GrantRadar

Applications closed on 15 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

Archives Revealed Scoping Grants

Archives Revealed Scoping Grants, from The National Archives with the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Pilgrim Trust and the Wolfson Foundation, pay £3,000 for an independent consultant to produce an expert collections (scoping) report on a significant archive collection whose contents are not known in detail. Most organisations holding an archival collection anywhere in the UK can apply, including for deposited collections, and accreditation is not required. It is a useful first step towards a full cataloguing project; Round 7 closes on 15 October 2026 and Round 8 runs 18 January to 18 February 2027.

Check the funder’s site

Open grants like this

Grants you can apply for now, for the same kind of work or place.

You could get
Up to £3,000
Deadline
Closed
the deadline has passed
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Most organisations with an archival collection, including deposited collections, in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland (the collection must be physically held in the UK; not the Channel Islands or Isle of Man)
  • The material must meet the Archive Service Accreditation definition of archives (records created or received by a person, family or organisation in the conduct of their affairs and preserved for their enduring value)
  • You do not need to be an accredited archive
  • The organisation must guarantee free public access to the collection in the UK for at least ten years after the grant ends; for deposited collections the depositor must commit in writing that the collection will not be withdrawn or sold in that period
  • Applicants in Wales must include the Welsh language in all aspects of the work
  • The grantee contracts the consultant itself (Archives Revealed can offer the project to its list of approved consultants) and must follow the Heritage Fund's procurement guidance
  • Applications are scored on significance, need, and audiences, engagement and impact; the current success rate is 31%

What it funds

An independent consultant to produce an expert collections (scoping) report on a full or partial archival collection that is significant and of interest to the public but whose contents are unknown in detail:

  • Consultant time: up to £2,400 for six days' work at £400 per day (typically three days on site and three days writing the report)
  • Reasonable consultant expenses up to £600

the report typically covers the collection's current status, condition, access, appraisal, arrangement, existing documentation and cataloguing, use and research potential, public engagement, and recommendations for next steps. It must be completed within a year of the award. Sums are exclusive of any VAT charged by consultants.

What it will not fund

  • Anything other than producing the scoping report (the grant is solely for that purpose)
  • A full item-by-item catalogue (the report is not a substitute for one; see Archives Revealed Cataloguing Grants)
  • Collections held in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man
  • Using Archives Revealed funding as match funding for a National Lottery Heritage Fund application, or applying to both for the same project at the same time

unspent funds must be returned at the end of the grant.

How to apply

  1. Read the Scoping Grant guidance on The National Archives website and, if useful, download the Word version of the application form to plan your answers
  2. Complete and submit the single-stage online application form while a round is open (Round 7: 7 September to 15 October 2026; Round 8: 18 January to 18 February 2027)
  3. A panel of archive and heritage experts scores applications from 1 (poor) to 5 (outstanding) against significance, need, and audiences, engagement and impact
  4. If successful, sign the grant funding agreement, contract a consultant (you can have the project offered to Archives Revealed's consultant list) and submit the final approved report to the Archives Revealed team

feedback is available on request after the funding decision. The lead applicant is responsible for making sure the application is correct, complete and eligible.

Have ready

  • Completed online Scoping Grant application form

for a deposited collection you will need the depositor's written commitment that the collection will not be withdrawn or sold for ten years after the grant.