the process of being revised to reflect recent changes. The revised version will be updated here as soon  as possible.
List of National Museums (Word 45KB)

Application Forms

 Application Form for National Institutions (Word 35KB)
 Application Form for National Institutions with Loan Sheet (Word 43KB)
 Application Form for Non-National Institutions (Word 144KB)
 Application Form for borrowers with Designated Status (Word 143KB)

List of Museums with Designated Status
Due Diligence Guidelines for Museums, Libraries and Archives on Collecting and Borrowing Cultural Material

Factsheets

Environmental Checklist (PDF 22KB)
Guide to the Use of Barrier Rails or Ropes (Word 25KB)
Serving Food and Drink at Events in Museums (PDF 31KB)
Using Cut Flowers and Potted Plants in Museums (PDF 39KB) 
 Guide to Transport Conditions under the Government Indemnity Scheme (Word 28KB)
 Guide to Food and Drink Conditions (Word 26KB)
 Guide to Security and Environmental Conditions (Word 30KB)
 Guide on the Action to be Taken in Cases of Theft, Accidental or Criminal Damage (Word 40KB)

For further information about the Government Indemnity Scheme, contact Louise Adkin on 020 7273 1420 or email louise.adkin@mla.gov.uk