GrantRadar

Historic England

Neighbourhood Heritage: Grants for Communities

Grants of up to £15,000 from Historic England for co-created, community-led projects that use local heritage to help underrepresented communities understand, influence and shape the future of their neighbourhood. The communities must live in the 30% most deprived areas of England (IMD deciles 1-3), though the applicant can be based anywhere in England. Around 21 grants will be made, for projects completing by 11 August 2028. Match funding is not required.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £15,000
Deadline
40 days left
27 November
Effort
Heavy
budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

  • Organisations based in England, including constituted community groups, charities, community interest companies and local authorities, that can evidence their governance arrangements
  • Individuals and sole traders cannot apply
  • The applicant can be based anywhere in England (national and regional organisations included), but the communities the project works with must be in an IMD decile 1-3 area (the 30% most deprived neighbourhoods in England), checked by postcode on the government's Local Deprivation Explorer 2025
  • You do not need to be a heritage organisation or have a heritage partner, but if you lack heritage experience you must explain how you will get expert advice
  • Applicants need a Health and Safety Policy Statement, an up-to-date safeguarding policy, and DBS checks where activities require them
  • Collaborative projects are welcome with one lead applicant
  • Previous Historic England grantees and first-time applicants are both eligible

What it funds

New community-led projects that use heritage connected to a neighbourhood (buildings, streets, parks, landscapes, traditions, memories, stories, local identities and ways of life) to help local people understand their place and influence its future, working with underrepresented communities in IMD 1-3 areas, including:

  • Communities experiencing socio-economic disadvantage
  • Communities less likely to participate in heritage activity
  • Minority ethnic communities
  • Disabled people
  • Neurodivergent people
  • LGBTQ+ communities
  • Communities experiencing barriers to participation in local planning, regeneration or civic processes

example activities are community mapping, local research, creative activity, oral histories, workshops or heritage audits to inform planning, regeneration or other neighbourhood priorities. Heritage need not be listed or designated, and recent history and contemporary stories are eligible. Grants can pay community members for their time where proportionate. No permanent physical output is needed.

What it will not fund

  • Capital works
  • Activities where communities have little or no role in decisions
  • Heritage research with no meaningful community involvement
  • Activities with limited public or community benefit
  • Projects without a clear connection between heritage and place
  • Projects whose main purpose is commercial gain
  • Later stages of ongoing projects (the grants are for new projects)
  • Projects mainly reinterpreting museum collections
  • A general contingency line in the budget
  • Individuals and sole traders

How to apply

  1. Check that your organisation and the community you will work with are eligible, using the Local Deprivation Explorer 2025 for the IMD decile
  2. Read the guidance and the full application form
  3. Optionally attend the online drop-in session on 9 November 2026
  4. Complete every section of the application form (16 questions with word limits, including a risk register and task list)
  5. Complete the separate budget spreadsheet without changing its formulas, including three days for 'participate in evaluation'
  6. Email the application form and budget spreadsheet to neighbourhood.heritage.grants@historicengland.org.uk by 23:59 on Friday 27 November 2026

successful projects must sign a funding agreement before starting, take part in an independent programme-wide evaluation, and are monitored by a Project Assurance Officer. Historic England may not give detailed feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Have ready

  • Application form (ODT), signed by an authorised person
  • Budget spreadsheet (kept in Excel or open-source spreadsheet format)
  • Health and Safety Policy Statement
  • Up-to-date safeguarding policy
  • Evidence of governance arrangements

DBS checks must be confirmed where activities require them. Participant information or consent documents are needed only if the project requires research ethics review.

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