Accreditation is the scheme originally devised by the Museums Libraries & Archives Council and now  administered by Arts Council England (ACE) which sets nationally agreed standards for museums in the UK.  There are currently nearly 1,800 museums participating in the Scheme, demonstrating their commitment to managing collections effectively for the enjoyment of our communities.

Accreditation 2011 has now been published.  It is designed to strengthen the scheme as the UK agreed standard, making it a more powerful improvement tool for museums, focusing on the needs and aspirations of users, as well as a more rigorous benchmark. 

The Standard, together with full guidance documents, details of how to apply and the timetable for museums to submit returns, are available on the ACE website.

Get FIT for Accreditation

Not due to submit a return for a couple of years?  There are a number of things museums can do to get themselves 'fit for Accreditation'.  Are your policies and plans up to date?  Have they been signed off by your governing body and have you got copies of all the relevant minutes signed by the authorised authority?  Check out the SW Fed's Forward Planning toolkit for help to upgrade your plan to the new requirements.

Support

Please contact your MDO, your Museum Mentor (formerly Curatorial Adviser) or the Accreditation Adviser for the South West, West Midlands and London, Fiona Mitchell-Innes, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you have further queries about Accreditation and your museum.

Further guidance is available through Collections Link