Historic Environment Scotland

Heritage and Place Fund

Historic Environment Scotland's area-based fund for long-term, partnership-led programmes that repair, reuse and celebrate the historic environment of a whole place (a conservation area or other historic area recognised by the local authority), not individual projects. Schemes go through a Development Phase (up to 12 months, typically up to 50% of eligible costs) and then a Delivery Phase of up to five years; Delivery grants typically range from £750,000 to £1.5 million with no fixed upper limit. Lead applicants are local authorities, national park authorities or experienced Scottish not-for-profits working with their council.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: £750,000 – £1,500,000
Deadline: 101 days left; 29 January
Effort: Heavy; budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

Local authorities, national park authorities, and suitably experienced not-for-profit organisations based in Scotland
Individual property owners cannot apply directly (they benefit through third-party repair grants)
A not-for-profit lead applicant must show experience of managing similar projects and funding levels, work in partnership with the relevant local or national park authority, and enter into a Joint Delivery Agreement
The scheme must cover a defined historic area of heritage significance with local authority recognition (such as a conservation area), align with the council's strategic approach to place and regeneration, show clear need for repair and regeneration and local community demand, have community participation at its centre, and be able to attract local authority and other match funding

What it funds

Development Phase:

Staff and project management costs
Professional and specialist consultancy services
Historic asset condition surveys
Local skills and materials audits
Community engagement and consultation activities
Delivery Phase, typically including:
Repair and resilience projects: grant-funded repair and reuse of historic buildings and assets, delivered via third-party grants to owners or long-term leaseholders, using appropriate techniques and traditional materials
Traditional skills training and materials: activities to strengthen local skills capacity and address identified skills gaps
Community heritage activities that help people explore, celebrate and understand their local heritage
Management and maintenance planning to build long-term community capacity to care for the historic environment

Development funding is match funded by HES and typically covers up to 50% of eligible costs.

How to apply

Read the Heritage and Place Fund guidance
Submit an Expression of Interest on the HES Grants Portal by 29 January 2027; decision within 6 weeks
If approved, submit a Development Phase application by 27 August 2027; these are assessed competitively as a group, with a decision in about 4 months
Submit the Delivery Phase application within 12 months of starting the Development Phase; decision in about 4 months

if you are also applying to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, you must submit a separate Expression of Interest to each funder.

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