The sustainability of ADS is ensured by a mixed funding model comprising three strands:

• Research and development project grants, and consultancy income
• Core infrastructure funding from UKRI, primarily via AHRC and NERC
• Data Deposit charges

The ADS has operated a Depositor Charging Policy, whereby a one-off charge in levied at the point of deposit since 1999. The charge is set at a level to ensure that all costs of OAIS compliance are covered, and it includes a small element which is transferred to an endowment fund to safeguard the long-term future of the data. In addition, the long-term preservation of the data archived by ADS is underwritten by the University of York and the University’s Library and Archives.

Our sustainable business model ensures that:

• ADS resources remain​ open and freely accessible
• ADS resources are preserved into perpetuity

To ​maintain this model we:

• Recover costs​ from the body funding the​ ​historic environment investigation or research

We do this by​:​

• Collecting a one-off payment at the time of deposit​ or release of a collection.​

The majority of historic environment funding bodies in the UK endorse this model by either mandating or advocating for the deposition of collections ​related to the projects they fund ​with the ADS. For recipients of funding from some UKRI research councils the deposit charges are waived as ADS receives a core grant. A list of organisations that we are aware of that mandate or recommend deposition with ADS can be found on our Partnerships page but this is not a exhaustive list.

Long-term preservation to enable the discovery and re-use of data is now a recognised and desired outcome for project funders and it is recommended that all projects include the cost of deposition with the ADS within their grant application, tender or bid.​ This includes:

• UKRI research organisations (unless costs are waived)
• Other higher education funding bodies (British Academy, Leverhulme Trust)
• European Commission (ERC, Horizon Europe)
• Governmental agencies – e.g. project work for Historic England or Local government
• Heritage Lottery Fund
• Marc Fitch Fund
• Developer-funded / commercial archaeology