National Lottery Heritage Fund

Charity Number: CUSTOM_CCA6E21B

Annual Expenditure: £282.9M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £282.9 million (England 2023/24); £1bn+ across UK over 3 years (2023-2026)
  • Success Rate: Approximately 8% increase in under-served areas
  • Decision Time: 8 weeks (under £250k); 12 weeks (£250k-£5m)
  • Grant Range: £3,000 - £10,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: UK-wide (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)

Contact Details

Website: www.heritagefund.org.uk

Phone: 020 7591 6044 (Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm)

Email: enquire@heritagefund.org.uk

Application Support: investment-service-support@heritagefund.org.uk

Address: The National Lottery Heritage Fund, 4th Floor, Cannon Bridge House, 25 Dowgate Hill, London, EC4R 2YA

Wales Office: wales@heritagefund.org.uk

Hearing/Speech Impaired: Dial 18001 then 020 7591 6044 (Relay UK service)

Overview

The National Lottery Heritage Fund (formerly Heritage Lottery Fund) was established in 1994 and has since distributed £9.5 billion to more than 53,000 heritage projects across the UK. Rebranded in January 2019, the Fund supports museums, parks, historic places, archaeology, natural environments and cultural traditions. In 2023/24, the Fund financed 1,054 heritage projects with £282.9 million in England alone, with over £119 million awarded to projects in the 25% most deprived local authorities. In March 2023, the Fund launched Heritage 2033, a new 10-year strategy with four investment principles focusing on heritage at risk and climate and nature priorities. Over the next ten years, the Fund aims to invest £3.6 billion raised by National Lottery players, with £1bn+ planned for 2023-2026.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

National Lottery Heritage Grants (£10,000 to £250,000)

  • Projects can last up to five years
  • Rolling application with no fixed deadlines
  • Optional Project Enquiry provides feedback within 10 working days
  • Decisions made monthly at local delegated meetings

National Lottery Heritage Grants (£250,000 to £10,000,000)

  • Development phase up to 2 years; delivery up to 5 years
  • Must submit Expression of Interest (EoI) first
  • EoI feedback within 20 working days
  • Fixed quarterly deadlines for larger grants
  • Projects £250k-£5m decided by local committees
  • Projects over £5m decided by Board of Trustees

Strategic Initiatives

  • £140 million allocated for strategic partnerships and initiatives (2023-2026)
  • Areas of Focus programme targeting under-served regions
  • Heritage Innovation Fund for experimental approaches

Priority Areas (Heritage 2033 Investment Principles)

1. Heritage at Risk

  • Protecting, conserving and revitalising heritage in poor condition or at risk of loss, decline, damage, neglect or being forgotten
  • Historic buildings requiring restoration
  • At-risk heritage sites and cultural traditions

2. Climate and Nature

  • Strategic and landscape-scale projects (rural and urban)
  • Projects helping habitats and species thrive
  • Reducing and mitigating impacts of climate change
  • Natural heritage conservation

3. People and Communities

  • All projects must achieve “a wider range of people will be involved in heritage”
  • Community engagement and participation
  • Strengthening links with local communities
  • Educational and learning opportunities

Eligible Heritage Types

  • Museums, libraries and archives
  • Parks and gardens
  • Historic buildings and monuments
  • Archaeology
  • Natural environment and biodiversity
  • Industrial, maritime and transport heritage
  • Cultural traditions, languages and memories

What They Don't Fund

  • Repairs to private homes
  • Legal and statutory responsibilities (rent, utilities, routine maintenance)
  • Promoting political or faith organisation causes/beliefs
  • Recoverable VAT
  • Retrospective costs (activities before grant awarded)
  • Artificial grass or plants
  • Existing staff posts or organisational costs (unless via full cost recovery)
  • Most professional fees (architects, consultants) unless integral to project
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Governance and Leadership

Chair of Trustees: Dr Simon Thurley CBE (appointed April 2021, reappointed by Prime Minister)

  • Former Chief Executive of English Heritage
  • Leads Board of Trustees responsible for strategic development
  • Makes final decisions on grants over £5 million

Chief Executive: Eilish McGuinness

  • Leads executive team of three directors
  • Oversees day-to-day operations

Board of Trustees

  • Six new trustees appointed in recent years
  • Responsible for strategic direction and major funding decisions
  • Decide applications for historic parks, landscapes and townscapes programmes

Dr Simon Thurley stated about the Fund's mission: “The Trustees were presented with an extremely strong field for one of the best jobs in heritage and we are delighted to appoint someone with wide experience, outstanding management and leadership ability and a strong strategic sense.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

For grants £10,000 to £250,000:

  1. Optional: Submit Project Enquiry for feedback (10 working days response)
  2. Complete online application form via heritage fund portal
  3. Submit all supporting documents
  4. Rolling basis - no fixed deadlines

For grants £250,000 to £10,000,000:

  1. Mandatory: Submit Expression of Interest (EoI) first
  2. Receive feedback within 20 working days
  3. If approved, proceed to full development phase application
  4. Submit within 12 months of EoI approval
  5. Quarterly decision meetings for assessment

Application Portal: Online through heritagefund.org.uk/funding/sign-in

Decision Timeline

Under £100,000: 8 weeks from complete application

£100,000 to £250,000: 8 weeks, decided monthly at local meetings

£250,000 to £5 million: 12 weeks assessment, then quarterly committee meetings

Over £5 million: Committee presentation followed by Board of Trustees decision

Fast-track available: For urgent acquisitions (contact local office first)

Success Rates

Specific overall success rates are not publicly disclosed. However:

  • Areas of Focus initiative shows 8% average increase in successful applications across 13 under-served areas
  • 1,054 projects financed in England in 2023/24
  • Project enquiries rose from 120 (2019-2020) to 144 (2021-2022)
  • The assessment process is competitive and cannot fund all good quality applications
  • Over 53,000 projects funded since 1994 from 51,000+ applications

Reapplication Policy

General Rule: Unsuccessful applicants must speak with the Heritage Fund before reapplying to discuss improvements

Expression of Interest Rejections: 3-month waiting period before resubmission

Development Phase: If EoI approved, must submit full application within 12 months

Previous Programme Applicants: Can reapply to new programmes if meeting eligibility criteria

Application Success Factors

Key Advice from Successful Applicants

Tell a Compelling Story

Applications should flow well and be easy to read. You don't need to stick rigidly to guidance document headings - prioritise narrative clarity and impact.

Demonstrate Clear Outcomes

  • Be certain about project outcomes through pilot trials
  • Include trial results as appendices
  • Show evidence of consultation and demand
  • Demonstrate how you know there is demand from audiences, stakeholders or delivery partners

Focus on People and Communities

Every project must achieve “a wider range of people will be involved in heritage.” Show how you will:

  • Strengthen links with local communities
  • Welcome or support more people
  • Increase participation from under-represented groups
  • Benefit the community and heritage sector

Align with Investment Principles

  • Clearly demonstrate alignment with Heritage 2033 priorities
  • Show how your project addresses heritage at risk OR climate and nature
  • Use terminology from the strategic framework

Strong Activity Plan

Show exactly how your project will benefit:

  • People
  • Your community
  • Your organisation
  • The heritage sector as a whole

Recent Successful Projects (2024)

  • Jumbo Water Tower, Colchester (£8m): Making 131ft Grade II* listed water tower accessible as heritage/events space
  • Old Royal High School, Edinburgh (£5m): Restoring 1820s Greek-revivalist building vacant for 50+ years
  • Palais de Danse, St Ives (£2.8m): Creating immersive recreation of Dame Barbara Hepworth's workshop
  • Newark Castle (£1.4m): Creating new visitor attraction
  • Wiener Holocaust Library (£240,000): Digital transformation connecting collections and communities
  • Church restoration projects (£1.25m to 8 projects): Innovative people-centred plans for places of worship

Common Success Factors

  • Strong community engagement and consultation evidence
  • Clear heritage outcomes with measurable impact
  • Innovation in approach to heritage conservation or access
  • Addressing geographic or demographic under-representation
  • Projects in Areas of Focus (under-served regions)
  • Partnerships with local organisations
  • Sustainable long-term plans beyond grant period

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Alignment is crucial: Every project must demonstrate how it involves a wider range of people in heritage - this is non-negotiable across all grant sizes
  • Use the Project Enquiry: For grants under £250k, the optional Project Enquiry provides valuable feedback within 10 working days and can significantly improve your application
  • Think strategically about timing: Understand decision timelines vary by grant size - factor in 8 weeks for smaller grants, 12 weeks plus quarterly meetings for larger ones
  • Prioritise under-served areas: Projects in the 25% most deprived local authorities or Areas of Focus regions show higher success rates with dedicated support
  • Heritage 2033 is your framework: Frame applications around the four investment principles, particularly heritage at risk and climate/nature priorities introduced in 2023
  • Pilot before applying: Conduct small trials to demonstrate outcomes are achievable - include results as evidence in your application
  • Speak to them before reapplying: If unsuccessful, you must discuss with the Fund before resubmitting (3-month wait for EoI rejections)

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