National Loans Programme expression of interest process

Understanding the process

What is an expression of interest?

An expression of interest (EOI) is an opportunity for your organisation to tell us about its interest in participating in the National Loans Programme.

It allows us to understand your organisation, the audiences and communities you work with, the types of records or stories you would be interested in exploring, and the opportunities and challenges associated with hosting a loan.

The EOI is intended to establish the potential for a partnership. It is not a formal loan application, a detailed exhibition proposal or a fully developed project plan.

We recognise that organisations may be at different stages of readiness and that some may need support to develop their ideas further. You do not need to have all the practical arrangements in place before submitting.

Why are we asking for an EOI?

The EOI will help us:

• Understand the range of interests and opportunities across regional archive services
• Identify potential connections between The National Archives' collections and local histories, audiences and communities
• Understand the existing facilities, experience and resources available within each organisation
• Identify areas where additional guidance, training or practical support may be beneficial
• Assess the potential for meaningful and sustainable partnerships

Does submitting an EOI guarantee a place on the programme?

No. The programme will select seven archive partnerships through a structured and fair review process.

All EOIs will be considered against the published assessment criteria. Selection will take account of the overall quality and potential of each proposal, the programme’s objectives and the opportunities to support a diverse range of organisations and communities.

Do we need to have a specific record or document in mind?

No. You are welcome to identify particular records, collections, historical subjects or themes that interest your organisation, but this is not essential at the EOI stage.

You may instead have a broader idea about a subject you would like to explore, a local history connection, an audience you wish to reach or a type of engagement activity you would like to develop.

If you have identified a specific record, we would welcome this information. However, any potential loan would be subject to further discussion, collections research, availability and the relevant conservation and lending assessments.

Do we need to have an exhibition or display already planned?

No. You do not need to have a confirmed exhibition, display or public programme.

We are interested in understanding what your organisation would like to achieve and how a loan might contribute to your existing work or future plans.

Ideas could include:

• A temporary exhibition or display
• A themed display integrated into an existing exhibition
• A community history project
• A programme of talks, tours or workshops
• School or educational activities
• Collaborative projects with local museums, libraries, universities or community groups
• Digital interpretation or online engagement that complements a physical display

These are examples rather than a prescribed list. We welcome different approaches to making original records accessible to audiences.

Can an organisation submit more than one EOI?

The programme is seeking to understand the potential opportunities across participating archive services. If your organisation has several possible ideas, please think these through clearly and choose the one in which you consider the strongest opportunity.

Can we submit an idea that involves other organisations?

Yes. Collaboration is encouraged where it strengthens the proposed activity or creates opportunities to reach additional audiences.

You may wish to work with local museums, libraries, universities, schools, community organisations or other cultural partners.

At the EOI stage, it is helpful to explain which organisations you have in mind and what their potential contribution might be. You do not necessarily need to have formal partnership agreements in place.

Can two archive services submit a joint EOI?

Collaborative proposals are welcome where there is a clear shared purpose and a practical approach to delivery. Please identify the organisations involved, their respective roles and the benefits of working together. Due to the limitation on how many partnerships this phase of the pilot programme can accommodate, two archives submitting a joint EOI would qualify for one round of funding up to a total of £20,000.

Do we have to attend the webinars to submit an EOI?

No. Webinars are intended to provide useful information and support for interested organisations. Attendance is not a requirement for submitting an EOI or being considered for selection.

Preparing and completing your EOI

How should we approach the EOI?

We recommend reading the entire EOI before starting your response.

Consider what your organisation hopes to achieve, who might benefit from the proposed activity and what opportunities a partnership with The National Archives could create.

You do not need to write a lengthy or highly technical submission. Clear, concise answers that provide relevant information are more useful than lengthy descriptions.

Please respond to each question as fully as you reasonably can, using the prompts in the form to help guide your answers.

What information should we have ready?

It may be helpful to discuss the EOI with colleagues before completing it, particularly those responsible for collections management, conservation, exhibitions, audience engagement, learning or organisational planning.

You may wish to consider:

• Your organisation’s current priorities and areas of work
• The audiences and communities you serve
• Relevant collections, historical subjects or local stories
• Previous experience of loans, exhibitions or displays
• Available exhibition or display facilities
• Relevant staff expertise and organisational support
• Potential partners and opportunities for collaboration
• Areas where additional advice, training or resources would be beneficial

You do not need to have all these details finalised before submitting.

Do we need previous loans experience?

No. Previous loans experience is not a prerequisite for participation.

The programme is specifically intended to help organisations develop their confidence and capacity to borrow and display original archival material.

If your organisation has limited or no previous experience, please explain this honestly. You can also tell us what experience you do have in related areas, such as exhibitions, public engagement, collections management, conservation or community programming.

We are interested in understanding your organisation’s potential and the support that would help you participate successfully.

What if we do not have a dedicated exhibitions or loans team?

That is not a barrier to submitting an EOI.

We recognise that many regional archive services operate with small teams and that staff may have responsibilities across several areas.

Please describe the people who could contribute to the proposed activity, their relevant experience and any areas where additional support would be needed.

Do we need to provide a detailed budget?

The EOI is not intended to be a fully costed project proposal. You should provide any barriers or resource information specifically requested in the form, but you do not need to produce a detailed exhibition budget at this stage.

If there are particular financial or resource considerations that may affect your ability to participate, please use the relevant section to explain these.

What if we are unsure about our facilities or technical requirements?

Please provide the information you currently have available.

You do not need to undertake a full environmental or security assessment before submitting an EOI. The programme will help selected partners understand the relevant requirements and identify any areas that need further investigation.

If you have concerns about display space, environmental conditions, security, monitoring equipment or other facilities, please highlight them.

Being open about potential challenges will help us understand what support may be required.

Can we leave questions unanswered?

We encourage organisations to respond to all questions, as this helps the review panel understand the full potential of each proposal.

Where you are unsure or do not yet have the information requested, please say so rather than leaving the panel to make assumptions.

An area that requires further development may also help identify where programme support would be valuable.

Can we ask for help completing the EOI?

Yes. The National Archives will provide guidance through the accompanying documentation and a dedicated webinar explaining the EOI process.

You are also welcome to email the programme team.

Can we change our proposed idea after submitting?

The EOI is an initial expression of interest, and ideas may develop as discussions progress. Any significant changes to a proposal would need to be discussed with The National Archives.

Can we propose digital engagement instead of a physical display?

Digital activities may complement a loan and can provide additional opportunities for audiences to engage with records. However, the central focus of the supported partnerships is to create opportunities to share original records through loans and regional display activity. Please explain how digital elements would contribute to your wider proposal.

Assessment and selection

The assessment criteria for this programme can be found on the National Loans Programme page.

How will EOIs be assessed?

EOIs will be reviewed against six published criteria. These criteria are designed to assess the potential public benefit, project opportunities, organisational readiness and wider value of each proposed partnership.

The review will consider the information provided in the EOI as a whole. Organisations are not expected to have equal strengths across every area, and the assessment will take account of the different circumstances and capacities of participating archive services.

Do we need to score highly against every criteria?

No. The criteria are intended to help the review panel understand the overall potential of each proposal.

For example, an organisation with limited loans experience may have a particularly strong community engagement idea and a clear opportunity to develop its skills through the programme.

Similarly, an organisation with excellent facilities may identify a need for support with interpretation or audience development.

We are interested in the overall opportunity, including what a partnership could achieve and where The National Archives could provide additional support.

Who will review the EOIs?

EOIs will be considered by a panel bringing together relevant expertise from across The National Archives.

This will include perspectives from areas such as collections, conservation, loans, audience engagement and sector development.

The panel will consider the published assessment criteria and the overall aims of the programme when reviewing submissions.

When will we hear whether our EOI has been successful?

We will communicate the outcome of the assessment process following the review and selection stage. This is anticipated to be by the end of February 2027.

What happens if our EOI is recommended for selection?

Organisations recommended for selection will be contacted by The National Archives to discuss their proposals in more detail.

This will provide an opportunity to explore the proposed activity, potential records, practical requirements, organisational capacity and the support that may be needed.

Any eventual loan will also be subject to the relevant collections, conservation, security and lending approvals.

If we are not selected, can we still participate in the programme?

Yes. Organisations that are not selected as one of the seven supported partners will still be welcome to participate in the wider programme of webinars, events and sector-development opportunities where relevant.

The programme aims to share knowledge and strengthen loans practice across the wider UK archives sector, not solely among the selected partners.

Supporting the selected archives

What support is available through the programme?

Support will be tailored to the needs and circumstances of each selected organisation.

Depending on the proposed activity, this may include:

• Advice from The National Archives' collections specialists to identify relevant records and explore potential loans
• Support with loan planning and the practical requirements of borrowing
• Registrar expertise and guidance on documentation, preparation and transport
• Conservation advice relating to the care, handling and display of archival material
• Guidance on security, environmental conditions and monitoring requirements
• Advice on interpretation, exhibition development and audience engagement
• Support with display materials and, where appropriate, infrastructure or environmental monitoring equipment
• Opportunities for staff training, professional development and knowledge-sharing

The precise package of support will depend on the requirements of each partnership and the feasibility of the proposed activity.

Will The National Archives help us identify suitable records?

Yes. We can help explore potential records and collections that relate to your proposed themes, stories or areas of interest.

If you already have particular records in mind, please include them in your EOI. If not, you can describe the subjects or connections you would like to explore.

Will the programme pay for all loan-related costs?

The EOI stage is intended to establish potential projects and identify support requirements.

There is up to £20,000 for each of the seven archive partners to cover loan-related activities. The financial arrangements for individual loans and associated activity will need to be discussed and confirmed as projects develop. Organisations should not assume that all costs will automatically be covered.

Please identify any financial or resource barriers in your EOI so that these can be considered when assessing the feasibility of the proposed partnership.

Will we need to meet conservation and security requirements?

Yes. All loans must meet the appropriate requirements for the safe care, security, transport and display of the records.

These requirements will be discussed with selected partners as part of the loan-development process.

The programme is designed to help organisations understand and work towards the necessary standards, including identifying where advice, training or practical support may be required.

Will we need to apply for Government Indemnity?

Where applicable, Government Indemnity Scheme requirements will form part of the subsequent loan-planning process.

The relevant arrangements and responsibilities will be discussed with selected partners. Organisations do not need to complete a Government Indemnity application as part of their initial EOI.

What if our proposed record is unavailable or unsuitable for loan?

A record identified in an EOI is not guaranteed to be available for loan. Availability, condition, sensitivity, conservation requirements and other lending considerations will be assessed during the subsequent planning process. Where necessary, we may help to explore alternative records or approaches.