Aims/Priorities: Consortium Grants are designed to bring organisations together, to create projects that are greater than the sum of their parts. The funding is for large-scale consortium projects, bring together multiple archive, heritage and other organisations to deliver specific outcomes related to the goal of Archives Revealed, ensuring that significant archive collections, representing the lives and perspective of all people across the UK, are made accessible to the public for research and enjoyment.
Archives Reveals definition of an archive collection:
- "Materials created or received by a person, family or organisation, public or private, in the conduct of their affairs and preserved because of the enduring value contained in them or as evidence of the functions and responsibilities of their creator, especially those materials maintained using the principles of provenance, original order and collective control; permanent records.”
Who can apply? This programme can fund consortia with members that hold archival collection(s) including deposited collections, that are able to provide access to the collection for the public in the UK for at least ten years following the grant’s completion.
Consortium will need to select one organisation to be the ‘lead’. This will usually be an organisation holding a collection, but this is not mandatory. This organisation will hold the contract with Archives Revealed and will be responsible for ensuring project delivery and fulfilment of contractual requirements.
Applications will be considered from organisations with owned or deposited collections, provided that they can provide a commitment from the depositor that the collection will not be withdrawn from public access or sold within ten years of the project end date.
Applications will be considered from:
- Individuals
- Local Authorities
- Other UK Public Bodies
- UK Charities
- UK Companies including Community Interest Companies (CICs)
- UK Educational Institutes including universities
Grant Amount: Grants of up to £150,000 are available. Around two to three grants are awarded per year.
At least 20% of the applicant's budget must be allocated to engagement activities with the catalogued collection(s).
Application Process: Full details and the application form can be found on the National Archives website.
The grant programme runs twice per year, usually opening in autumn and spring. It is a single application process.
Five application rounds are planned for 2024 - 2026:
- Round 3 opens on 1 September 2025 with a deadline of 9 October 2025. The panel will meet in January 2026.
- Round 4 opens on 16 March 2026 with a deadline of 30 April 2026. The panel will meet in July 2026.
- Round 5 opens on 31 August 2026 with a deadline of 1 October 2026. The panel will meet in December 2026.
Contact the National Archives for further information.
Deadline: Thursday 9 October 2025
Contact Information: archivegrants@nationalarchives.gov.uk
Website: How to Apply - Portals