COTAC is a UK registered charity No 1162750. The charitable purposes of COTAC are as follows:
- Set, maintain and promote standards for conservation education and training;
- Develop, produce and promote education and training materials:
- Collaborate with other organisations, voluntary bodies and agencies with interests in conservation with a view to influencing and promoting relevant issues;
- Maintain and develop the council's digital resources to ensure their relevance for the sector and the public;
- Promote courses at all levels in conservation of the historic environment which are relevant and in accordance with recognised criteria;
- Publish relevant material;
- Arrange seminars, conferences and participate in exhibitions relating to relevant heritage issues;
- Provide bursaries and other support for relevant studies and course attendance.
As COTAC has progressed its activities it has adopted the following key publications, standards and initiatives to underpin its day-to-day operations:
- ICOMOS Education and Training Guidelines (1993)
- ICOMOS CIF Capacity Building (2013)
- BS7913: 2013 Guide to the conservation of historic buildings (2013)
- Edinburgh Group Terms of Reference (2016).
Supporting and influencing the Conservation, Repair and Maintenance construction industry sector, COTAC’s current priority Objectives include on-line developments in:
- Education and training
- Standards
- Advocacy
- Digital resources
- Publication
- Courses
- News
- Events