Architectural Heritage Fund grants
The Architectural Heritage Fund is a national funder that gave around £1.5m to organisations in its latest year, supporting the reuse of historic buildings across the UK.
Guidance last checked 16 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
The Architectural Heritage Fund supports the conservation and reuse of historic buildings across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with an income of around £3.3m and grants to organisations totalling roughly £1.5m in its latest year. It particularly supports projects involving a change of use or ownership - such as bringing a disused building back into use - rather than basic repairs or maintenance. Eligible applicants include charitable incorporated organisations, charitable companies, community benefit societies, community interest companies, cooperatives, and parish and town councils.
What they fund
The Architectural Heritage Fund supports the conservation and reuse of historic buildings, prioritising projects involving a change of use or ownership rather than basic repairs.
Who and where
It funds charities and voluntary bodies, such as CIOs, charitable companies, community benefit societies and parish and town councils, working throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Who they help
Where they fund
What Architectural Heritage Fund says in its own guidance
Quoted directly from the funder’s own website, with a link to the page each quote came from. Always the most current word is theirs — check the source before you apply.
What they say they're looking for
“We generally look to support projects where there is a change of use or change of ownership involved with the building – such as bringing something disused back into use. We don't prioritise just basic repairs or maintenance”
Source: ahfund.org.uk — Fund | The Architectural Heritage Fund →
Who they say they'll fund
“If your building is nationally or locally listed, in a conservation area, or otherwise formally identified as being as historic merit, that is straightforward. If it's not listed, you will need to explain why it is of importance to the history of your community.”
Source: ahfund.org.uk — Fund | The Architectural Heritage Fund →
“Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs or SCIOs) Charitable Companies Limited by Guarantee Community Benefit Societies Not-for-private-profit Companies Limited by Guarantee Community Interest Companies (CICs) Limited by Guarantee Cooperatives Parish and Town Councils”
Source: ahfund.org.uk — Fund | The Architectural Heritage Fund →
What they say they won't fund
“Universities, colleges and other mainstream educational institutions including independent schools”
Source: ahfund.org.uk — Fund | The Architectural Heritage Fund →
“We will not generally fund Private individuals Local authorities and other public sector bodies other than Parish and Town Councils”
Source: ahfund.org.uk — Fund | The Architectural Heritage Fund →
“Churches or other places of worship, where the building or the space within the building you are enquiring about will primarily be used as an active place of religious worship.”
Source: ahfund.org.uk — Fund | The Architectural Heritage Fund →
Grant sizes they mention
“Yes, up to the overall maximum amount for that grant type in the country the project is based in (e.g. £100,000 for Project Development Grants in England)”
Source: ahfund.org.uk — Fund | The Architectural Heritage Fund →
Deadlines they mention
“If a grant is awarded, the offer will stand for one year from the date of the grant offer letter – this is the grant expiry date. The work being claimed for must have taken place (the invoice must be dated) before the grant expiry period.”
Source: ahfund.org.uk — Fund | The Architectural Heritage Fund →
How they say to apply
“Our grants are usually paid in arrears – this means you must have done the work, or incurred the expenses involved, before we can pay out. We can only pay for work that is done after the date of our formal offer letter.”
Source: ahfund.org.uk — Fund | The Architectural Heritage Fund →
“Decisions are made at our quarterly Credit Panel meetings, typically held in March, June, September and November. However, we may be able to present exceptional urgent cases to our Credit Panel outside of these set times.”
Source: ahfund.org.uk — Fund | The Architectural Heritage Fund →
What a typical grant looks like
| Grants published openly | 905 |
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Their charitable objects
As registered with the Charity Commission (their formal purposes):
A) to promote the permanent preservation for the benefit of the public generally of buildings monuments or other edifices of structures of whatsoever kind and whether permanent or attaching to land or not (including but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing any building as defined in section 336(1) of…
How to approach them
Start with the official sources — they’re always more current than any directory, including this one.
Common questions
How much does the Architectural Heritage Fund give?
The fund's Project Development Grants are worth up to £100,000 in England, though the maximum depends on the grant type and the country the project is based in.
What does the Architectural Heritage Fund fund?
The Architectural Heritage Fund supports the conservation and reuse of historic buildings, particularly projects involving a change of use or ownership - such as bringing a disused building back into use - rather than basic repairs or maintenance.
Who can apply to the Architectural Heritage Fund?
Applicants must be organisations such as charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs/SCIOs), charitable companies limited by guarantee, community benefit societies, community interest companies, cooperatives, or parish and town councils. The building involved should be nationally or locally listed, in a conservation area, or otherwise demonstrated to be of historic importance to the community.
What won't the Architectural Heritage Fund fund?
The fund does not generally support universities, colleges or other mainstream educational institutions, private individuals, local authorities or other public sector bodies (other than parish and town councils), or churches and places of worship where the space will primarily be used for active religious worship.
How do I apply to the Architectural Heritage Fund?
Loan decisions are made at quarterly Credit Panel meetings, usually held in March, June, September and November. Grants are paid in arrears, so applicants must incur the costs before claiming payment, and a grant offer stands for one year from the date of the offer letter. More detail is on the fund's website (www.ahfund.org.uk) and its Charity Commission entry (charity number 266780).
Is your charity a fit for Architectural Heritage Fund?
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Contains public sector information from the Charity Commission for England and Wales licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and grants data from 360Giving used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Figures are derived (filtered and summarised by TrusteeMeetings), not republished unchanged. About the data · Terms of use. This page is a starting point for your own research, not a promise of funding, and is not endorsed by or affiliated with Architectural Heritage Fund.