Aims/Priorities: As part of its Heritage 2033 strategy, the National Lottery Heritage Fund has launched three strategic initiatives offering targeted funding to address long-standing heritage issues across the UK.
These initiatives are:
- National Lottery Heritage Fund: Strategic Initiatives – Heritage Places – for projects that improve or transform nine identified heritage locations through collaborative projects with local partners and organisations.
- The Landscape Connections initiative – for around 20 long-term projects to boost nature recovery and connect more people to Protected Landscapes and other world-class landscapes (covered in this scheme).
- National Lottery Heritage Fund: Strategic Initiatives – Towns and Cities – will support cities and towns, in partnership with others, to deliver urban nature recovery through thriving historic parks and green spaces.
- National Lottery Heritage Fund: Strategic Initiatives – Heritage in Need: Places of Worship – will support places of worship across the UK to address heritage challenges and promote sustainability.
This fund aims to support and strengthen protected and world-class landscapes to become better for nature and provide space for people to relax and connect with the environment.
Who can apply? Not-for-profit organisations and partnerships led by not-for-profit organisations can apply.
Protected Landscape management bodies must be a key partner within any application relating to the landscape where they operate and where the works will be taking place, though they do not need to be the applicant or lead partner of an application.
Grant Amount: Grants range from £10,000 to £10 million.
Application Process: Applications for grants of £10,000 to £250,000 are accepted year round. There are no deadlines. Decisions are made monthly by the senior investment or engagement staff for the applicant’s nation or area.
Applications for grants of £250,000 to £10 million (both developmental and delivery phases) have quarterly deadlines.
For applications of over £250,000, there is a multi-staged application process:
- Groups must first submit an online Expression of Interest.
- Successful groups will then be invited to submit a full application.
For grants above £250,000, decisions are made on a quarterly basis by the Committee of the applicant’s nation or area or by the board of trustees.
Guidance notes are available from the National Lottery Heritage Fund website.
Deadline: Wednesday 12 November 2025 (noon), to receive a decision by end of March 2026.
Contact Information: enquire@heritagefund.org.uk
Website: Strategic initiatives | The National Lottery Heritage Fund