Funding Round-up – Heritage, June 2023

Here is a collection of funding rounds from local and national organisations focusing on heritage themes aimed at helping charities continue work.

Due to the varying nature and progress of public policies and other related activity, MVA do advise that some of the information below may have changed since the time of its issue, and whilst every effort has been made to provide up-to-date details, they ask that readers please check with each organisation’s website for the latest news.

Grants from the Castle Studies Trust
Grants are available from the Castle Studies Trust to support the production of new and discrete pieces of research that enhance the understanding and knowledge of castles.

The type of work that can be funded includes (but is not limited to):

Site-based survey work
Scientific tests on objects or materials from a castle site, such as radiocarbon dating
A review of historical sources, and
The reconstruction drawings and other pieces of work that would help public understanding of a castle site

The Trust says the fund will cover costs specific to carrying out research and site work, like travel to and from a castle site, equipment costs, or services provided by a third party.

The Trust also advise funding can be used to co-fund large-scale projects.

The grant application process opens in September each year, closing on 1 December of the same year (or on the Friday before if on a weekend.)

More information and how to apply can be found at The Trust’s website.

The National Lottery Grant for Heritage
The National Lottery (TNL) Grant for Heritage programme can offer funding to charity and community organisations with projects that connect people and communities to local, regional, and national heritage within the UK.

The programme offers three levels of grants for organisations and private owners of heritage:

The Funders advise the monies can support a broad range of activity and cover a wide range of direct project costs.

These costs could include volunteer expenses, event costs, capital works, repair/maintenance, new staff, professional fees, and costs to improve access.

At the time of writing, there was no specified deadline for funding below £250,000 so applications could be made at any time; but the funders advise applications above £250,000 require an Expression of Interest be made by 17^th August 2023 with further dates to be announced later this year.

More information can be found at the funder’s dedicated website.

Standard Funding Stream from The National Heritage Memorial Fund
Charities, public bodies, and other third-sector organisations can apply for funding from the National Heritage Memorial Fund to help buy anything which is of outstanding importance to the national heritage and either at risk, or of memorial character.

The funders advise there is no upper limit to what can be applied for, and that they do not define heritage, importance, or risk (it is up to applicants to make the case for each):

However, they do enforce the National Heritage Memorial Fund is a funder of last resort, so applicants will be expected to show that they have exhausted or are exploring other potential sources of funding.

At the time of writing, there was no specified deadline, which suggests applications can be accepted at any time.

For more information and how to apply, visit the Funders website.

Funding from The War Memorials Trust
The War Memorials Trust is an independent registered charity that works for the protection and conservation of war memorials within the UK, making sure they remain part of communities forever, commemorating shared past, which would be seen as an important part of national culture.

To safeguard the future of war memorials in both their social and historical context, The Trust seeks to cooperate with other organisations, at both national and local level, and so administers grant schemes which cover the whole of the UK.

The Trust advise the grants are for conservation and repair of war memorials and all grant schemes are open to anyone to apply. This includes individuals or organisations, and councils.

For this season, the deadline for applications is 30^th June 2023 with further dates to be announced later this year.

For more information and how to apply, visit the Trust’s website.

If you would like to see coverage of specific funding or grant rounds to help your charity, your project, your community group or enterprise, you can get in touch by email at info@mva.org.uk, you can also contact MVA via the website.