The Historic Houses Foundation awards grants of up to £250,000 to either organisations or private individuals. The applicant must have legal responsibility for the repair of the historic building, its gardens and grounds.

Applicants are normally expected to own the building or estate, or to hold a full repairing lease with not less than 20 years to run. If this is not the case applicants should be able to demonstrate that they have a legally binding agreement to acquire such a building or estate.

Grants are to be used for:

• the repair and conservation of rural historic buildings and structures located in England and Wales, including where appropriate their gardens, grounds and outbuildings
• the conservation, maintenance and restoration of works of art and objects of outstanding artistic, scientific and historic interest

The Foundation would normally expect the building or structure to be listed, scheduled, or in the case of a garden included in the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens. However, they may also make grants to projects that involve an unlisted building in a conservation area which they judge to be of sufficient historic or architectural significance or importance.

In addition, to qualify for any grant applicant’s must demonstrate that:

• there is a compelling need for the work you want to undertake to be done within the next two to three years
• the project will enhance our historic environment
• there will be appropriate public access
• there is a financial need for the grant
• the project can proceed within a reasonable time frame (i.e. 1-2 years)
• the project is sustainable with a suitable conservation and/or business plan. A grant is unlikely to be awarded without this information

The Foundation makes grants for projects which are ready to proceed (i.e. can be started within 1-2 years) but which either do not qualify for funding from any of the mainstream sources or have been awarded only partial funding and require significant further funds to complete the resource package.

Grants to ‘kick start’ a project will also be considered but the Foundation expects other funding to be in place within 1-2 years.

Deadline: Ongoing

This fund is not managed by Funding for All. Please click ‘Funder’s website’ above and contact the funder directly for more information.