21 December 2011

The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) offers grants and occasionally loans to help with the purchase, preservation and maintenance of land, buildings, works of art and other objects of outstanding importance to the national heritage.

Charities and not-for-profit organisations, whose main purposes include preserving cultural or built heritage or conserving the natural heritage, can apply for grants. The NHMF can help buy the following:

• Historic buildings and land
• Works of fine and decorative art
• Museum collections
• Archives
• Manuscripts
• Items of transport and industrial history.

The following will not be funded:

• Yearly revenue funding
• Day-to-day running costs or maintenance
• Payroll costs
• Development Studies
• Research projects
• Costs which have already been spent
• Costs of general furniture, fittings and equipment.

Projects must meet the following criteria:

• Importance to national heritage: The NHMF do not give a definition for ‘national heritage', so applicants are able to justify the importance of the item they wish to preserve, buy, maintain or conserve. The NHMF will not normally consider items which are less than 20 years old
• Outstanding interest: Examples include land, buildings, objects or collections of outstanding historic, scientific or artistic heritage
• At risk: Applicants must show that the heritage item is at risk and there is a genuine concern that it may be damaged, developed in an inappropriate way or exported
• Costs and whether the proposal is realistic: Applications must include an independent valuation of the item, including a detailed explanation of the reasoning behind the assessment of its market value. Applicants must explain the long-term operational and financial plans of the organisation or project
• Financial need: The NHMF have limited resources, and will only pay for the total cost of a project or purchase in exceptional circumstances. Applicants must make sure that they have tried to get funding from all other likely sources
• Memorial character: The NHMF gives special consideration to items or projects which are connected with those who gave or risked their lives for the United Kingdom. This is not essential for funding, but should be highlighted in a group's bid where applicable
• Public access: Applicants must explain how the public will have access to the project or items.

Contact: National Heritage Memorial Fund
Telephone: 020 7591 6042
Email: enquire@hlf.org.uk
Website: http://www.nhmf.org.uk/HowToApply/Pages/default.aspx