In late July 2023, the National Lottery Heritage Fund published the first three-year delivery plan for its new 10-year strategy, Heritage 2033 that aims to invest £3.6 billion across the UK.
Key points:
- In the next three years, £870 million will be invested through the National Lottery Grants for Heritage and a further £140 million strategic initiatives.
- In partnership with departments in England and Wales, NLHF will also distribute more than £43 million in government funding in 2023-24 alone.
- The funding plans amount to a total of £1 billion between now and 2026.
- The National Lottery Grants for Heritage application process will be simplified, making it more proportionate to the amount of money being requested.
- Recognition of rising costs. The upper grant limit has been raised to £10 million, and the lower grant threshold will be raised to £10,000 in January 2024.
- In Autumn 2023, announcement expected of the first nine of 20 location across the UK where NLHF will invest through its Place initiative.
- In Winter 2023, details of partnership to deliver urban nature recovery through Nature Cities and Towns initiative expected.
The funding will continue to support a broad range of heritage projects and activities, such as industrial sites, castles and historic places of worship, to the stories and memories of communities, and through to public parks, natural landscapes and native wildlife.
Priority will be given to heritage projects that:
- Promote inclusion and involve a wider range of people (mandatory outcome)
- Boost the local economy
- Encourage skills development and job creation
- Support wellbeing
- Create better places to live, work and visit
- Improve the resilience of organisations working in heritage
Two levels of funding are available:
- Grants from £10,000 to £250,000 (applications have temporarily closed but will reopen in January 2024 with new Heritage 2033 guidance.
- Grants from £250,000 to £10 million (development round applications have temporarily closed but will reopen in January 2024 with new Heritage 2033 guidance; expressions of interest and delivery round applications remain open).
How To Apply
All relevant document relating to priorities, application guidance, help notes and revised outcomes are available from the NLHF website. Applicants should read these documents before starting the application process.
