The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is an independent charity that was established to encourage and support the work of organisations dedicated to the supporting the conservation and sustainable re-use of historic buildings for the benefit of communities, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas.
The Project Development Grants for England is supported by funding from Historic England and the Pilgrim Trust and managed by AHF.
The funding is intended to help not-for-profit organisations cover some of the costs of developing and co-ordinating their historic building project and taking it towards the start of work on site. To qualify, organisations must have established that the end use of the project is likely to be viable and have decided to take the project forward. At the end of the funded work, organisations should be at or closer to securing capital funding to enable the delivery of their project.
Applications are welcome from across England.
Grants of up to £20,000 are available.
Grants are normally valid for one year.
Match funding is preferred but not essential.
Please note that as these grants are funded by Historic England, applicants cannot use grants awarded directly by Historic England as match funding.
If applicants do not already own the building, they will need to provide evidence that they have a formal agreement to acquire it, such as Heads of Terms, which the owner cannot rescind without good cause.
There is a two-step application process:
- Step one: complete the short online Expression of Interest form on the AHF website. This can be done at any time.
- Step two: eligible organisations and projects will be invited to submit a full application. A link to the online application form will be sent to the applicant who will then have three months to complete and submit it.
How to Apply
AHF normally takes 6–8 weeks to assess initial applications and requests will then be considered at one of its monthly meetings. AHF will let applicants know if their bid has been successful 2–3 months after receiving their second-stage application. The deadline for full application this year are:
- 22 July for decision mid-September 2024
- 26 August for decision mid-October 2024
- 23 September for decision mid-November 2024
- 21 October for decision mid-December 2024
- 25 November for decision mid-January 2025
- 23 December for decision mid-February 2025
- 27 January for decision mid-March 2025
The programme guidance, short online Expression of Interest form, and a list of the Project Support Officers and their contact details can be found on the AHF website.
