The 3D-COFORM consortium has one over-riding aim: to establish 3D documentation as an affordable, practical and effective mechanism for long term documentation of tangible cultural heritage. In order to make this happen the consortium is highly conscious that both the state of the art in 3D digitisation and the practical aspects of deployment in the sector must be addressed. Hence 3D-COFORM proposes an ambitious program of technical research, coupled with practical exercises and research in the business of 3D to inform and accelerate the deployment of these technologies to good effect.