Transforming Places Through Heritage is a £15million grant programme from the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF), aimed at supporting charities and social enterprises to develop projects that are creating alternative uses for redundant or underused historic buildings in town centres with grants that have rolling deadlines (next deadline is 10 February 2020).
AHF writes:
This programme supports projects that will contribute to the transformation of high streets and town centres in England helping them become thriving places, strengthening local communities and encouraging local economies to prosper. It is part of a wider initiative to revive heritage high streets in England, alongside Historic England’s High Streets Heritage Action Zones. Together, these programmes form part of the Future High Streets Fund, administered by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Our programme is for individual heritage buildings in, or transferring to, community ownership. We will support charities and social enterprises to develop projects with the potential to bring new life to high streets by creating alternative uses for redundant or underused historic buildings in town centres.
What types of funding are available and when can I apply?
The AHF can provide grants to help with assessing the viability of a project, or to help fund development costs or to match funds raised through Crowdfunding and Community Shares. We will also provide a small number of capital (delivery) grants for Transformational Projects. Below you will find the dates for the opening of initial grant applications and please download the Programme Guide to find out more about the types and amounts of grants available.
- Project Viability Grants: up to £15,000, for early viability and feasibility work, open now for applications.
- Project Development Grants: up to £100,000, for capital project development costs, open now for applications.
- Crowdfunding Challenge Grants: up to £25,000, to match fund crowdfunding campaigns, open now for applications.
- Transformational Project Grants: up to £350,000, for transformational capital projects, open now for applications. Deadline for applications: 31st March 2020, for a decision in June 2020.
- Community Shares Booster Grants: further info to be announced.
Which areas will be eligible?
The programme will focus on places where strategic regeneration programmes are planned or are already underway. This includes Heritage Action Zones or places that have secured funding through the Future High Streets Fund. Historic building projects located within other area-based regeneration programmes, such as Townscape Heritage areas or where an applicant can demonstrate a significant community-led strategic approach is in place, will also be considered. Projects should not be standalone but sit within a wider initiative to regenerate and bring a new purpose to the immediate surrounding area.
Please note that our grants cannot be used to fund the same work that is being grant-aided through a Future High Streets Fund or High Streets Heritage Action Zone programme. These strands of funding cannot partner each other, but will fund projects that are complementary. These strands of funding may separately fund different stages of one project.
Where can I find out further information?
Please see Enquire or Apply for more details of application deadlines as these are announced.
