The resumption of project funding marks a return to our core business, but it is not a return to ‘business as usual’.

As the pandemic continues to impact so many aspects of our lives, we want to fund projects that demonstrate the value of heritage to our national life and which support local economies, places and communities.

“Heritage has an essential role to play in making communities better places to live, creating economic prosperity and supporting personal wellbeing. All of these are going to be vitally important as we build back from the pandemic.”

Ros Kerslake, CEO of The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Refocused priorities for 2021-22

Between April 2021 to March 2022, when making funding decisions, we will prioritise heritage projects that:

• boost the local economy
• encourage skills development and job creation
• support wellbeing
• create better places to live, work and visit
• improve the resilience of organisations working in heritage

Our inclusion outcome – a wider range of people will be involved in heritage – remains mandatory for all projects we fund.

In addition, all projects must demonstrate they are environmentally responsible and are integrating environmental measures into their projects.

Find out more about the outcomes we expect projects to achieve, and explore the full context of our Priorities for National Lottery Grants for Heritage for 2021-22.

Building back

Ros Kerslake, CEO of The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “Heritage has an essential role to play in making communities better places to live, creating economic prosperity and supporting personal wellbeing. All of these are going to be vitally important as we build back from the pandemic.

"During 2020 we focused on supporting heritage across the UK to adapt and respond to the immediate impact of the COVID-19 crisis. By the end of this financial year we will have supported more than 1,500 organisations across the heritage sector with over £500million of National Lottery and Government funding.

“Our focus now is to support the heritage sector to strengthen its recovery and to build back for positive change – reopening applications for heritage projects is key to the success of this.”

Same heritage

We are committed to supporting the same broad range of heritage projects and activities we have always supported – from industrial heritage and sites, castles and historic places of worship, to the stories and memories of our communities, through to public parks, natural landscapes and native wildlife.

However, we expect all applications to fully reflect the changed circumstances brought about by COVID-19 and our revised priorities for funding.

Hear more from our Head of Strategy, Araba Webber: