Facility advisory services

The Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) works with heritage institutions to ensure that heritage collections and cultural belongings are accessible and usable now and in the future. Its team of advisors undertakes two main types of facility-related services

1. Facility assessment service: This service consists of a general preventive conservation assessment of facilities (of one or several buildings) and an assessment of collections care practices. It includes an in-person site visit followed by a report with a summary of the findings and recommendations. The goal of this service is to identify, within your specific context, key risks to heritage collections and cultural belongings and to propose tailored strategies to optimize collections care. These strategies also ensure sustainable access to and use of heritage collections and cultural belongings.
2. Capital project advisory service: This service will help identify potential risks to heritage collections and cultural belongings during the development of new facilities or in the planning of major renovations to existing facilities. Depending on specific needs, this service may include the review of construction documents and plans, as well as CCI participation in key meetings. Throughout the capital project advisory process, our team provides helpful information and recommendations to integrate preventive conservation strategies from the outset, ensuring that your future activities and management practices support your objectives for preservation, access and use. CCI can be involved in a project from the schematic design phase onwards, that is, as soon as plans start and up to the completion of a new or renovated facility. Please be aware that this is offered primarily as a virtual service and that we do not conduct feasibility studies. Each project is allotted up to a maximum of 30 hours per fiscal year (April to March).

Through our capital project advisory services, we can offer you insightful advice during the various phases of your project, for example:

• Schematic design: arranging collections and cultural belongings, planning how they can be moved through the facility and identifying sustainable climate control targets
• Design development: planning fire protection measures, ceiling clearances, landscaping and the location of plumbing, fire and security systems
• Construction documents: choosing finishes, coatings, and other materials that may have an impact on collections and cultural belongings, and collection work

Notes:

• Given the high demand for these services, we may not be able to accommodate every request. In any given year, we may encourage certain client groups to apply to ensure an equitable service distribution. These details would be communicated before the opening of the application period (consult Application period).
• In some instances, we may determine that a full facility assessment is not required to address your immediate concerns. In these cases, we may suggest a drop-in visit (virtual or in-person) to gain a better understanding of your space. This type of visit is more limited in scope and comes at no cost. In-person drop-ins will be scheduled based on our presence in your region during the year.
• For assistance on a range of specific technical issues related to protecting your collections from deterioration (such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, display cases, lighting or fire protection), please apply for preventive conservation technical services.

Transcript

Who can apply?

CCI’s primary clients include museums, archives, libraries and cultural centres, whose principal role is to acquire, conserve and exhibit (for purposes of study, education and enjoyment) permanent heritage collections, while also communicating about them and conducting research on them.

How to apply

To apply, complete the Facility advisory services request form.

Fees

As a step along the path of reconciliation, there is no fee for either service for Indigenous organizations.

For facility assessments, consult the links below:

• Fees for eligible client categories
• Fee schedule

For capital project advisory services, contact CCI.

If you have any questions related to fees, please contact CCI.

Application period

• Every year, the application period runs between January 2 and March 1.
• We will inform all applicants of the results of our selection by May 1.
• Services are delivered to the selected institutions between June and the following March. For example, if you apply in February 2026, services would be delivered between June 2026 and March 2027.

Response to requests

CCI will respond to requests within three weeks of receipt to confirm that the application is complete and that the request is eligible for consideration. Applicants will be informed if their request has been accepted or denied within eight weeks of the March 1 application deadline. Applicants whose requests have been accepted will be informed of the terms, conditions and fees (if any) that apply.

Client satisfaction standard

Clients who receive services from CCI will receive an evaluation questionnaire based on the following 11 quality parameters:

• Application process
• Acknowledgement of the initial request
• Explanation of fees
• Explanation of service to be provided
• Communication during the project
• Promptness of service
• Quality of service
• Usefulness of service
• Quality of written material provided (report)
• Dealings with staff (friendly, courteous and helpful)
• Overall value

Contact us

If you have further questions about facility advisory services, please contact CCI.

Guides and help

• Service request form – Facility advisory services
• Assessment of service requests
• Terms and conditions (1 to 13)
• Policy on cost recovery

Related services and information

• Environmental monitoring equipment loans program
• Preventive conservation services
• Preventive conservation and risks