ASDC submits 'Budget representation' to HM Treasury

Last week, we submitted a ‘Budget Representation’ to HM Treasury calling for a fairer funding settlement for science and discovery centres.
The UK-wide network of science and discovery centres is a unique national asset within the nation’s broader science and R&D ecosystem, reaching more than 5 million children and adults each year, 55% of whom identify as women and girls.
Their core purpose is making science open, accessible and aspirational for everyone. They are the only places where cutting-edge scientific research, broad and inclusive community engagement, and developing essential STEM skills among future generations, all come together under the same roof.
Science and discovery centres therefore have a crucial role to play in helping deliver key national policy priorities, including:
- Enhanced STEM skills
- Greater public engagement, understanding adoption and diffusion of game-changing technologies like AI, and
- Providing trusted spaces where innovators can test, learn and gather real-world insights from diverse communities to develop new products and services.
But today, they are facing critical funding and infrastructure issues. Most centres were established 25+ years ago, with funding provided by the Millennium Commission and National Lottery, housed in buildings designed with a 25-30 year life span. As a result, their buildings, roofs, glazing, heating and cooling systems are failing and need urgent repairs.
However, science and discovery centres are INELIGIBLE for the infrastructure funds provided by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology or Department for Education for comparable organisations.
Without support, they risk having to cut their community programming and outreach activities, undermining their charitable mission and strategic role as part of the UK’s STEM engagement infrastructure.
To address these issues, ahead of the forthcoming Budget, the #ScienceCentresForOurFuture campaign is calling for:
1. RECOGNITION - Government should formally recognise science and discovery centres as part of the UK’s scientific and cultural ecosystem, either through expanding eligibility to existing cultural funding pots, or by creating a dedicated science engagement fund.
2. ADDRESS URGENT CAPITAL NEEDS - Provide £19.5m of public funding, match-funded by £19.5m from centres, to address immediate infrastructure risks.
3. ESTABLISH A LONG-TERM CAPITAL RENEWAL FUND - Provide £12m/year for five years (again to be match funded by centres), to secure the sector’s future at the cutting edge of STEM engagement.
Find out about the campaign and read our budget submission
https://future.sciencecentres.org.uk/
Please sign our open letter calling on Ministers to act, and share with your colleagues and STEM networks. Thank you for your support.