National Archives - Project Grants

Background

The Project Grants scheme is part of the new ‘Spaces, Places and Belonging’ Community Hub to be launched in early 2026. This is a new national programme led by The National Archives in partnership with Leeds Museums & Galleries, the National Library of Wales, and the Community Archives & Heritage Group. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) - UKRI, the Hub will support inclusive, community-led research across the UK’s galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAM) and heritage sectors.

In addition to the Project Grants, there are the National Archives - Skills Bursaries and National Archives - Seed Corn Grants , reported on separately.

Alongside £550,000 in funding, there will be a programme of training, digital skills development, and network-building. The Hub will also create a permanent digital platform to share resources, learning, and best practice, ensuring that community engagement becomes a lasting part of the national collection. Designed to empower underrepresented communities and build confidence across the sector, the Hub will be a collaborative, flexible, and sustainable space for innovation and inclusion.

Objectives of Fund

This initiative aims to respond to a long-standing challenge in the UK’s GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) and heritage sectors: how to make innovation and learning from community-facing projects more sustainable, transferable, and accessible across the sector. Through a supportive funding structure, it aims to help communities and organisations share their work more widely and contribute to a growing body of knowledge that others can learn from and build upon.

The grants are intended to support in-depth research, skills development, and the creation of lasting resources that reflect diverse voices and experiences.

Projects should be co-designed and community-led, with a focus on inclusion, sustainability, and impact. Whether building upon a Seed Corn project or starting fresh, Project Grants are intended to create meaningful change and long-term value for both communities and institutions.

Value Notes

Grants of up to £30,000 are available.

Who Can Apply

Partnerships between GLAM or Heritage organisations and community groups can apply.

Each application must involve at least one GLAM or Heritage organisation and one community group working collaboratively.

Partnerships must:

• Be involved with, or linked in some way to, the GLAM and/or heritage sectors.
• Be based in the UK (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, or Wales).
• Have a UK bank account.
• Have not received a Community Hub Project Grant before.

Location

UK

Restrictions

The following are not eligible for funding:

• Retrospective costs.
• Subsidies to create products intended to be sold.
• Payments that support activity intended to influence Parliament.
• Government or political parties.
• Attempting to influence the awarding or renewal of contracts and grants.
• Attempting to influence legislative or regulatory action.

Eligible Expenditure

At the heart of these grants is a commitment to co-design and community leadership.

Projects should be inclusive, sustainable, and impactful, with a strong emphasis on shared ownership and mutual benefit. The funding is intended to support practical, creative, and developmental work that strengthens relationships between GLAM organisations and the communities they serve.

Eligible costs could include:

• Staff time or freelance fees for project delivery
• Community engagement and co-design activities
• Training and skills development for participants
• Travel and subsistence for project participants
• Materials, equipment, or venue hire
• Digital tools, platforms, or content creation
• Evaluation and dissemination of project outcomes
• Translation or accessibility services
• General organisational overheads or core running costs

How To Apply

The next deadline for applications is 12 June 2026.

There will be a second 2026 funding round opening on 1 September with a deadline on 13 November 2026.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to speak to the Community Hub team about their proposals at an early stage to ensure they align with the purpose of the funding

Contact the National Archives for further information.