The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has opened the second Collecting Cultures initiative with a £5 million budget.

Collecting Cultures is an initiative which supports museums, libraries and archives to develop their collections through strategic acquisition projects. Grantees plan and deliver programmes of targeted purchase and engage a wider range of people with their collections. Collections management and development is core to museums, libraries and archives so through this initiative Heritage Lottery Fund wants to support the strategic acquisition of collections.

The initiative is intended to:

– support the development of collections and their use through strategic acquisition programmes, related research and public programmes;
– enhance the professional knowledge and skills of staff working in museums, libraries and archives
– use strategic collecting programmes to support the funded museums, libraries and archives to increase resilience as an organisation

You can apply for a grant from £50,000 to £500,000. Collecting Cultures is a one-off initiative, with one chance to apply before the deadline of 2 May 2014.

This event will outline the scope and aims of the programme, running through the outcomes HLF believes Collecting Cultures projects will achieve. HLF will explain the application process and present case studies of successful Collecting Cultures projects.

To book your place, please contact Sally Roberts by email sallyr@hlf.org.uk or phone (029) 2034 3413 by Friday 24thJanuary.