Impact of Coronavirus on Historic England Grants
This information was originally published 20 March 2020 to assist existing grant recipients and those looking for funding.
We know this is a challenging and unprecedented time and our priority, while businesses are affected by pandemic restrictions, is to ensure that we continue to support all who work in the heritage sector.
Our grant schemes are an important part of this and we remain open for business for existing grant recipients and for those looking to apply for funding.
On this page:
- Heritage Protection Commissions Programme
- National Capacity Building (NCB)
- Repair Grants for Heritage at Risk
- Other grants, including Management Agreements, Partnership Schemes in Conservation Areas, Regional Capacity Building, Urgent Works Notices, Repairs Notices
- Heritage Stimulus Fund
We will continue to support you whether you’re a grant recipient or currently liaising with our teams about developing your project or grant application. We are conducting the majority of our business remotely and are doing everything we can to ensure that we maintain business as usual.
If you have immediate concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on your grant-funded project, please get in touch with your individual project contacts. See individual schemes for further details.
Heritage Protection Commissions Programme
If you have any concerns regarding timetables for delivery on projects, recruitment issues, workshops, meetings and training events please contact your named Project Assurance Officer or email [email protected]
National Capacity Building (NCB)
All NCB grants are being monitored on an individual basis. Timescales for delivery have been extended where needed and we are trying to be as flexible as we can. If you are experiencing any issues with delivery of grant purposes please contact your named Project Assurance Officer or email [email protected].
The call for applications for National Capacity Building funding for the 2021/22 financial year has been postponed. Information on the reopening of the National Capacity Building programme will be made available on the Historic England website in early 2021/22.
Repair Grants for Heritage at Risk
Please be assured that existing grants will continue to be paid at the agreed milestones. We may be able to amend these milestones for projects that have been affected by COVID-19 in order to allow them to be completed as planned. To discuss any issues or amendments to your project and grant contract please contact your Historic England grant contact.
We are still accepting new applications to the Repair Grants for Heritage at Risk scheme. However, we recommend that you contact your regional Historic England office to discuss a proposed project before making an application as it may not be a project that we would be able to offer funding towards at the current time.
Other grants
- Management Agreements
- Partnership Schemes in Conservation Areas
- Regional Capacity Building
- Urgent Works Notices
- Repairs Notices
For recipients of grants under the above schemes it is important that you communicate to us any issues that you are experiencing as a result of COVID-19 that will result in a change to your project or its timescales. We will be as flexible as possible to support you and your project to allow it to complete as planned.
For staff posts funded through Regional Capacity Building or Partnership Schemes we will continue to pay agreed staff costs through this period of uncertainty so that your staff have some financial security. We appreciate that there might be delays in recruiting posts and will honour our commitment to fund posts for the agreed term once they have been recruited.
The Heritage Stimulus Fund
- COVID-19 Emergency Heritage at Risk Response Fund
This fund has closed to new applications. Recipients of these grants should communicate any issues or delays experienced as a result of COVID-19 to the project team. The COVID-19 Emergency Heritage at Risk Response Fund awarded grants to help fund urgent maintenance, repairs and surveys at some of England’s locally-cherished historic buildings and sites. - Grants for Programmes for Major Works Round 1
Applications for the Heritage Stimulus Fund’s scheme are now closed and funding has been fully allocated. This fund supported programmes of repair and restoration works at nationally important heritage attractions. - Grants for Programmes for Major Works Round 2
Through a second round of Grants for Programmes of Major Works, around £30 million in grants will be distributed between national organisations that manage a portfolio of designated heritage assets that are open to the public. Applications will close on Thursday 22 July and Thursday 5 August. - New funding for existing Repair Grant recipients
An additional sum of around £5.5 million was distributed through our existing Repair Grants for Heritage at Risk scheme in 2020/21 and around £5 million through Major Repairs for Heritage at Risk in 2021/22. This additional funding has now closed and funding has been offered to individuals and organisations already in receipt of a grant, where additional funding is needed, or projects already identified as a priority for urgent funding and where discussions with applicants are well advanced. Priority is being given to projects that will help bring formerly redundant buildings back into economic use through funding urgent high-level repairs, and where our financial support is needed the most.
