UK Heritage Funding Opportunities

TownsWeb Digitisation Grant

TWA Annual Digitisation Grant

Funding: For 2026, and to celebrate our 10th annual digitisation grant, we’re offering 10x £3,000 grants, plus optional match funding of up to £1,000 for all other eligible applicants.

Application timing: Subscribe to our newsletter to be amongst the first to receive the application form once it goes live later this year.

Supports heritage organisations digitising collections, including scanning, preservation, metadata creation, and online access.

https://www.townswebarchiving.com/digitisation-funding-grant

Funding: Usually £15,000 to £60,000+ per project

Application timing: September 2026

Supports digitisation of vulnerable archives worldwide, especially rare or endangered material.

https://eap.bl.uk/grants

Records at Risk Grants – The National Archives

Funding: Up to £5,000

Application timing: April 2026 

Supports urgent preservation work for archives at immediate risk.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/grants-and-funding/records-at-risk-grants

Archives Revealed Programme

Funding: Typically £10,000 to £50,000

Application timing: April 2026

Supports cataloguing projects that unlock hidden archive collections.

https://www.thepilgrimtrust.org.uk/preservation-and-conservation-grants/archives-revealed

Seed Corn Grants – The National Archives

Funding: £500 to £5,000

Application timing: 2nd February 2026 to 17th April 2026

Supports small pilot and community archive projects.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/community-hub/seed-corn-grant

Major UK Heritage Funders

National Lottery Heritage Fund

Funding: £10,000 to £10 million

Application timing: Rolling programmes

The largest UK heritage funder supporting conservation, engagement, digitisation, and capital projects.

https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/funding

Arts Council England – National Lottery Project Grants

Funding: £1,000 to £100,000+

Application timing: Rolling programmes

Supports cultural projects including museum engagement, digitisation, and interpretation.

https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/ProjectGrants

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

Funding: Typically £30,000 to £600,000+

Application timing: Rolling programmes

Supports major cultural and heritage projects with social impact.

https://esmeefairbairn.org.uk/apply-for-a-grant

Paul Hamlyn Foundation

Funding: Often £50,000 to £400,000

Application timing: Rolling programmes

Supports projects improving inclusion and participation in culture.

https://www.phf.org.uk

Garfield Weston Foundation

Funding: £1,000 to £100,000+

Application timing: Rolling programmes

Supports capital works, heritage conservation, and museum projects.

https://garfieldweston.org/for-grant-applicants/

Marc Fitch Fund

Funding: £500 to £10,000

Application timing: Quarterly rounds

Supports research, cataloguing, and publication work in history and archives.

http://marcfitchfund.org.uk

Rothschild Foundation

Funding: Typically £10,000 to £200,000

Application timing: September 2026

Supports heritage conservation and digital access projects.

https://rothschildfoundation.eu/grants

Paul Mellon Centre Grants

Funding: £1,000 to £50,000+

Application timing: Autumn 2026

Supports research and digital projects in British art and heritage.

https://www.paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk/grants-and-fellowships/about-our-funding

UKRI Funding

Funding: Often £50,000 to £1 million+

Application timing: Specific calls

Supports research collaborations between heritage and academic sectors.

https://www.ukri.org/apply-for-funding

Collections Care & Conservation Funding

Pilgrim Trust – Care of Collections

Funding: £5,000 to £100,000

Application timing: 10th April, 31st July, and 2nd October. ​

Supports conservation of historic objects and archives.

https://www.thepilgrimtrust.org.uk/preservation-and-conservation-grants/care-of-collections-and-objects

Wolfson Foundation

Funding: £100,000 to £1 million+

Application timing: Annual rounds

Supports museum capital improvements and gallery development.

https://www.wolfson.org.uk/funding/funding-for-places

Historic Houses Foundation

Funding: £1,000 to £250,000
Application timing: Annual

Supports conservation of historic buildings and collections.

https://www.historichousesfoundation.org.uk/grant-application

Museum & Sector Funding

Museums Galleries Scotland

Funding: £300 to £60,000

Application timing: Regular rounds

Supports development projects for Scottish museums.

http://museumsgalleriesscotland.org.uk/funding

Sporting Heritage Grants

Funding: Typically £2,000 to £25,000

Application timing: Programme rounds

Supports projects preserving sporting heritage.

https://www.sportingheritage.org.uk/content/category/what-we-do/sporting-heritage-community-grants

Specialist Funding

Friends of the Nations’ Libraries

Funding: £1,000 to £50,000

Application timing: Multiple rounds per year

Supports acquisition of rare books and archives.

https://www.fnl.org.uk/pages/22-applying-for-grants

Lloyd’s Register Foundation

Funding: £10,000 to £500,000+

Application timing: Programme calls

Supports maritime and engineering heritage projects.

https://www.lrfoundation.org.uk/partnerships-and-funding/grant-funding

Community & Small Trust Funding

Trusthouse Charitable Foundation

Funding: £2,000 to £10,000

Application timing: Rolling

Supports community heritage initiatives.

https://www.trusthousecharitablefoundation.org.uk/our-grants/small-grants 

We wish you the very best of luck in securing funding for your heritage project. Applying for grants can feel challenging, but many organisations find that the process helps clarify their goals and strengthen their long-term plans.

If digitisation is part of your project, don’t forget to take a look at the TownsWeb Digitisation Grant, created specifically to support organisations like yours in preserving and sharing valuable archives.