CFAs: National Heritage Council Funding for Heritage (South Africa)

Deadline: 30-Jun-2025

The National Heritage Council (NHC) – an entity of the Department of Sport, Arts & Culture (DSAC) is pleased to announce an open call for applications to community projects that seek to preserve and promote the country’s heritage through research, documentation, and publication as well heritage knowledge and skills transfer.

The NHC makes funding available to community initiatives that would ordinarily not have access loans from financial institutions. The funding is mainly to assist in starting and establishing a project that can in future have prospects of sustaining itself or attracting alternative funding from other donors.

Projects that have received funding would benefit more than just financial assistance from the NHC. The project leaders and participants would have exposure to formal project management skills, administration, reporting and accountability. The NHC believes that the skills in these various areas equip the projects with excellence and improved prospects to attract more funding and support.

Submitted proposals must showcase:

• Novel Techniques: New, creative, or different ways of working with heritage (Be innovative; and explore the use of technology).
• Innovative Models: Fresh ideas that could be scaled up or replicated elsewhere to benefit the heritage sector.
• Sustainability: Projects should demonstrate the ability to be sustainable over a period of time.
• Cultural Importance: Help South Africans connect to, understand, and value their cultural heritage even more deeply.

Categories 

• The funding will be available for project proposals in three main categories:
  • Living Heritage
    • Living Heritage refers to the indigenous knowledge, cultural practices, and cultural expressions that are passed down from generation to generation.
    • Proposals should focus on the following areas:
      • Research and Documentation: exploring, documenting and analysing of living heritage practices, including oral histories, African knowledge systems and skills, ethnographies.
      • Digitisation of indigenous South African traditional cultural collections associated with living heritage.
      • Documentation (writeup and virtual recording) of Knowledge and Skills transfer focussing on the Preservation of Khoi and San Indigenous Knowledge Systems.
  • Cultural History, Natural History and Resistance Heritage
    • This refers to any form of historical and culturally significant milestones that shaped the country’s identity and events that symbolise resistance and the struggle for liberation.
    • Proposals should focus on the following areas:
      • Research and Documentation (write up and virtual) of Traditional and Khoi San Leaders in South Africa; focussing processes regarding the succession, their roles and contribution towards the resistance against colonialism and liberation of South Africa.
      • Documentation of Sacred Sites and Great Places associated with cultural practices and liberation struggles in South Africa.
    • Projects that require approval from any statutory body, such as the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) or the Provincial Heritage Resources Authority (PHRA) in the provinces must attach proof of such approval when applying for funding.
  • Education & Training
    • Proposals should focus on the following areas:
      • Heritage Awareness and Public Education, based on the transfer of knowledge and skills on living heritage to foster social cohesion and nation building. This include but is not limited to:
        • imparting of traditional skills and knowledge (i.e. basket weaving and beading)      .
        • Workshops (memorial lectures, intergenerational dialogues) on heritage education targeting learners and community members.

Funding Information

• The average funding ranges from R50,000.00 to R1,000,000.00.

Ineligible Projects 

• The following project types will not be eligible for funding:
  • All cultural and artistic performances
  • All film/video/theatre and drama production related activities
  • All projects with implementation targeted outside the borders of SA
  • Proposals applying for formal qualifications (SETA Accredited qualifications)
  • Projects applying for capital expenditure (equipment, structures, renovations and maintenance)
  • Projects applying for operational costs (rent, salaries, office furniture, etc.

Who can apply?

• The following business formations are invited to apply:
  • Educational Institutions participating in heritage projects; Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) Non-Profit Companies (NPCs); Community Based Organisations (CBOs); Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs); Associations; Foundations; Community Trusts (NB: family Trusts excluded); Traditional Councils; Academic Institutions.

Who cannot apply?

• The following business formations will not be eligible for funding:
  • Closed Corporations (CCs)
  • Family Trusts
  • Individuals applying without qualifying partnerships
  • Pty Ltd
  • Profit Making Organisations (Section 21 for gain)
  • Cooperatives
  • Incorporated companies (Inc)

Application Requirements

• Compulsory –Organisation registration certificate/Deed of Trust/Articles of Association.
• Organisations Constitution/Association of Articles.
• Your current Tax Clearance Certificate with a pin code number.
• Latest financial statements for newly registered organisations with a letter from the Audit firm/Registered Accountant. Audited Financial Statements for organisations registered and have operated for more than one (1) year.
• Certified identity documents of authorised persons.
• Organisation’s Business Plan (for company profile).
• Proposal with a project plan and an itemised budget.
• Letter(s) of Research Permit on 3rd Parties.
• Appointment/Delegation Letter for a Project Manager from the Board.
• Memorandum of Understanding (where research work is third party).
• Reports of work done previously.
• Letters of Support.

For more information, visit NHC.