Historic England’s People fund offers grants of £1,000–£500,000 to organisations helping communities understand, engage with, and champion England’s historic environment. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, beginning with a short Expression of Interest form.
About Historic England
Historic England is the government’s statutory adviser on the historic environment in England, working to protect and celebrate the country’s built and cultural heritage. Through their People grants programme, they invest in projects that connect communities with local history, build heritage skills, and ensure England’s historic environment is understood and championed by people from all walks of life.
What the Fund Supports
The People fund backs activities that help individuals and communities connect meaningfully with the historic environment — whether through education, skills development, volunteering, or community-led heritage projects.
- Skills development and training in heritage and conservation
- Community outreach and heritage education programmes
- Volunteering projects centred on the historic environment
- Activities that use heritage to improve civic pride and wellbeing
- Projects making the historic environment more inclusive and accessible
- Research and community engagement around local history
How Much Funding Is Available
Grants range from £1,000 to £500,000, with the award level determined by project scope and expected impact. The wide range means the fund is accessible to small local groups as well as larger organisations delivering significant regional or national heritage programmes.
Who Is Eligible
The fund is open to a broad range of organisations across England. Projects must relate to the historic environment.
- Registered charities and CICs
- Local authorities and parish councils
- Schools and educational organisations
- Community groups and voluntary organisations
- Companies limited by guarantee
- England-based — project must relate to the historic environment
How to Apply
The first step is to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) via Historic England’s online form, which takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Historic England will review your EOI within around 6 weeks and, if successful, invite you to submit a full application.
- Deadline: Rolling — no fixed deadline
- EOI review time: Approximately 6 weeks
- Start here: Expression of Interest form on the Historic England website
