Deadline: 31-Jul-20
The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is inviting applications for its Grants programme to support projects that will contribute to the transformation of high streets and town centres in England helping them become thriving places, strengthening local communities and encouraging local economies to prosper.
It is part of a wider initiative to revive heritage high streets in England, alongside Historic England’s High Streets Heritage Action Zones. Together, these programmes form part of the Future High Streets Fund, administered by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The Fund will support charities and social enterprises in developing sustainable new uses for historic buildings that are redundant or under-used. They aim to enable the conservation of historic buildings and also to help groups own and manage historic buildings for the long-term. They do this by providing grants for early-stage project development; and loans at any stage. This guidance gives further information on the non-high street grants programme in England. This grant programme runs from April 2020 to March 2021.
The development work that they fund enables groups to test out ideas for re-using a building and to prepare detailed plans to the point of being ready to commence the works.
Aim
The central aim of the programme is to help enable / support the asset transfer of historic buildings into community ownership.
Things Architectural Heritage Fund cannot fund:
- work that has started before a decision to award a grant
- on-site capital works
- repair costs that are not part of a larger scheme to find a new sustainable use for a historic building
- ongoing maintenance costs
Funding Information
- Project Viability Grant Up to £10,000
- Project Development Grant Up to £20,000
Criteria
In general, your project will be eligible if the following apply:
- your project involves an historic building, which they define as:
- listed – Grade
- unlisted but in a Conservation Area and/or
- demonstrably highly valued by the local community for its historic interest
- registered on Historic England’s At Risk Register
- registered on a local authority’s At Risk Register
- your project involves a change of primary use and / or a change of ownership;
- your project is being led by a not-for-private-profit organisation
- your project is not eligible for the Transforming Places through Heritage programme
Eligibility Criteria
- Your organisation must be one of the following not-for-private-profit organisations, or lowest tiers of local government
- Unincorporated organisations (e.g. charitable trusts and associations) intending to incorporate (for Project Viability Grants only)
- Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIOs)
- Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee
- Charitable Community Benefit Societies
- Community Benefit Societies
- Not-for-private-profit companies Limited by Guarantee
- Community Interest Companies (CICs) Limited by Guarantee
- Co-operatives
- Community Councils
For more information, visit http://ahfund.org.uk/england
