Heritage at Risk Capital Fund
This is a one-year special £15million fund to give grants to heritage at risk. We want to help people save historic sites in England that are most important to them. This scheme is focussed on supporting people in our most deprived communities – indices of deprivation 1-3. We can consider grants from projects outside these areas where it is clearly shown that the project is serving deprived communities. Under this scheme we will be supporting projects that have strong benefits for the local community, saving buildings and sites important to them. This is a one year scheme so the funding from us needs to be spent by the end of March 2026.
- Opening date: (Midday)
- Closing date: (Midnight)
Contents
Summary
The Heritage at Risk Capital Fund is a special 1-year, £15 million fund to give grants to heritage at risk, helping people to save the historic sites in England that are most important to them.
Under this scheme, we can give grants for the conservation, repair and conversion of listed buildings of all grades, historic buildings in conservation areas, registered parks and gardens and scheduled monuments.
The scheme focuses on supporting people in our most deprived communities – indices of deprivation 1 to 3. We can consider grants from projects outside these areas where it is clearly shown that the project is serving deprived communities.
We will be supporting projects that have strong benefits for the local community, saving buildings and sites important to them. As this is a 1-year scheme, the funding from us needs to be spent by the end of March 2026.
Eligibility
Under this scheme we can give grants for the conservation, repair and conversion of listed buildings of all grades, historic buildings in conservation areas, registered parks and gardens and scheduled monuments.
Applicants must have legal responsibility for the repair of the property. Which includes those who:
Own the property outright.
Hold a full repairing lease which has at least 21 years to run.
Demonstrate that they have an agreement to acquire the property in question either outright or by a full repairing lease of at least 21 years.
Your project must have strong benefits for the local community.
Your project must be in an area of England ranked 1 to 3 on the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) or if not in an IMD 1-3 area it must serve communities in one.
Your project must be related to the types of buildings and/ or assets we will consider, which are:
a building or asset listed at grade I or II*
a building listed at grade II, or undesignated asset of significant historic or architectural interest, located within a Conservation Area.
a scheduled monument
a park or garden registered at grade I or II*
Grade II buildings, historic assets and parks and gardens which are of high community value outside a Conservation Area will be considered where the project delivers considerable public benefit.
Publicly owned designated assets. Eligible historic sites owned by public bodies such as Local Authorities, universities, NHS institutions, free schools, academies, and provided they are not part of their operational estate.
Private dwellings, places of worship and commercial buildings are only exceptionally considered.
Objectives
The HAR Capital Fund’s objectives are to:
Prevent the irrecoverable loss of at-risk heritage assets ensuring the continuity and survival of England’s distinct heritage landscape and its heritage value.
Enhance the character and appearance of local areas through the repair and upkeep of heritage assets impacting on how people feel pride in their place.
Increase the number, scale and diversity of heritage assets renovated and in use in the most deprived communities in England.
Support local economic growth by maintaining/increasing the number of viable heritage sites that contribute to the visitor economy, and by increasing the market for heritage-related construction.
Dates
For this scheme we are asking all applicants to complete an Expression of interest form.
Please email us at harcapitalfund@historicengland.org.uk and we will email you a form to complete and return to us at the same email address.
Guidance for completing the Expression of Interest will be contained within the form. Your completed form must be submitted by 30 April 2025.
How to apply
For this scheme, we ask all applicants to complete an Expression of Interest form.
Please email us at harcapitalfund@historicengland.org.uk – we will send you a form to complete and return to us at the same email address.
Guidance for completing the Expression of Interest will be contained within the form. Your completed form must be submitted by 30 April 2025.
Expressions of Interest will be assessed by our local offices. We will be in touch by 16 May 2025 to invite successful applications under the Expression of Interest process to complete a full application.
Full applications will need to be submitted by 30 May 2025.