Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has launched a new £2.6 million fund to support the recovery of Scotland’s historic environment sector from the impacts of COVID-19, with applications opening on Monday 12 October.
image: for illustration purposes only – Fiona Newton
…Recovery Fund will support Scotland’s historic environment sector to recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
Exceptionally, grants up to £150k may be awarded
HES writes:
The Historic Environment Recovery Fund will open for applications on Monday 12 October. Please read this programme guidance if you are interested in applying. Full information about the application process will be available by 12 October.
About the Historic Environment Recovery Fund
The £2.6m Historic Environment Recovery Fund will support Scotland’s historic environment sector to recover from the impacts of COVID-19. The fund aims to support organisations to remain solvent, safeguard jobs and training opportunities and ensure that historic buildings and sites can re-open to the public. It will also invest in urgent repairs and maintenance, helping to generate work for specialist contractors and the wider heritage economy.
Funding for the Historic Environment Recovery Fund comes from the £97 million UK Government consequentials to help Scotland’s culture and heritage sectors weather the effects of COVID-19. Historic Environment Scotland is administering this fund on behalf of Scottish Government.
Overview of the fund
This fund will support organisations within Scotland’s historic environment sector which were financially viable prior to COVID-19 and are now at risk of failure or unable to resume operations or activity. By historic environment sector, we mean organisations which look after, safeguard and promote historic buildings, structures, monuments and other sites created by people, as well as traditional skills and intangible elements associated with Scotland’s historic environment.
Grants will be available under two funding streams for costs to be incurred before 31 March 2021, with the aim of helping to address immediate needs relating to re-opening to the public; protecting jobs, capacity and skills; and enabling organisations to undertake planning to regain longer-term financial sustainability and adapt to new ways of working.
- Stream 1: Re-opening Historic Buildings and Sites
- Stream 2: Sector Resilience and Recovery
The fund will open for applications between 12 October and 2 November 2020. Applications will be assessed as they are received, and we will aim to take decisions within four weeks.
Grants between £10k and £100k are available to cover costs to be incurred between your grant award date and 31 March 2021. Exceptionally, grants up to £150k may be awarded. Please note that we expect this fund to be oversubscribed and therefore do not expect that it will be possible to fund all requests. We also reserve the right to award an amount lower than requested.
If you are interested in applying, please read the detailed guidance on eligibility and how to apply.
