The Architectural Heritage Fund's Project Development Grants programme is intended to assist an organisation to cover some of the costs of developing and co-ordinating a project and taking it towards the start of work on site.
Grants are designed to help deliver its four strategic objectives and outcomes for heritage and communities:
o Priority 1: to support people, communities and organisations to take ownership, to repair and to adapt historic buildings and places for new sustainable uses;
o Priority 2: to attract more investment for the conservation and sustainable re-use of the UK’s architectural heritage;
o Priority 3: to inspire the start up and growth of new community enterprises that utilise historic buildings and places for public benefit; and
o Priority 4: to demonstrate the value of a well-managed historic built environment by championing and showcasing the impact of the projects AHF have supported.
o Priority 2: to attract more investment for the conservation and sustainable re-use of the UK’s architectural heritage;
o Priority 3: to inspire the start up and growth of new community enterprises that utilise historic buildings and places for public benefit; and
o Priority 4: to demonstrate the value of a well-managed historic built environment by championing and showcasing the impact of the projects AHF have supported.
The Project Development Grant scheme provides grants for project development costs only and not for on-site capital works. Funding is available for any work that is essential for taking the project forward towards the goal of revitalising a historic building. Applicants must explain how a particular piece of work or activity will enable this. Examples of eligible projects include:
o Employment of a project co-ordinator, either someone appointed externally on a consultancy basis or an existing employee(s) working additional hours or on this specific project;
o Fees for consultants needed to help progress the organisation's plans, such as architect, quantity surveyor, structural engineer, mechanical and electrical engineer;
o Property valuation by a Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) registered valuer;
o Fundraising consultants;
o Business planning consultants;
o Costs associated with developing a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund or other capital funders, such as Activity Plan, Training Plan, Conservation Management Plan;
o Costs of community engagement work, such as pop-up events, consultations;
o Legal costs where this is critical in establishing ownership or the viability of proposed uses, such as advice on restrictive covenants, or for advice on governance, such as to develop the organisation's constitutional model to best enable it to take the project forward;
o VAT costs that cannot be reclaimed;
o Organisation's overheads/administration costs;
o Costs associated with converting an existing charity or social enterprise into a Community Benefit Society.
o Fees for consultants needed to help progress the organisation's plans, such as architect, quantity surveyor, structural engineer, mechanical and electrical engineer;
o Property valuation by a Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) registered valuer;
o Fundraising consultants;
o Business planning consultants;
o Costs associated with developing a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund or other capital funders, such as Activity Plan, Training Plan, Conservation Management Plan;
o Costs of community engagement work, such as pop-up events, consultations;
o Legal costs where this is critical in establishing ownership or the viability of proposed uses, such as advice on restrictive covenants, or for advice on governance, such as to develop the organisation's constitutional model to best enable it to take the project forward;
o VAT costs that cannot be reclaimed;
o Organisation's overheads/administration costs;
o Costs associated with converting an existing charity or social enterprise into a Community Benefit Society.
Grants up to £30,000 are available.
There is a match funding requirement. All applicants are required to contribute at least 50% of the project cost.
The following types of organisation can apply for a grant:
o Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO);
o Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee;
o Not-for-private-profit Company Limited by Guarantee;
o Community Interest Company (CIC) Limited by Guarantee;
o Charitable Community Benefit Society;
o Community Benefit Society;
o Parish and Town Councils; Community Councils (in Scotland and Wales).
o Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee;
o Not-for-private-profit Company Limited by Guarantee;
o Community Interest Company (CIC) Limited by Guarantee;
o Charitable Community Benefit Society;
o Community Benefit Society;
o Parish and Town Councils; Community Councils (in Scotland and Wales).
If the organisation is not a registered charity then it must have an asset lock in place. This is a provision in the governing document to protect its assets. It means that if the organisation is wound up any assets must be transferred to a similar not-for-profit organisation (another asset-locked body) once creditors have been paid.
Applications are welcome from organisations working in partnership, including joint applications from voluntary sector groups with commercial partners. A not-for-profit organisation must be nominated as the lead applicant. Applicants must provide a signed partnership agreement indicating the involvement of each partner and how the project will be managed.
In exceptional cases applications will be accepted from third parties applying on behalf of unincorporated organisations but normally the organisation applying for a grant must be the one intending to carry out the building’s repair and conversion to new use.
The Architectural Heritage Fund will assess whether the grant application is a high, medium or low priority in each of the following categories. Successful applications will usually be assessed as a high priority in at least three of the categories.
1. Heritage need - priority will be given to projects involving historic buildings that have statutory protection (ie listed or in a Conservation Area and of acknowledged historic significance) and at risk. AHF will consider applications for unlisted buildings if it can be shown that they are highly valued as heritage assets by the local community. This may include local listing or being identified as a heritage asset in a neighbourhood or parish plan. AHF will need to see that there will be a conservation-led approach to development in all cases. If the building is not on a national or local register of heritage at risk then applicants should explain why it is under threat. This may be due to the building's condition, redundancy, change of ownership or a current use that economically unsustainable.
2. Social impact - priority will be given to projects that have the potential to make a significant positive social impact, particularly (but not exclusively) in disadvantaged areas such as urban communities experiencing structural economic decline or isolated rural areas with poor access to services. AHF wants to help build stronger and more cohesive communities by supporting projects that will create employment, training and/or volunteering opportunities both during the project’s development and in the years following completion. AHF wants to encourage community ownership of heritage assets and support the growth of community businesses, bringing disused or under-used historic buildings back into productive use. High priority projects will show evidence of active community engagement. The building may be listed as an Asset of Community Value or the applicant may be planning a Community Share issue, for example.
3. Why now? - the work should help the organsiation reach planned milestones in the project’s development and there should be a tangible outcome – for acquisition of a property. Is the work absolutely essential at this time? What difference will it make? What might happen if the project is not progressed now? Applicants must be able to show that the project will move forward as a result of the investment. AHF have identified the key stages of a project’s development on its Theory of Change model. Organisations should be better equipped to deliver the project as a result of AHF funding.
4. Financial need - AHF will assess the organisation's ability to contribute towards the cost of the work. Priority will be given to applications that can provide at least 50% partnership funding from other sources. This helps to demonstrate a wider commitment to the project and a willingness to share some of the risk. Even small donations from the local community and funds raised through crowdfunding help to show wider community 'buy-in' to what the organsiation is trying to achieve.
Funding is not available for:
o Private individuals;
o Unincorporated trusts or associations;
o Local authorities and other public sector bodies;
o Universities, colleges and other mainstream educational institutions including independent schools;
o For-private-profit companies, unless in a partnership led by a charity or social enterprise;
o Churches or other places of worship, where the building will remain in use primarily as a place of religious worship;
o Organisations established primarily for the benefit of their members (e.g. co-operative societies);
o Organisations with fewer than three Trustees or Directors who are not spouses or partners or otherwise related to each other;
o Limited liability partnerships;
o Projects that simply involve upgrading existing uses within a building and do not involve a change of ownership;
o Capital works (such as building repairs, installation of services, landscaping, access improvements or heritage interpretation displays); or
o Retrospective costs.
o Unincorporated trusts or associations;
o Local authorities and other public sector bodies;
o Universities, colleges and other mainstream educational institutions including independent schools;
o For-private-profit companies, unless in a partnership led by a charity or social enterprise;
o Churches or other places of worship, where the building will remain in use primarily as a place of religious worship;
o Organisations established primarily for the benefit of their members (e.g. co-operative societies);
o Organisations with fewer than three Trustees or Directors who are not spouses or partners or otherwise related to each other;
o Limited liability partnerships;
o Projects that simply involve upgrading existing uses within a building and do not involve a change of ownership;
o Capital works (such as building repairs, installation of services, landscaping, access improvements or heritage interpretation displays); or
o Retrospective costs.
Grants of up to £7,500 can be made at any time and should be submitted by 5pm on the last day of each calendar month. Decisions are usually given within eight weeks.
Grants between £7,500 and £30,000 are considered at quarterly meetings. The next deadline is 9am on Tuesday 11 February 2019 for consideration at the Architectural Heritage Fund’s March meeting.
Please note: applicants are strongly advised to discuss any potential application with the relevant Support Officer in their area before submitting an application. A list of local Support Officers can be found at this LINK.
Further information, guidance notes and an application form can be found on the Architectural Heritage Fund website.
Contact details for the Fund are:
The Architectural Heritage Fund
3 Spital Yard
Spitalfields
London
E1 6AQ
Tel: 020 7925 0199
Email: ahf@ahfund.org.uk
3 Spital Yard
Spitalfields
London
E1 6AQ
Tel: 020 7925 0199
Email: ahf@ahfund.org.uk
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