Grants of up to £15,000 (England) and £7,500 (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) are now available for formally constituted charities or social enterprises that have the necessary powers to undertake a project involving the acquisition and conversion of an historic building.
The Architectural Heritage Fund Project Viability Grant aims to enable organisations to work out whether a proposed use for a building will be economically viable. The grant will contribute towards the cost of exploring different options for reuse or testing a single option. At the end of the process applicants should be able to make an informed decision on whether the organisation should commit to further cost, risk and effort in developing the project.
Priority will be given to:
- Projects involving historic buildings that have statutory protection (i.e. listed or in a Conservation Area and of acknowledged historic significance) and at risk.
- 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
To apply for a grant applicant must be a formally constituted charity or social enterprise whose members have limited liability. This includes:
- Unincorporated charities (for Project Viability Grants only)
- Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs)
- Charitable Companies Limited by Guarantee
- Charitable Community Benefit Societies
- Community Benefit Societies
- Not-for-private-profit Companies Limited by Guarantee
- Community Interest Companies (CICs) Limited by Guarantee
- Parish and Town Councils; Community Councils (in Scotland and Wales)
The applications are accepted at any time and the Grants Panel meet throughout the year.
Useful Links:
mfip.org.uk 