Last updated Friday 20 November

We published application guidance for the new £5.5million Heritage Recovery Fund Northern Ireland on Wednesday 28 October. The fund opened for applications on Monday 2 November.

Grants available for organisations and individuals 

Grants from £3,000 to £250,000 are available to heritage organisations to help them respond to the immediate impacts of the COVID-19 crisis and support their future sustainability.

Self-employed individuals working in the heritage sector can also be able to apply for grants of up to £5,000, helping to retain vital skills and jobs in the sector.

It does not matter if you have previously received or applied for funding from us – you can still apply for this fund. It also does not matter if you have received emergency funding from us (such as the Heritage Emergency Fund).

We are delivering the Heritage Recovery Fund Northern Ireland on behalf of the Department for Communities.

Supporting the sector 

“The heritage sector is still facing a testing future, and this funding will be a lifeline for many organisations and individuals who need support to recover from this pandemic.”

Paul Mullan, Director of The National Lottery Heritage Fund Northern Ireland

Paul Mullan, Director of The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Northern Ireland, said: “As an organisation, we have been actively working to support the sector throughout this crisis, but we know we are not out of the woods yet. We welcome this funding from the Department for Communities to help protect our much loved heritage in Northern Ireland from being permanently lost.

“Heritage is hugely valuable for us all – it is vital in creating economic prosperity, in making local communities better places to live, and in supporting our own personal sense of wellbeing. I would urge eligible organisations to apply for this funding.”

Who can apply

Applicants must be based in Northern Ireland, and can include:

• heritage organisations managing a heritage site or visitor attraction
• private owners of a heritage site, venue or attraction
• organisations managing, maintaining or caring for culturally significant assets or collections
• businesses which are part of the heritage ecosystem, including conservators, contractors, specialists and suppliers
• self-employed or freelance individuals working in the heritage sector

How to apply

Please read the application guidance on our website. Applications opened on Monday 2 November. The deadline for submitting applications is Friday 27 November.

We have made our application guidance and process as straightforward as possible, but please do get in touch if you have any questions. 

Join our webinars

The application guidance should cover everything you need to know. However, we will be hosting two webinars on Monday 9 November and Thursday 12 November to answer any questions potential applicants may have. 

About the Heritage Recovery Fund Northern Ireland

This new fund is part of the wider £29m investment in arts, culture and heritage, which the Department for Communities announced last month to help support organisations and individuals impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

Helping the sector adapt 

This is the latest package of support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to help the heritage sector survive and recover from the pandemic.

Since April, we have provided £50m of National Lottery support through the Heritage Emergency Fund to safeguard heritage sites across the UK and help them safely reopen

We have also been working with government departments in England to support the long-term recovery of the sector. This includes delivering the £92m Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage for DCMS and the £40m Green Recovery Challenge Fund for Defra.