National Interest Mapping Services Agreement (NIMSA)

The agreement

NIMSA was a seven year agreement between Communities and Local Government and Ordnance Survey that came into effect on 1 April 1999. Since the establishment of its Trading Fund status, Ordnance Survey had been required to operate in an increasingly commercial manner and, as some mapping activities that are required in the national interest cannot be justified on commercial grounds, the NIMSA was created. Under NIMSA Communities and Local Government funded, or part funded those activities that were not commercially viable but were in the national interest.

Further details of NIMSA activities are provided in the annual reports available for download at the foot of the page.

Beyond 2006

Support for national interest activities was extended until December 2006 while the future of NIMSA was decided.

Interested parties were invited to contribute their views on NIMSA's future beyond 2006 in late 2004. The report on consultees' views is included at the foot of this page.

In 2006 Communities and Local Government decided that NIMSA would not continue beyond December 2006. Further details are provided in the linked document below.