Grants of up to £20,000 are available to enable museums and art galleries in the UK to acquire historic fine and decorative arts dating from before 1800AD.
The Beecroft Bequest is a UK grant-in-aid fund that provides financial support to museums and art galleries to acquire historic fine and decorative arts.
The bequest was established by Walter G. Beecroft (1885-1961), an avid art collector who founded the Beecroft Art Gallery in Southend-on-Sea. Upon his death, he left the residue of his estate to the Museums Association to create a permanent acquisitions fund.
The fund is actively used by regional museums across the UK to secure historic artworks and cultural heritage items that might otherwise be sold into private hands or be unaffordable for smaller collections. The bequest can fund the purchase of fine arts (for example, paintings, sculptures, watercolours) and decorative arts, such as furniture, textiles, metalwork, and ceramics).
Objects must date from the 18th century or earlier (ie no later than 1800). The fund explicitly prohibits the purchase of modern, surrealist, or abstract works.
UK museums and galleries that are institutional members of the Museums Association can apply for a grant of up to £20,000. Up to 95% of the purchase price can be awarded.
To be eligible, museums must:
- Be institutional members of the Museums Association and based in the United Kingdom
- Be accredited
- Not have already been awarded a grant from the fund in the current financial year, and
- Be within the first three institutional membership bands.
Objects to be purchased must:
- Be genuine, of good quality and condition.
- Represent good value for money: an independent valuation should be sought, and
- Be valued at £500 or more.
Applicants will be expected to demonstrate how the purchase meets the organisation’s acquisition policy and overall aims and objectives and confirm commitment to and awareness of the Museums Association’s Code of Ethics, Museums Change Lives and the Supporting Decolonisation in Museums guidance, particularly where the acquisition may support work in these areas.
Applicants will also be required to explain, with examples:
- how the object will be used and interpreted to fulfil your museum’s equality, diversity and inclusion objectives,
- how the object will be made accessible to the public
- how the Museum will demonstrate the aesthetic merit of the object and provide a sound reason for the acquisition.
Applications can be considered at any time. In the case of auction sales at least five working days are required although the trustees cannot guarantee to consider any application made at short notice.
Please note that applications for grants for items which have already been purchased will not be considered.
A copy of the application form can be downloaded from the Becroft Bequest website (scroll down to the foot of the page), where further information about the fund can also be found.
Eligible agencies interested in applying to the Fund are requested to make contact with its representative, Alice Chalk, to discuss its proposal prior to starting an application: