GrantRadarApplications closed on 17 October 2026.
Many funders run the same grant every year, so check the funder’s site for a new round. The details below are what the funder published when it was open.
The National Archives
Research and Innovation Grants
The National Archives' Research and Innovation Grants give up to £10,000 to organisations working with archive collections in England or Wales for research, innovation and transformative projects. Projects should address at least one of three challenge areas: digital transformation, environmental sustainability and inclusive practice. The 2026 round opened on 12 August and closes at 5pm on 17 October 2026, with the panel meeting in November 2026. The funder reports a current success rate of 30%, and every applicant gets access to its training and networks.
Open grants like this
Grants you can apply for now, for the same kind of work or place.
- Kent Community FoundationKent Community Foundation grants for organisations (Micro and General routes)£10,000 – £6,000Rolling
- Kent Community FoundationSWEF Business GrantsUp to £2,000Rolling
- The Mainstay FoundationGrant for Mosques & CentresAmount not specifiedRolling
- The 29th May 1961 Charitable TrustThe 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust grantsAmount not specifiedRolling
- The Michael and Barbara Bell Foundation (CIO)Michael and Barbara Bell Foundation GrantsAmount not specifiedRolling
- Breckland District Council (Norfolk Warm Homes partnership)Warm Homes Fund (Norfolk Warm Homes)Amount not specifiedRolling
- You could get
- Up to £10,000
- Deadline
- Closed
- the deadline has passed
- Effort
- Moderate
- full application with documents
Who can apply
- Archivists and heritage professionals working with archival collections in England or Wales
- Open to all public sector bodies, not-for-profit organisations including registered charities, and for-profit organisations including business archives; not to private individuals
- Organisations based in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, or whose collections are held outside the UK, cannot be funded
- The records can be analogue or digital and inside or outside the custody of a recognised collecting archive (the Archive Service Accreditation definition of an archive collection applies)
- The organisation must employ, or have access to professional support from, an archivist or similarly qualified professional
- Past applicants may apply again, but repeat applications for the same project are no more likely to succeed and applicants should talk to the Grants and Funding team first; there is no limit on applying for a different project
What it funds
- Research, innovation and transformative projects in archives that focus on digital transformation, environmental sustainability and/or inclusive practice
- Funded activity may include:
- Seed funding for early-stage exploratory research
- Pilot projects
- Commissioning research from an external provider
- 'Spin-off' research building on other projects
- Travel and subsistence for research trips (e.g. to other collections)
- Dissemination and publishing, including events and publication fees
Ideas can be simple or radical but should have the potential to bring positive change in the archive organisation and beyond: for example solving a problem or research question identified in practice, exploring new technologies, devices or products, or connecting with others to build capacity for research and innovation.
Partnership projects are encouraged and consortium applications are particularly welcome.
Grantees may take part in cohort workshops with The National Archives and other funders.
Grants under £20,000 are normally paid 100% upfront.
What it will not fund
- Overheads, full cost recovery or management fees
- Collections acquisition
- Costs incurred before the date of any award offer
- The core work of an archive service
- Activity intended to influence Parliament, Government or political parties, the awarding or renewal of contracts and grants, or legislative or regulatory action
- Organisations based in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, or whose collections are held outside the UK
- Private individuals
How to apply
- Read the About these grants, How to apply and Assessment Criteria pages
- Optionally contact the Grants and Funding team at archivegrants@nationalarchives.gov.uk to discuss your idea
- Optionally draft your answers using the Word version of the application form
- Complete the single-stage online application form (SmartSurvey), including at least three delivery milestones and a budget, and submit by 5pm on 17 October 2026
- Applications are scored 1 to 5 against Innovation, Need, Impact, Delivery and management, and Knowledge sharing by a panel of archival and research experts (November 2026)
- If successful, sign the Grant Funding Agreement; grants under £20,000 are normally paid in full upfront
Unsubmitted applications are deleted after the deadline and late applications are not accepted.
If you need reasonable adjustments, contact the team at least 15 working days before the closing date.
Have ready
- Completed budget template (Excel, downloadable from the form)
Other documents referred to in the application, such as letters of support, may be uploaded but are for reference only and are not assessed.