The allocation rules can be downloaded. here.
Museum Fund Allocation Rules No. 551/2016 confirmed by the Minister of Education, Science and Culture on June 1, 2016
Article 1. Role of the Museum Fund
The role of the Museum Fund, according to the Museums Act, is to support the activities of museums that fall under the Act. To that end, the Fund may support the operations and defined projects of recognized museums, collaborative projects between such museums, and other projects. The Fund may support other activities to promote professional museum work, including research in the Fund's field of work and the dissemination of information about them.
Article 2. Allocations from the museum fund
Accredited museums other than state-owned museums can apply for operating grants from the fund to strengthen their operations. All accredited museums can apply for grants for defined projects.
The Museum Council provides comments on grant applications from the Museum Fund. The Minister allocates grants from the Museum Fund after receiving the Museum Council's proposals:
- Project grants are generally awarded for one year at a time.
- Operating grants are awarded for one year; longer-term agreements may be made for operating grants to recognized museums, subject to funding from the museum fund.
Museums that are recognized under the provisions of the Museums Act, other than state-owned museums, may apply for operating grants from the Fund to strengthen their operations. Museums that receive operating grants from the state budget shall not receive operating grants from the Museums Fund in the same year. The Museums Fund is authorized to spend up to 40% of its available funds each year on grants to strengthen the operations of recognized museums.
You can apply for operating grants from the museum fund to:
- Strengthen the professional activities of the museum and strengthen its operations,
- support innovation in the operation and activities of museums,
- support the operation of museums that have merged with other cultural institutions,
- Strengthen collaboration between museums and non-profit organizations, institutions and other parties on the preservation and dissemination of cultural heritage through agreements.
All recognized museums can apply for grants for defined projects.
Other museums, museum guides, centers and exhibitions may receive funding from the Museum Fund for defined projects in collaboration with recognized museums. The recognized museum shall be the main applicant and responsible party for the project. Central museums and other museums operated by the state may participate in such projects.
A museum fund can provide grants for international projects in which recognized museums participate.
The Museum Council may decide whether the Fund will emphasize certain aspects of museum work in the allocation of project grants each year, and such a decision shall be announced by means of an advertisement in newspapers or by other verifiable means.
Article 3. Advertisement for grants from the museum fund
Each year, the Museum Council advertises applications for grants from the museum fund in newspapers or by other verifiable means.
Article 4. General information about applications
Applications for operating and project grants must be submitted on the Museum Council's application form. If applications are not completed in accordance with the Museum Council's instructions, the Museum Council may reject them.
An application for an operating grant must include a definition of the operating components for which the grant is to be used. The application must be accompanied by a copy of the budget for the year for which the grant is being applied for and the annual accounts for the last operating year.
An application for a project grant must clearly state for whom and how the applicant intends to use the grant. The application must include the following items, as applicable:
- Information about the applicant(s),
- the name of the person who handles communications with the museum board regarding projects,
- purpose and objectives of the project,
- a detailed description of the project,
- the project's time and cost estimate.
Article 5. On the assessment of applications
The Museum Council makes a professional assessment of the quality of applications for operating grants and makes a proposal to the Minister on the amount of the grants. A proposal for grants will not automatically be made to all applicants who meet the requirements of the Act on Recognized Museums, but the amounts and number of grants will depend on the fund's available funds and the number and quality of applications.
The Museum Council makes a professional assessment of the quality of applications and assesses eligibility for funding with regard to the projects and their value for museum work in general and makes a proposal to the Minister on the amount of funding. A proposal for funding will not automatically be made for all projects that meet the Museum Council's minimum criteria, but the amounts and number of grants will depend on the announced priorities each year according to Article 2, the fund's available funds and the number and quality of applications.
Article 6. Supervision by the Museum Council
The Museum Council monitors that grants are used for the purposes stated in the applications. After the project is completed, the grantee presents the results and conclusions to the Museum Council in a written report within a year of the end of the project.
Museums that receive operating grants from the Museum Fund must submit a special report to the Museum Council before the next year's grant can be paid.
It is permissible to demand a refund if a project that has received a grant has not been carried out in accordance with the application and the documents on which the grant was based, if the project has not been carried out according to the terms of the fund, or if the final report has not been submitted within one year of the expected end of the project, unless a specific application is made for a postponement and/or change for the project.
Applications for a deferral must be in writing and substantiated. Furthermore, the museum in question may reject applications for new grants until improvements have been made in the opinion of the museum board.
Article 7. Entry into force
These allocation rules are set in accordance with the authority in the Museums Act and replace the Museum Fund allocation rules that were confirmed by the Minister of Education, Science and Culture with announcement no. 888/2013.
Allocation rules approved by the Museum Council on September 29, 2015.
Olaf Kvaran chairman.
Anna Sigridur Kristjansdottir
Haraldur Thor Egilsson
Gudbrandur Benediktsson
Sigridur Bjork Jonsdottir.
Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, June 1, 2016.
Illugi Gunnarsson.
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The allocation rules have been confirmed by the Minister and published in Official Gazette.