Maritime Archaeology Trust

What Maritime Archaeology Trust does

The Maritime Archaeology Trust is a UK-registered charitable trust (charity number 900025), founded in 1989 and headquartered in Southampton with a second site at the Shipwreck Centre and Maritime Museum on the Isle of Wight. The organisation investigates, protects, and promotes underwater cultural heritage, with research spanning shipwrecks, intertidal structures, drowned settlements, and submerged prehistoric landscapes across northwest Europe, the Mediterranean, the Arabian Gulf, and the Red Sea. Its technical toolkit includes 3D scanning, drone surveys, underwater photography, and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) imaging for wreck condition monitoring.

Core products and services include the Discovery Bus mobile outreach unit, the Shipwreck Centre and Maritime Museum (open seasonally March to October), the Yarmouth Centre (a former school under conversion into a long-term maritime archaeology centre), 3D interactive digital resources, curriculum-aligned educational programmes for KS2 and KS3, and a commercial services arm at maritimearchaeology.co.uk delivering heritage impact assessments for marine developers. A volunteer and certified-diver network supports fieldwork, diving projects, intertidal surveys, and museum operations.

The Trust operates a hybrid non-profit revenue model combining donations (suggested £5 monthly), Friends of the Trust memberships, and legacy giving; grant funding from government bodies (Heritage Fund, Historic England, Southampton City Council) and charitable foundations (Garfield Weston Foundation, Leverhulme Trust); and commercial income from professional maritime archaeology services for marine development projects. Major institutional relationships include the Ministry of Defence (under the Potentially Polluting Wrecks project, delivering 482 Historic Desk-Based Assessments in partnership with ABL Group) and Historic England (Women in Maritime Archaeology project).

Name

Maritime Archaeology Trust

Legal name

Maritime Archaeology Trust

Website

https://maritimearchaeologytrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Maritime Archaeology Trust is a UK-registered charity that investigates, protects, and promotes underwater cultural heritage through research, education, and a museum on the Isle of Wight, funded by grants, donations, and commercial archaeology services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Cultural Heritage Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)

Keywords

• Maritime archaeology services
• Underwater cultural heritage
• Heritage education programs
• Community archaeology outreach
• Maritime museum operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Southampton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Memberships: One-off and recurring donations from supporters, monthly donation option of £5, Friends of the Trust membership program, and legacy giving/bequests.
2. Grants and Funding: Funding from government bodies (Heritage Fund, Historic England), charitable foundations (Garfield Weston Foundation, Leverhulme Trust), and corporate sponsors.
3. Commercial Services: Professional maritime archaeology services offered through commercial arm at maritimearchaeology.co.uk for marine development projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Maritime Archaeology Trust investigates, records, and promotes maritime cultural heritage through underwater archaeological research projects, public-facing education and outreach programs (including the Discovery Bus mobile unit and the Shipwreck Centre and Maritime Museum on the Isle of Wight), volunteer engagement programs, and commercial maritime archaeology services for marine development clients. Its work covers shipwrecks, intertidal structures, drowned settlements, and submerged prehistoric landscapes across the UK and internationally.

Product overview

The Maritime Archaeology Trust offers a portfolio of services focused on maritime cultural heritage research, preservation, and public engagement. Its core offerings include the Discovery Bus (mobile education unit), the Shipwreck Centre and Maritime Museum on the Isle of Wight, and the developing Yarmouth Centre. The Trust provides education and outreach programs, volunteering opportunities in research and fieldwork, diving projects, and commercial archaeology services. Digital resources include 3D interactives and educational materials for educators. Projects and research span shipwrecks, intertidal structures, and submerged prehistoric landscapes across Europe, the Mediterranean, Arabian Gulf, and Red Sea.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Discovery Bus: A mobile resource for sharing maritime archaeology work with communities across the country, packed with real and replica archaeological artefacts, digital 3D models, exhibition posters, and interactive activities.
• Shipwreck Centre and Maritime Museum
• Yarmouth Centre
• MAT On Tour

Products and services

• Discovery Bus A mobile resource packed with real and replica archaeological artefacts, digital 3D models, exhibition posters, and interactive activities that brings maritime archaeology to communities across the UK, including schools and community groups.
• Shipwreck Centre and Maritime Museum A museum at Arreton Barnes on the Isle of Wight showcasing maritime archaeological finds and artefacts, open seasonally from March to October with a volunteer-run gift shop.
• Education and Outreach Programs Educational programmes including Learning in Your Space, Learning Outside the Classroom, Adult Learning, and resources for educators and learners of all ages, covering maritime heritage and archaeology.
• Commercial Maritime Archaeology Services Professional maritime archaeology services delivered by the Trust for marine development projects, heritage impact assessments, and wreck surveys, serving commercial clients and government bodies.
• Volunteering Programme Volunteer opportunities for individuals with diving qualifications (CMAS 2* or equivalent) and other skills to participate in research, fieldwork, diving projects, intertidal surveys, museum operations, education outreach, and artefact cataloguing.
• Projects and Research Maritime archaeological research projects investigating shipwrecks, intertidal structures, drowned settlements, and submerged prehistoric landscapes across north-west Europe, the Mediterranean, Arabian Gulf, and Red Sea.

Quantifiable outcome

• 482 Historic Desk-Based Assessments delivered for Ministry of Defence
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Oceanography Centre (NOC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partner. Hosted full day workshop for Yarmouth School Development with museum designers, architects, and MAT staff at NOC facilities.
• ABL GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with ABL on the Ministry of Defence Potentially Polluting Wrecks project, where ABL's salvage expertise was invaluable alongside MAT's archaeological assessments. Delivered 482 Historic Desk-Based Assessments together.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• English Heritage: UK national heritage body managing historic sites and grant programs. While much larger and broader, English Heritage is a major funder of MAT (including the Women in Maritime Archaeology project) and operates in an overlapping heritage and education space.

Direct peers

• Oxford Archaeology: One of the UK's largest independent archaeological organizations, providing heritage services, research, and education. Comparable in mission, though its geographic and sector scope is broader than MAT's maritime focus.
• York Archaeological Trust: Independent UK archaeological charity that undertakes research, fieldwork, and public engagement, similar in charitable structure and mission to MAT. Operates a comparable mix of research, education, and commercial services.
• MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology): UK archaeological charity and consultancy undertaking research, fieldwork, and public engagement. Comparable in non-profit structure and breadth of heritage services, with a similar funding and grants model.
• Cotswold Archaeology: Major UK archaeological consultancy delivering heritage assessments, fieldwork, and research across multiple sectors. Comparable in mission and client base to MAT's commercial services arm, though with a much broader terrestrial footprint.
• Headland Archaeology: UK and Ireland-based archaeological consultancy offering heritage assessments, fieldwork, and research. Operates in the same commercial heritage services space as MAT's commercial arm.
• Wessex Archaeology: The largest UK-based archaeological consultancy, with a dedicated Marine and Coastal team that delivers heritage impact assessments, desk-based assessments, and fieldwork for offshore and marine development projects — directly overlapping MAT's commercial services offering.

Others

• WSP: Global engineering and environmental consultancy with a heritage and archaeology practice serving marine development clients. Indirectly comparable as both a competitor and a potential partner in offshore heritage impact assessments.
• National Maritime Museum: Part of Royal Museums Greenwich, the UK's leading museum on maritime history. Operates in an adjacent maritime heritage and public engagement space, sharing audience and educational overlap with MAT's museum and outreach work, but does not undertake archaeological fieldwork.
• ABL Group: Global energy and marine consultancy with salvage, wreck, and offshore engineering expertise. ABL is a documented partner on the MOD Potentially Polluting Wrecks project and provides complementary technical capability to MAT's archaeological work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/maritimearchaeologytrust
• Instagraminstagram.com/maritimearchaeologytrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maritime-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maritime Archaeology Trust