The Architectural Heritage Fund

Registered charity 266780 · since 1974ahfund.org.uk·England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, United Kingdom, Wales·Updated 30 October 2026

At a glance

£1.7M

Annual giving, year to 31 March 2025

From filed accounts

Open to applications

A mix of rolling and fixed deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

The fund's work fits best if your project reuses a historic building for community enterprise, especially one at risk or transferred from public ownership, and your organisation is a charity, social enterprise, not-for-profit organisation or parish or town council.
Check the exclusions before you write: it does not fund private individuals, local authorities other than parish and town councils, universities, colleges and schools including independent schools, for-profit companies unless a not-for-profit organisation leads the partnership, unincorporated groups not intending to incorporate, or limited liability partnerships.
It also does not fund organisations with fewer than three trustees or directors, and if there are only three, none of them may be related.
Begin with the short project enquiry form on its website, since a local officer then advises whether the proposal can be considered, and ask that officer what size of request is realistic, because the grant range is not stated.
For an England Heritage Revival Fund project, submit an expression of interest first and plan for match funding for project development grants (at least 10% in England) and at least three quotes, noting that Grants Panel applications have quarterly deadlines and that how competitive the fund is has not been stated.

Overview

The Architectural Heritage Fund is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 266780).

The Architectural Heritage Fund exists to help communities find enterprising ways to revitalise the old buildings they love, using advice, grants and loans. It was founded to promote the conservation and sustainable reuse of historic buildings for communities across the UK, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas. It has supported over 2400 historic building reuse projects across the UK, through over £135m of loan offers and over £45m of grants. Its grants programmes vary by region and may change from year to year.

What they fund

Priority Areas

The AHF uses advice, grants and loans to help communities find enterprising ways to revitalise historic buildings and support their conservation and sustainable reuse. Its funding assists local communities seeking to rescue and reuse valued historic buildings, with particular emphasis on community enterprises setting up or growing businesses in historic buildings, especially those at risk or transferred from public ownership. It supports charities and social enterprises, as well as eligible not-for-private-profit organisations and parish and town councils. In assessing projects, it considers the building’s heritage merit and condition, the proposed social and environmental impact, the organisation’s financial need and any urgent factors. Its programmes operate across the UK and support work from early project development through to acquisition and capital projects.

Themes

Historic building reuse
Community enterprises
At-risk historic buildings

Geographic Focus

United Kingdom; England; Scotland; Wales; Northern Ireland.

What they don't fund

Private individuals
Local authorities and other public sector bodies other than Parish and Town Councils (unless applying on behalf of an organisation still in formation)
Universities, colleges and other mainstream educational institutions including independent schools
For-profit companies, unless in a partnership led by a not-for-profit organisation
Unincorporated organisations ( e.g. charitable trusts and associations) that are not intending to incorporate
Organisations with fewer than three Trustees or Directors. If there are only three Trustees/Directors, none of these should be spouses or otherwise related to one another
Limited liability partnerships

How to apply

Applicants should submit a short project enquiry form outlining the proposal and the support required. A local officer then advises whether the proposal can be considered.

Deadlines: Applications considered by the Grants Panel have quarterly submission deadlines.

Who can apply:

If there are only three Trustees/Directors, none of these should be spouses or otherwise related to one another.

Application success factors

What the charity says:

The AHF assesses a project’s heritage merit and condition, its expected social and environmental impact, the applicant’s financial need and any urgency.
It normally expects match funding for Project Development Grants, with at least 10% required for projects in England.
It recommends obtaining at least three quotes so application costs are accurate and represent good value for money.
For England’s Heritage Revival Fund, AHF encourages applicants to submit an Expression of Interest first to check whether the project is a good fit.
It may ask grantees to complete a survey to measure the impact of awards and the work funded.

Where they fund

Where it says it funds

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to The Architectural Heritage Fund.

Country Houses FoundationRollingGave £393k Help the Homeless LimitedFixed deadlinesGave £50,000 The Albert Hunt TrustFixed deadlinesGave £10.6M The Derek Hill FoundationInvitation onlyGave £70,000 HactNo public processGave £3.1M Scops Arts TrustFixed deadlinesGave £521k Herefordshire Community FoundationRollingGave £604k National Churches TrustMixed deadlinesGave £2.6M EH Smith Charitable TrustRollingGave £369k McCarthy Stone FoundationFixed deadlinesGave £334k

Grants

Not included above: 17 with no named recipient.

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 March 2021	£8,824,104	£8,443,206	£6,740,749	Accounts for year to 31 March 2021
year to 31 March 2022	£7,086,220	£6,857,334	£5,080,062	Accounts for year to 31 March 2022
year to 31 March 2023	£4,138,929	£4,216,886	£2,144,155	Accounts for year to 31 March 2023
year to 31 March 2024	£6,197,747	£5,622,363	£4,223,418	Accounts for year to 31 March 2024
year to 31 March 2025	£3,329,213	£3,268,563	£1,734,699	Accounts for year to 31 March 2025

Income vs grants paid

IncomeGrants paid

Total value each financial year

YE 2021

£6.7M grants

YE 2022

£5.1M grants

YE 2023

£2.1M grants

YE 2024

£4.2M grants

YE 2025

£1.7M awarded

Grants paid stayed within income across the 5 years shown.

Grants paid, year to 31 March 2021; year to 31 March 2022; year to 31 March 2023; year to 31 March 2024: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
Grants paid, year to 31 March 2025: grants awarded in the year, as reported in the accounts.

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.