Museums, libraries and archives

Museums, libraries and archives

Museums, libraries and archives
Museums, libraries and archives tell the stories of our cultural heritage.

Through preservation, exhibition and community engagement, they can bring collections, places and ideas to life. They help us to understand culture, science and history, and give us a sense of place, identity and community.

Thanks to National Lottery players, since 1994 we have awarded £2.5billion to 6,000 museum, library, archive and collection-based projects across the UK. See stories from projects we've funded below.

What do we support?

We provide grants for heritage projects from £10,000–£10million for projects led by or featuring museums, libraries and archives.

Our funding supports institutions large and small, including:

  • national, local authority and independent museums, libraries and archives
  • historic libraries
  • community archives and oral history collections
  • institutions with heritage collections

Project ideas

Our funding could help people:

  • create exciting new exhibition and learning spaces
  • attract new and more diverse audiences
  • acquire new items and develop collections
  • improve organisational resilience

For more inspiration, see the stories below, browse projects we've funded, or explore our recent Dynamic Collections campaign.

How to get funding

Our National Lottery Heritage Grants programme is open for applications.

People look at pictures in Manchester Art Gallery
Visitors to Manchester Art Gallery

Projects

Manchester City Art Gallery Project

Manchester Art Gallery was revamped and provided with more space, better facilities and increased access.

Woolly rhinoceros on display at Weston Park Museum
Woolly rhinoceros on display at Weston Park Museum. Kippa Matthews

Projects

Weston Park Museum restoration project in Sheffield

Our grants to Weston Park Museum are all about making Sheffield's impressive collection of archaeology, natural sciences, social history and visual art more accessible to the public.

Leaflets, booklets and other content created for the project
Leaflets, booklets and other content created for the project

Projects

Hidden voices: uncovering Reading's LGBT heritage

The project explored the heritage of Reading's LGBT community and created an archive of historic and recent stories to preserve them for future generations.

Ashmolean Museum

Projects

Ashmolean Plan

A new extension was added to the museum’s Grade I-listed Cockerell building, providing conservation and teaching facilities, and expanding education and outreach services.

The Lightbox, Woking
The Lightbox, Woking

Projects

Woking Museum Arts & Crafts Centre

Woking Museum Arts and Craft Centre, now known as The Lightbox, was conceived by a local community group in 1993 to establish a museum of Woking’s local and social history.

Outside view of the New Shetland Museum & Archives
Outside view of the New Shetland Museum & Archives

Projects

New Shetland Museum & Archives

Part of Lerwick’s original waterfront was transformed into an environmentally-conscious heritage attraction using sustainable materials and traditional craftsmanship.

If you query is regarding our application portal, please contact our support team.