The Heritage Lottery Fund has announced a raft of changes to its match funding grant scheme in the second wave of reforms of its grant processes designed to help heritage charities survive the economic challenges present and ahead.

The HLF has lowered some of its requirements for its Heritage Grants match funding programme, requiring that charities have to raise a lower proportion of funds to direct towards the project in order to attract the match funding. For projects applications worth more than £1m, applicants will have to raise a minimum match fund requirement of just 10 per cent, instead of the previous 25 per cent, and for projects at under £1m the figure drops from 10 per cent to 5 per cent.

The funder will also allow charities to include the cost of managing and maintaining the project as part of their contribution to match funding.

HLF has also offered something of a safety net to projects and charities it has funded in the past, outlining that it will offer short-term funding for previously funded projects that are at risk of closure as a result of the economic downturn.

English Heritage outlines priorities

While the Heritage Lottery Fund was spared its feared worst-case scenario in last month’s comprehensive spending review, English Heritage has been forced to narrow its spending priorities after it was subjected to 32 per cent cuts in government funding.

English Heritage Commissioners met on 27 October to discuss the priorities of what will be a leaner organisation in the future and settled on three core activities: its planning advice service, listing and scheduling sites for protection, and maintaining and conserving existing English Heritage properties.

Projects or funding streams which fall outside these three core areas, English Heritage has warned, could face significant cuts. 

Heritage Lottery Funded project pictured. Credit: Andrew Butler