Heritage Enterprise supports enterprising community organisations across the UK to rescue neglected historic buildings and sites and unlock their economic potential.
You can apply for a grant from £100,000 to £5million.
Historic buildings are known to attract thriving businesses, and yet many of them lie vacant and derelict. With a Heritage Enterprise grant you can breathe new life into historic sites by repairing, adapting and giving them a productive new use.
By funding much of the repair costs we hope to encourage private developers to work with community organisations to deliver commercially viable schemes.
Heritage Enterprise projects should achieve all of the outcomes listed below.
Outcomes for heritage
With investment, heritage will be:
- better managed
- in better condition
Outcomes for people
With investment, people will have:
- developed skills
- learn about heritage
Outcomes for communities
With investment:
- environmental impacts will be reduced
- your local area/community will be a better place to live, work or visit
- your local economy will be boosted
Application process
Heritage Enterprise applications go through a two-round process. This is so that you can apply at an early stage of planning your project and get an idea of whether you have a good chance of getting a grant before you send your proposals in greater detail.
- At the first and second round, your application will be assessed in three months, and then it goes to the next decision meeting
- Your development phase can take up to 24 months, depending on the complexity of your project
The Heritage Lottery Fund recommends that you send a project enquiry form before you apply.
Decision meetings
Your grant request determines which decision meeting your application will go to. This is the combined total of your development grant (if applicable) and delivery grant.
Grant requests of over £100,000 and under £2million
Decisions are made by committees which meet every three months. Contact your local HLF office for more information on deadline and meeting dates.
Grant requests of £2million and up to £5million
Decisions are made every two months by the Board of Trustees.
Application forms and all supporting documents need to have been received by HLF no later than the following dates:
- 13 June for the Board meeting on 24 September 2013
- 8 August for the Board meeting on 19 November 2013
- 17 October for the Board meeting on 28 January 2014
- 13 December for the Board meeting on 25 March 2014
For further information and to apply, visit: www.hlf.org.uk/HowToApply/programmes/Pages/heritage_enterprise.aspx