Grants and Funding

Heritage & Place Programme

This is an area-based funding programme that aims to contribute to the development of vibrant and sustainable places in Scotland, through community-led regeneration of the historic environment.

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  1. Overview
  2. Programme criteria
  3. What we can fund
  4. How to apply
  5. Programme resources
  6. Contact us

1 Overview

The Heritage & Place Programme (H&PP) is an area-based funding programme that aims to contribute to the development of vibrant and sustainable places in Scotland, through community-led regeneration of the historic environment. It supports the development and delivery of heritage focused schemes within conservation areas, or alternatively distinctive heritage areas with local authority recognition.

Applications can be accepted from local authorities, national park authorities and suitably experienced not-for-profit organisations based in Scotland. Individual property owners are not eligible to apply directly to this programme.

Find out more about the programme criteria

The H&PP supports schemes that will be delivering a combination of activities, including the repair and re-use of historic environment assets, training to strengthen local traditional skills, and building capacity within communities to value and look after the historic environment in the longer term.

Find out more about the types of projects and activities we can fund

The programme consists of a two-stage application process with an initial Historic Environment Scotland (HES) match funded Development Phase. Find out more about our application process and timeframes

View our full programme guidance along with a number of other H&PP resources

We are also pleased to be partnering with National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) to take a collective approach to our area based funding programmes and in providing support to applicants. If you will be seeking funding from both HES and NLHF for your scheme, you must submit a separate EOI to each of us to consider. More information on submitting an EOI to the NLHF can be found here.

As part our collective approach, we jointly hosted a couple of online information sessions about the H&PP and about the NLHF Grants for Heritage Programme to support area-based schemes. A copy of the presentations from these sessions as well as a list of Q&A’s are now available to view on the Programme Resources page.

2 Programme criteria

The Heritage & Place Programme (H&PP) is open to applications from local authorities, national park authorities and not-for-profit organisations. Where the lead applicant is a not-for-profit organisation, they will need to demonstrate that they have a track-record of successfully managing a similar type of work and level of funding and will need to enter into a Joint Delivery Agreement with the relevant local authority or national park authority to develop and deliver the scheme. Individual property owners are not eligible to apply directly to this programme.

Successful Heritage & Place schemes will be based upon the formation of Area Partnerships of local, regional, and national interests with a shared vision for the place, and community participation will be integral to the design and delivery of the scheme.

To qualify for the H&PP, you will also need to demonstrate that your scheme meets the following criteria:

  • It will take place within a defined area of the historic environment with heritage significance which has local authority recognition
  • Its objectives fit within the local authority’s strategic framework for Place and Regeneration, with participation and support from the local community
  • There is demonstrable evidence provided to show the need for repair and regeneration in the defined area of the historic environment that will focus on its repair and resilience, traditional skills training and materials, community heritage engagement and future management and maintenance
  • There has been demand identified from within the local community for projects and activities to be undertaken as part of the scheme
  • A financial need for HES funding has been demonstrated and there is also the ability to attract local authority funding and other match funding
  • It will deliver against the HES Grants Priorities 

Read more detailed information about the programme criteria, and full programme guidance.

3 What we can fund

For the Development Phase, we can help to support the costs of appointing staff and consultants to carry out development activities. This will include undertaking local skills and materials audits and may also include the delivery of community engagement activities and historic asset condition surveys. It is our expectation that the Development Phase will not exceed 12 months.

For the Delivery Phase, we can help to support the cost of a range of projects and activities identified as priorities in response to the specific needs of the area and of the local community. A delivery scheme is likely to consist of:

  • Repair and resilience capital projects which may involve the reuse of historic environment assets. These will be facilitated through the awarding of third-party grants to the asset owners or long-term leaseholders, and we will only provide funding support for repairs using appropriate techniques and materials
  • Traditional skills training and materials activities which target local needs
  • Community heritage activities
  • A management and maintenance strategy to include activities which will help to build capacity within communities to value and look after the historic environment for the longer term

It is our expectation that the Delivery Phase will not exceed five years. On completion, you will need to ensure that there are processes in place to deliver ongoing monitoring of the grant aided works and the management and maintenance strategy for the scheme area.

Whilst there is no set grant amount that can be applied for under each phase, for the Development Phase we will typically be able to provide funding support of up to 50% of the costs. For the Delivery Phase, grants from HES will typically range between £750k and £1.5m, depending on the size of the scheme and match funding. To maximise your funding opportunities, we would encourage you to enquire about the area-based funding that is available under the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Grants for Heritage.

Read more detailed information about what we can fund and the full programme guidance.

4 How to apply

All applicants to the current funding round are required to submit an expression of interest (EOI) by 31 July 2022. Please see the instructions below about how to submit your EOI. If you will be seeking funding from both HES and NLHF for your scheme, you must submit a separate EOI to each of us to consider. More information on submitting an EOI to the NLHF can be found here.

If your EOI is approved by HES, you will be invited to submit a Development Phase application. All Development Phase applications will be assessed as a batch through a competitive process, and successful applicants will have up to 12 months to undertake a Development Phase and submit their Delivery Phase application. For more information about how we take decisions, please see 'How Our Funding Works'.

Stage Deadline Decision
Expressions of Interest (EOI) 31 July 2022 No later than 6 weeks after EOI deadline
Development Phase Application 15 December 2022 Within 3-4 months
Delivery Phase application To be submitted within 12 months from the date you start your Development Phase Within 3-4 months

All expressions of interest and applications must be completed and submitted through our new online Grants Management System. You will need to register your name and organisation on the system before being able to access the EOI form. If you have any issues with registering, completing, or submitting this, then please contact us at grants@hes.scot.

We recommend that you read the Programme Guidance in full before submitting an EOI, and if invited, before completing your Development Phase and Delivery Phase applications. View guidance along with other supporting templates, case studies and contracts 

Apply now

We are also pleased to be partnering with National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) to take a collective approach to our area based funding programmes and in providing support to applicants. As part of this work, we jointly hosted a couple of online information sessions about the H&PP and about the NLHF Grants for Heritage Programme to support area-based schemes. A copy of the presentations from these sessions as well as a list of Q&A’s are now available to view on the Programme Resources page.

5 Programme resources

In this section, you will find a number of documents that will help you to develop your scheme and complete your funding application. We advise that you read through this information before applying.

Guidance documents:

Templates:

Grant Contracts:

Claiming and Reporting:

Case Studies:

Other information:

6 Contact us

If you have any questions or would like further support in making an application for funding, please contact us at grants@hes.scot, and one of our grants team will be happy to discuss your proposals with you.

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