The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) Transforming Places through Heritage supports projects that will contribute to the transformation of high streets and town centres in England helping them become thriving places, strengthening local communities and encouraging local economies to prosper. The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is a charity working to give a sustainable future to historic buildings, particularly those which are considered to be ‘at risk’. It achieves this by providing specialist advice, grants and loans for projects led by charities and social enterprises.
This Fund is for individual heritage buildings in, or transferring to, community ownership. AHF will support charities and social enterprises to develop projects with the potential to bring new life to high streets by creating alternative uses for redundant or underused historic buildings in town centres.
The Architectural Heritage Fund can provide grants to help with assessing the viability of a project, or to help fund development costs or to match funds raised through Crowdfunding and Community Shares. We will also provide a small number of capital (delivery) grants for Transformational Projects.
Historic buildings have unique qualities and are often presented with financial challenges that must be dealt with sensitively and sympathetically. To that end, the AHF provides tailored, flexible loan finance to enable heritage projects to be realised, and for community businesses behind such initiatives to develop sustainable enterprises. An AHF investment may be required for acquisition costs, working capital, or to bridge anticipated grant payments.
Who can apply?
To apply for a grant you must be a formally constituted and incorporated charity or social enterprise whose members have limited liability – this includes:
- Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs)
- Charitable Companies Limited by Guarantee
- Not-for-private-profit Companies Limited by Guarantee
- Community Interest Companies (CICs) Limited by Guarantee
- Community Benefit Societies
- Parish and Town Councils; Community Councils (in Scotland and Wales)
