Heritage Revival Fund

The Heritage Revival Fund will 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 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 £1.5 billion investment in arts and culture.

- Funding organisation: Architectural Heritage Fund - Location: England - Award: £5,000 to £500,000 per award; total scheme size £45 million - Opening date: 2026-05-20 - Closing date: 2030-04-01

Summary

The Heritage Revival Fund will 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 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 £1.5 billion investment in arts and culture.

The Heritage Revival Fund 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, especially in deprived areas.

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 conservation and repair.

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.

• maximise the positive social and economic impacts around restoring historic buildings.

Dates

The Heritage Revival Fund will run from May 2026 to March 2030.

How to apply

Information on this grant programme and how to apply is available at:

https://ahfund.org.uk/what-we-do/fund/

Apply / more information: https://ahfund.org.uk/enquiry/