Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) Grant Programmes

Deadline: 30-Oct-20

The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is accepting proposals for its Grant Programmes to help & deliver the overall strategic objectives and outcomes for heritage and communities:

To support people, communities, and organizations to take ownership, to repair and to adapt historic buildings and places for new sustainable uses.
To attract more investment for the conservation and sustainable re-use of the UK’s architectural heritage.
To inspire the start-up and growth of new community enterprises that utilize historic buildings and places for public benefit.
To demonstrate the value of a well-managed historic built environment by championing and showcasing the impact of the projects they have supported.

Funding Information

The Fund offers two types of project seed-funding: PROJECT VIABILITY GRANTS (Maximum £7,500 – Average Grant = £4,700) and PROJECT DEVELOPMENT GRANTS (Maximum £15,000 – Average Grant = £8,900). The grants are for project development costs only and not for on-site capital works.

Priorities

The Fund will assess whether your grant application is a HIGH, MEDIUM, or LOW PRIORITY in each of the following categories:

HERITAGE NEED: The Fund will give priority to projects involving historic buildings that have statutory protection (i.e. listed or in a Conservation Area and of acknowledged historic significance) and at risk. They will consider applications for unlisted buildings if you can show that they are highly valued as heritage assets by the local community.
SOCIAL IMPACT: The Fund will give priority to projects that have the potential to make a significant positive social impact, particularly (but not exclusively) in disadvantaged areas such as urban communities experiencing structural economic decline or isolated rural areas with poor access to services.
WHY NOW? The work you carry out with grant support should help you reach planned milestones in your project’s development and there should be a tangible outcome – for example, a funding bid submitted, a business plan created, a partnership agreed, the acquisition of a property.
FINANCIAL NEED: The Fund will assess your organization’s ability to contribute towards the cost of the work. They give priority to applications that can provide at least 50% partnership funding from other sources.

Programs

Project Viability Grant (PVG): Project Viability Grants (PVG) are to fund studies to look at potential uses for a building and at its current condition, and produce a Viability Report to a standard template. Successful completion of this will be used to judge whether applicants can then apply for the AHF’s Project Development Grant funding, and can be used to secure further funding elsewhere. This grant is administered on a rolling basis. They aim to let you know whether you have been successful within six weeks.
Project Development Grant (PDG): The Project Development Grant (PDG) scheme is intended to assist an organization to cover some of the costs of developing and coordinating a project and taking it towards the start of work on site.

Eligibility Criteria

Wherever you are in the UK, your organization must be one of the following not-for-private-profit organizations or lowest tiers of local government: