Heritage Revival Fund
The Heritage Revival Fund has been created to help communities across England rescue and repurpose neglected historic buildings. It will do this by supporting community organisations to take ownership of, adapt and reuse the local heritage assets that matter to them, transforming them into thriving spaces that meet their needs. This new programme is being delivered by the Architectural Heritage Fund in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Historic England, and forms part of the government’s wider £270 million investment in arts and culture.
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Summary
The Heritage Revival Fund has been created to help communities across England rescue and repurpose neglected historic buildings. It will do this by supporting community organisations to take ownership of, adapt and reuse the local heritage assets that matter to them, transforming them into thriving spaces that meet their needs.
This new programme is being delivered by the Architectural Heritage Fund in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Historic England, and forms part of the government’s wider £270 million investment in arts and culture.
The Heritage Revival Fund will run from 1 April 2025 until 31 March 2026. It is open to charities and social enterprises in England seeking to take ownership of and/or adapt historic buildings for community uses.
The programme will focus on regenerating historic buildings in town centre locations.
Funding is available to support projects from the earliest stages through to capital works, including feasibility studies, development of business plans, design, surveys, and the costs of acquiring and renovating buildings.
Eligibility
Your organisation must be one of the following not-for-private-profit organisations or lowest tiers of local government:
• Unincorporated charities (for Project Viability Grants only)
• Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs)
• Charitable Companies Limited by Guarantee
• Community Benefit Societies
• Not-for-private-profit Companies Limited by Guarantee
• Community Interest Companies (CICs) Limited by Guarantee
• Co-operatives
• Parish and Town Councils
• Independent secular organisations seeking to take ownership of a place of worship that will retain some religious use. Or an organisation associated with a worshipping community that is seeking to establish an independent secular organisation to take ownership of the place of worship, while the space will retain some religious use. Until ownership/long lease is confirmed, we will only fund governance and legal costs related to taking ownership or setting up an independent organisation to do so. In either circumstance, ongoing worship must account for less than half of the proposed use of the space.
Objectives
The Heritage Revival Fund aims to:
● maximise the regeneration benefits of community ownership and control of heritage assets, assisting in making communities fit for the future.
● protect, enhance and safeguard historic buildings across England, offering viable new uses for disused and underutilised properties.
● build capacity within local community groups, social enterprise, and charities.
● pilot innovative, alternative uses, ownership structures and investment models to facilitate long term regeneration.
● maximise the positive social and economic impacts around restoring historic buildings.
Dates
The Heritage Revival Fund will run from 1 April 2025 until 31 March 2026.
How to apply
Information on this grant programme and how to apply is available at: