The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) is the UK's largest dedicated funder of heritage. It distributes money raised through the National Lottery to support projects that connect people with the UK's history, culture, and natural environment — from restoring historic buildings and digitising archives to conserving landscapes and reviving traditional crafts.
If your organisation works with heritage in any form, the Heritage Fund should be one of your first ports of call. But its programmes are outcome-driven and competitive, and understanding what the Fund actually prioritises is essential before you apply.
Who can apply?
The Heritage Fund accepts applications from a wide range of organisations:
- Voluntary and community organisations
- Registered charities
- Local authorities and public bodies
- Museums, libraries, and archives
- Historic buildings trusts and conservation bodies
- Faith organisations (for the heritage aspects of their buildings and collections — not religious activities)
- Companies limited by guarantee
- Academic institutions
Private individuals and purely commercial businesses cannot apply. Residential properties are not eligible unless there is a demonstrable public benefit.
Main grant programmes
National Lottery Project Grants
Scale: £3,000–£250,000 For: organisations delivering heritage projects with clear community benefit
Project Grants is the Fund's most accessible programme — open year-round with no fixed competition window. It funds a wide range of heritage activities: conservation work, interpretation, community engagement, digitisation, skills training, and events.
Applications under £10,000 go through a lighter-touch process. Above that threshold, the assessment is more detailed and competitive. The Fund publishes average success rates by region — worth checking before applying, as they vary significantly.
National Lottery Development Grants
Scale: up to £25,000 For: organisations developing a strong application for a larger Heritage Fund grant
If your project will eventually need more than £250,000, Development Grants help you get there. They fund the early work — consultation, feasibility studies, conservation plans, business planning — that makes a large-scale application competitive. Applying for development funding before a major project is strongly encouraged by the Fund.
Large Grants
Scale: £250,000–£5 million+ For: significant heritage projects with lasting impact
Large grants are the most competitive tier and typically involve complex projects: major building conservation, museum redevelopments, landscape partnerships, or large-scale community heritage programmes. Most large grant applicants go through a two-stage process — an expression of interest before a full application.
The Fund expects detailed business plans, evidence of public support, a credible governance structure, and a clear sustainability model beyond the grant period.
Landscape Connections
Scale: varies, typically £1 million+ For: landscape-scale projects addressing nature, heritage, and communities together
Landscape Connections funds large collaborative projects that work at the scale of whole landscapes — combining natural heritage, historic environment, and community involvement. These are partnership applications, usually led by experienced heritage or conservation organisations.
What the Heritage Fund prioritises
NLHF uses a three-part outcomes framework — Heritage, People, and Communities — and every application must demonstrate impact across all three.
Heritage outcomes:
- Heritage is identified, better explained, or more widely known
- Heritage is in better condition or better managed
- Heritage is more accessible and used by more people
People outcomes:
- People have learned about heritage
- People have developed new skills
- People have volunteered time
- People's wellbeing has improved
Community outcomes:
- The local area is a better place to live, work, or visit
- A wider range of people are involved with heritage
- The project contributes to environmental sustainability
Applications that address only Heritage outcomes — conservation without community engagement — consistently score lower than those demonstrating genuine impact across all three areas.