Deadline: 20-Jul-2026
The Cultural Protection Fund (CPF) 2026 Funding Round invites registered organisations to submit Expressions of Interest for multi-year grants of up to £500,000. The fund supports projects that protect cultural heritage at risk from conflict and climate change while contributing to social stability, cultural identity, and economic prosperity.
Overview
The Cultural Protection Fund is led by the British Council in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
The fund supports the protection of cultural heritage that is threatened by conflict, climate change, displacement, cultural loss, and social instability.
The 2026 round begins with an Expression of Interest stage. Selected organisations will later be invited to submit a full application.
Key Details
- Fund: Cultural Protection Fund 2026
- Lead organisation: British Council
- Partner: Department for Culture, Media and Sport
- Grant type: Multi-year funding
- Maximum grant: £500,000
- Application stage: Expression of Interest
- Eligible applicants: Legally registered organisations
- Sole traders: Not eligible
- Lead applicant required: Yes
- Local partners in CPF target countries: Required
Funding Amount
Organisations can apply for grants of up to £500,000.
Expected awards include:
- Around 7 projects receiving £100,000–£500,000
- Around 20 projects receiving grants below £100,000
Funding Priorities
The fund supports projects that protect tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
Priority heritage areas include:
- Archaeological sites
- Monuments
- Museum collections
- Library collections
- Archive collections
- Historic buildings
- Books and documents
- Cultural traditions
- Stories and festivals
- Crafts, music, dance, and costumes
- Living heritage linked to places and landscapes
- Histories of people, communities, places, and events
- Languages and dialects
- Oral history, memories, and lived experiences
Key Concepts Explained
What is Cultural Heritage?
Cultural heritage includes physical places, objects, traditions, knowledge, languages, stories, and practices that communities value and pass to future generations.
What is Living Heritage?
Living heritage refers to cultural practices, traditions, expressions, skills, memories, and knowledge that continue to be practiced by communities today.
What is Heritage at Risk?
Heritage at risk refers to cultural heritage threatened by conflict, climate change, displacement, neglect, destruction, suppression of narratives, or loss of community knowledge.
What is an Expression of Interest?
An Expression of Interest is the first application stage. Organisations submit a summary of their proposed project, and selected applicants are invited to submit a full application.
Who is Eligible?
Eligible applicants must be legally registered organisations.
Applicants may include:
- Public organisations
- Private organisations
- Nonprofit organisations
- Cultural heritage organisations
- Academic or research institutions
- Civil society organisations
- Community-based organisations
Private organisations may apply only if they do not make profit from CPF-supported projects.
Sole traders are not eligible.
Partnership Requirements
Each project must be submitted by one lead organisation.
The lead organisation is responsible for:
- Legal accountability
- Financial management
- Grant compliance
- Project delivery
- Coordination with partners
Projects must include partners registered in CPF target countries.
Partnerships should be formalised through signed agreements.
Applicants must demonstrate local demand and support for the proposed activities.
Eligible Countries
Projects must take place in one or more CPF target countries:
- Bangladesh
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Palestine
- Syria
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Yemen
Required Project Focus
All projects must include the protection of living heritage.
Projects should also address urgent threats such as:
- Conflict-related destruction
- Loss of cultural identity
- Suppression of narratives
- Climate-related damage to heritage sites
- Threats to cultural objects
- Displacement affecting traditions and skills
- Loss of languages and dialects
- Damage to cultural practices and community memory
Why It Matters
Cultural heritage is more than a record of the past. It supports identity, belonging, traditions, community connections, and future generations.
The fund matters because it helps:
- Protect heritage threatened by conflict and climate change.
- Support communities affected by displacement.
- Preserve traditions, languages, and cultural memory.
- Strengthen social stability.
- Support sustainable economic prosperity.
- Build local capacity for heritage protection.
- Promote community-led cultural resilience.
How to Apply
Step 1: Check Organisational Eligibility
Confirm that the applicant is a legally registered organisation and not a sole trader.
Step 2: Identify the Lead Organisation
Select one lead organisation to take legal and financial responsibility for the project.
Step 3: Build Local Partnerships
Include partners registered in CPF target countries and formalise partnerships through signed agreements.
Step 4: Confirm Country Eligibility
Ensure the project will take place in one or more CPF target countries.
Step 5: Define the Heritage Risk
Explain the cultural heritage at risk and the threat it faces, such as conflict, climate change, displacement, or loss of identity.
Step 6: Include Living Heritage
Show clearly how the project will protect living heritage.
Step 7: Demonstrate Local Demand
Provide evidence that the project responds to local needs and has community or stakeholder support.
Step 8: Submit the Expression of Interest
Submit the EOI according to CPF requirements. Selected applicants will be invited to complete a full application.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid:
- Applying as a sole trader
- Submitting a project without a lead organisation
- Failing to include local partners in target countries
- Not formalising partnerships through agreements
- Proposing work outside eligible countries
- Ignoring the living heritage requirement
- Failing to explain the urgent risk to heritage
- Submitting a project without evidence of local demand
- Proposing private-sector profit from CPF-funded activities
- Treating heritage only as buildings or objects without considering communities
Tips for a Strong EOI
Applicants should:
- Clearly describe the heritage at risk.
- Explain why the threat is urgent.
- Show how communities are involved.
- Include both tangible and living heritage where relevant.
- Demonstrate strong local partnerships.
- Link the project to social stability and economic benefit.
- Provide evidence of local demand and support.
- Keep the proposal clear, practical, and focused.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Cultural Protection Fund 2026?
It is a British Council-led funding round supporting projects that protect cultural heritage at risk from conflict and climate change.
How much funding is available?
Organisations can apply for multi-year grants of up to £500,000.
Who can apply?
Legally registered organisations can apply. Public, private, nonprofit, academic, cultural, and civil society organisations may be eligible.
Are sole traders eligible?
No. Sole traders are not eligible to apply.
Are partnerships required?
Yes. Projects must include partners registered in CPF target countries, and partnerships should be formalised through signed agreements.
What countries are eligible?
Eligible countries include Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Yemen.
What type of heritage must projects protect?
All projects must include the protection of living heritage and may also protect archaeological sites, monuments, collections, historic buildings, languages, oral histories, traditions, and cultural practices.
Conclusion
The Cultural Protection Fund 2026 Funding Round supports registered organisations working to protect cultural heritage at risk from conflict and climate change. With multi-year grants of up to £500,000, the fund helps safeguard living heritage, historic places, cultural objects, languages, traditions, and community memory while supporting resilience, social stability, and sustainable prosperity.
For more information, visit British Council.