Secure Funding for Your Cultural or Historical Projects – EMKP Digitisation Grant Open Now

Applications are now open for the EMKP Legacy Digitisation Grant, an initiative designed to support the conversion of fragile cultural archives into secure, long-lasting digital formats. The programme aims to protect endangered historical and material knowledge that is at risk of being lost due to age, deterioration, or lack of proper storage.

What the Grant Supports

The Digitisation Grant provides funding for the digital conversion of vulnerable archives, including fieldnotes, handwritten records, photographs, negatives, slides, audio recordings, video tapes, film reels, research documentation, and objects with associated metadata. The objective is to preserve cultural heritage and ensure long-term global access through high-quality digital preservation.

Why Digitisation Is Important

Many traditional and historical materials face the threat of physical decay, damage, or loss. Digitising these archives prevents their disappearance, protects them from environmental hazards, and helps safeguard knowledge held by aging experts or communities. Long-term preservation also enhances research, education, and cultural continuity.

Eligibility Requirements

The programme is open globally to individuals, communities, universities, museums, research institutions, and original collectors who possess relevant archives. In most cases, applicants are expected to partner with a host institution capable of ensuring ethical oversight and financial accountability. Independent researchers may be accepted in special circumstances. Collections must demonstrate clear cultural, historical, or traditional value and show evidence of being endangered.

Grant Amount and Project Duration

Funding of up to £20,000 is available for projects lasting up to 12 months. Successful applicants are required to produce a digitisation plan, consent and rights documentation, a long-term preservation strategy, and high-quality digital outputs to be uploaded to the EMKP open-access repository.

How the Application Process Works

Applicants must identify the at-risk collection, explain its significance, and describe the urgency of preservation. A partnership with a host institution is recommended for financial management and ethical responsibility. Applications should include a detailed digitisation plan outlining methods, equipment, file formats, metadata standards, rights procedures, and storage strategies. A full proposal, budget, timeline, letters of support, and risk assessment must accompany the submission. Funded projects are expected to meet EMKP standards, preserve original materials, and submit digital files, metadata, and a final report. Apply HERE

Common Mistakes That Lower Approval Chances

Unclear cultural significance, weak preservation strategies, poor digitisation quality, missing consent documentation, or failure to secure an appropriate host institution are frequent reasons applications are unsuccessful. Proposals must demonstrate the urgency of preservation and provide a strong technical and ethical framework.

Frequently Asked Questions

Eligible materials include any documentation related to traditional, historical, or cultural knowledge. While individuals may apply, most will require a host institution. All collections must show clear signs of being endangered. The grant is open worldwide, and while original owners usually retain rights, the digitised copies must be shared through EMKP’s public repository. Projects can last up to 12 months, and digitised files must be stored locally when possible and deposited in the programme’s open-access system.

The EMKP Legacy Digitisation Grant offers a valuable opportunity to preserve endangered cultural archives and protect material knowledge for future generations. By supporting high-quality digitisation and long-term access, the programme strengthens global cultural heritage and provides essential resources for communities, researchers, and institutions.