Any non-national institution may apply for Designation of all, or an identifiable part, of its museum, archive or library collections. Applications for Designated status are considered by a Panel composed of senior members of the museum, library and archive professions. Panel meetings are held twice a year, normally in January and July.
The date of the next meeting is 24 January 2012. To ensure your application is assessed at the January 2012 meeting, please submit the papers to MLA by 23 September 2011.
Before considering an application, applicants should read the:
Designation Application Procedure notes (PDF 189KB)
Applicants should be confident that their collection or collections will meet the standards required for Designation and that they will be able to provide sufficient evidence and supporting information. Therefore all potential applicants must complete 'An Intention to Apply and Eligibility Form', and send it to the Designation Manager.
The purpose of this form is to inform MLA about the applicant’s organisation, their collections and enable their eligibility for the scheme to be checked. At this stage the information provided will not be seen or considered by the Designation Panel. However, MLA will summarise the eligibility information from this form for the Panel if a full application is made.
Once MLA has confirmed eligibility, the Designation Scheme application form may be submitted in accordance with the timetable above. This application will be assessed against the quality and significance, and collections management and services to the public criteria, and will then be brought before the panel.
Designation Scheme application form (Word 266KB)
The application, together with scanned or electronic supporting documents should be submitted by email. In addition, one unbound, unstapled, paper copy of the application and supporting evidence must be submitted.
Completed application forms must be e-mailed to designation@mla.gov.uk.
The paper copies should be sent to:
Designation and PRISM Fund Assistant
Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
Grosvenor House
14 Bennetts Hill
Birmingham B2 5RS
All applications will be acknowledged on receipt and checked for completeness.
Incomplete applications will be returned, as MLA cannot accept missing documents and information once the application has been received.
Once the application has been assessed by MLA, the applicant may be asked to submit additional evidence or other material if this is necessary for the Panel to consider the application.