Available Funding

Heritage in Need: Places of Worship

National Lottery Heritage Fund want to help places of worship across the UK tackle heritage challenges systemically, become more sustainable and welcome people from all backgrounds, including those who rarely visit.

This fund will support work such as:

• Strategic projects at scale that develop the processes, systems, guidance, and infrastructure needed through a change in use, management, or ownership.
• Strategic projects at scale are based on an understanding of the needs of heritage and owners of heritage schemes that build capacity among smaller denominations and faith groups to develop large projects.
• Strategic projects that establish the cultural and heritage significance of places of worship where that may be at risk of loss.
• capacity-building projects that can provide broader support, advice, and guidance for owners and managers of historic religious buildings and sites across geographies and types such as funding for support officers.
• Initiatives that bring together many organisations, faith groups, and funders to collaborate and find solutions to issues facing places of worship and heritage.
• Schemes that provide funding for exploring the feasibility for more sustainable options for existing or new uses for places of worship.
• Developing schemes that share learning and support for volunteers managing and caring for heritage and to make that more accessible to wider audiences.
• Strategic projects that trial different approaches to managing places of worship at an area scale.
• Projects that explore the heritage of places of worship to support and contribute to the local and visitor economy at a national or regional level.
• Thematic projects that might use innovative technologies to open access to heritage and collections.

Grant amount: between £10,000 and £10 million

Deadline: For grants under £250,000: decisions are made monthly.

For grants over £250,000:

• 26 February 2026 (noon), to receive a decision by the end of June 2026
• 28 May 2026 (noon), to receive a decision by the end of September 2026
• 6 August 2026 (noon), to receive a decision by the end of December 2026
• 12 November 2026 (noon), to receive a decision by the end of March 2027