Deadline: 16-Oct-2026
The Endangered Crafts Fund provides small grants to support UK-based craft practitioners and organisations working to safeguard endangered and critically endangered traditional crafts. The programme focuses on preserving heritage skills, enabling skills transfer, and strengthening the long-term sustainability of traditional craft practices listed on the Red List of Endangered Crafts.
The fund supports both preservation and innovation, ensuring that traditional crafts remain viable in modern markets while maintaining their cultural and historical integrity.
Overview
Established in 2019 by Heritage Crafts, the Endangered Crafts Fund was created in response to the increasing risk of loss of traditional craft skills in the United Kingdom. It aims to support individuals and organisations working to protect, develop, and sustain endangered craft practices.
The programme promotes a balanced approach between tradition and innovation, enabling craftspeople to improve production methods, explore sustainable materials, and develop new commercial opportunities.
Programme Objectives
The fund aims to:
- Safeguard endangered and critically endangered crafts in the UK
- Support skills transfer and apprenticeship development
- Encourage continuous professional development for craft practitioners
- Strengthen long-term viability of heritage crafts
- Promote innovation while preserving traditional techniques
- Improve sustainability in materials and production methods
- Expand market access for endangered craft products
- Support education and knowledge-sharing in craft communities
Eligible Crafts
The fund supports crafts listed on the Red List of Endangered Crafts, including but not limited to:
- Traditional heritage crafts at risk of disappearing
- Critically endangered craft practices in the UK
- Skills requiring urgent preservation or transmission
Funding Information
- Maximum grant amount: Up to £2,500 per project
- Funding emphasis: Full-request applications encouraged
- Purpose: Craft preservation, innovation, and skills development
Eligible Activities
Funding may be used for:
- Training apprentices and craft trainees
- Skills development and professional training programmes
- Investment in improved or efficient craft machinery
- Exploration of sustainable materials and techniques
- Development of new products or market opportunities
- Creation of educational resources and training materials
- Production of online or video-based skills-sharing content
- Business development and professional sustainability activities
- Innovation in traditional craft processes
- Workshops, mentoring, and knowledge transfer initiatives
Programme Focus Areas
The Endangered Crafts Fund supports:
- Heritage craft preservation and continuity
- Skills transfer between generations of craftspeople
- Innovation in traditional craft practices
- Sustainable craft production methods
- Market development for endangered crafts
- Education and training in heritage skills
- Business resilience for craft practitioners
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants include:
- Individual craft practitioners
- Craft-based organisations
- Small businesses working in heritage crafts
- Groups supporting craft development and training
- Practitioners working in endangered or critically endangered crafts
Applicants must demonstrate relevance to endangered crafts and a clear contribution to preservation, training, or sustainability.
Application Priorities
Higher priority is given to projects that:
- Directly support endangered or critically endangered crafts
- Enable effective skills transfer or apprenticeship training
- Strengthen long-term craft viability and commercial sustainability
- Introduce innovative yet tradition-respecting approaches
- Improve environmental and material sustainability
- Create educational or outreach value for wider craft communities
How to Apply
Step 1: Confirm Craft Eligibility
Ensure that:
- Your craft is listed on the Red List of Endangered Crafts
- Your work contributes to preservation or revival of the craft
Step 2: Define Project Objectives
Develop a proposal that clearly outlines:
- Skills or techniques being preserved or developed
- Training or knowledge transfer activities
- Innovation or sustainability improvements
- Expected impact on craft viability
Step 3: Prepare Supporting Plan
Include:
- Project budget (up to £2,500)
- Timeline and delivery plan
- Training or production methods
- Expected outcomes for craft sustainability
Step 4: Submit Application
Submit the completed application with all required documentation through the official Endangered Crafts Fund process.
Tips for Applicants
- Focus on direct impact on craft survival and skills transfer.
- Demonstrate how funding supports long-term viability, not just short-term activity.
- Highlight innovation that respects traditional methods.
- Include clear training or apprenticeship components where possible.
- Show how the project contributes to wider craft community knowledge.
- Use funding efficiently to maximise preservation outcomes.
- Emphasise sustainability in materials and production methods.
Why This Fund Matters
Many traditional crafts in the UK are at risk of disappearing due to declining apprenticeship opportunities, lack of training pathways, and limited commercial viability. The Endangered Crafts Fund helps address these challenges by supporting practitioners who are actively preserving, teaching, and innovating within endangered craft traditions, ensuring their continuation for future generations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What is the maximum funding available?
- Up to £2,500 per project.
- Who can apply?
- Individual craft practitioners, organisations, and businesses working in endangered crafts.
- What crafts are eligible?
- Crafts listed on the Red List of Endangered Crafts in the UK.
- What can the funding be used for?
- Training, skills transfer, innovation, machinery, education, and market development.
- Is innovation allowed in projects?
- Yes, as long as it supports and preserves traditional craft character.
- What is the main goal of the fund?
- To safeguard endangered crafts and ensure their long-term survival.
- Are apprenticeships supported?
- Yes, training and skills transfer activities are strongly encouraged.
Conclusion
The Endangered Crafts Fund supports the preservation and development of the UK’s most vulnerable traditional crafts. By funding training, innovation, and sustainable practice improvements, the programme ensures that endangered craft skills are protected, transmitted, and adapted for future generations while maintaining their cultural authenticity.
For more information, visit Heritage Crafts.