There are many large and small grant schemes available for industrial heritage sites, museums and groups and it can be difficult to identify the right ones otogo for. Here’s a reminder for 2025 of three grant streams that regularly support such sites and groups.

Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund

The Museums Association (MA) awards grants from the Esmee Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund on behalf of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. It has awarded over £14m in nearly 200 grants since 2011. Read more about the Fund here. The deadline for expressions of interest is Wednesday 5 February.

National Lottery Heritage Grants £10,000 to £250,000

The lower level of NLHG funding has a single one-stage application process, where a decision is made in around eight weeks. All project applications must consider the four investment principles for the NLHG. Below are some useful resources for potential applicants considering applying for a grant at this level:

• Grant explainer video
• Join a free webinar for more information
• Read the application guidance
• Want feedback on a project idea? Submit a project enquiry

Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants

Finally, the National Lottery Project Grants is Arts Council England’s (ACE) open access programme for arts, libraries, and museums for project funding. Grants range from £1,000 to over £100,000. They are divided into applications for under £30,000, applications for £30,001 to £100,000 and applications for £100,001 and over.

Application and supporting guidance can be found here