If you are applying for funding, we want you to consider how you will thank National Lottery players and acknowledge your funding. You can detail your plans in your application and in some cases include costs for acknowledgement in your project costs under ‘publicity and promotion’.

Acknowledging funding that is not National Lottery

If you have received funding from one of our non-National Lottery programmes, please see the specific programme acknowledgement criteria on our Download our logo page.  

How to acknowledge your grant

It’s really important that people involved with your project see and understand that it’s been supported by players of The National Lottery. Seeing our new acknowledgement stamp on-site at your project, on your website, at events or on promotional materials helps to do this.

Proportionate to grant level

All grant recipients must acknowledge our support publicly. We expect all acknowledgement to be prominent, but the level of acknowledgement we expect to see is proportionate to the size of grant.

For example, a community project applying for a grant of £5,000 may only look to include our acknowledgement stamp and text on their website or in a leaflet. A large capital works project applying for £1million would be expected to provide high-level acknowledgement, such as construction hoardings in build phase, a dedicated page on the website, a dedicated information board on-site, acknowledgement stamp used on electronic ticket booth etc.

Celebrate your funding

Celebrate your funding in style with our guide to acknowledging and celebrating your grant: 

 

The guide is packed full of ideas and inspiration to help you raise awareness of your project, credit our support and thank the players of The National Lottery, showing the impact their support is making.

Using our logo

We expect to see our acknowledgement stamp used prominently in your project, along with the message ‘Thanks to National Lottery players’. We want the materials you design to use our logo imaginatively and in the best ways suitable for your project. Some past creative ideas have included etchings into entry doors and windows, tulips planted in the shape of our logo, acknowledgement on photo backgrounds and flags on ship masts.

Download our acknowledgment materials

We also have a selection of downloadable, ready-to-print files of acknowledgement materials. You can send these files directly to a printer or download and use yourself, for example on your social media channels.

• construction hoardings (for use on construction sites – including buildings and parks)
• banners (foamex boards and eyelets) (for use as temporary acknowledgement, at events, smaller building works etc)
• flags (for parks and ships)
• online acknowledgement assets (for all)

When printing these, please consider using environmentally friendly or recycled materials.

Bilingual:

 

Thanking National Lottery players

Thanking National Lottery players is an important part of acknowledging where the support for your project has come from. When using our acknowledgement stamp, please also use the text ‘Thanks to National Lottery players’ where possible.

As well as acknowledging your grant as set out in this guidance, we also ask grant recipients who have received over £10,000 to provide special access and/or offers for National Lottery players. This could include free entry days for National Lottery players, discounts in your store or cafe or behind-the-scenes tours.

Planning your acknowledgement

All grant recipients must acknowledge our support publicly for the duration of the grant contract. Where permanent or long-lasting spaces, places or items have been created, permanent acknowledgement should be installed.

If your project takes place in Wales you will need to use bilingual branding.

If you have any queries, contact your Investment Officer.

Acknowledgement in grant applications

For all grant amounts we expect to see National Lottery Heritage Fund acknowledgement planned in from the start of your project.

This could include building acknowledgement into materials you’re already planning to create, such as information boards, staff uniforms and websites. It could also include specific items you’re creating for acknowledgement, such as thank you messages on social media and acknowledgement banners.

By thinking about acknowledgement at the start of your project you will be able to create acknowledgement that is tailored and suitable for your project.

In grants over £10,000, you will be asked specifically about your plans for acknowledgement within the application form: How do you plan to acknowledge your grant? Here you can detail the ways in which you will acknowledge your grant.

If you have a publicly accessible space, our National Lottery Open Week is a great opportunity to involve and thank National Lottery players. Find out more on our Open Week pages.

Including acknowledgement costs

If you are creating physical materials, for example scaffolding hoardings or interpretation boards, as part of your project, we would expect you to include acknowledgement as standard within the design.

If you are creating bespoke acknowledgement materials, you can include costs for printing these under the ‘Publicity and promotions’ cost heading in the project costs section of the application.

We would expect you to create materials that are in line with our sustainability requirements. These include using environmentally friendly/recycled materials and building acknowledgement into existing areas (for example etching into glass windows, engraving into metal and wood).

Where to acknowledge your grant

On-site acknowledgement

Please note that it’s your responsibility to obtain the legal approval or permission you need to display permanent signage. This can include planning permission, listed-building consent and faculty consent.

Plaques, signs and information board

Permanent signs are a good way of acknowledging your grant for the long term. This includes the display of our acknowledgement stamp on signs, entrances, information boards etc.

Where possible we would like you to use environmentally-friendly materials or build the acknowledgement into the fabric of your building in a sympathetic manner.

Where you want your signage to be part of a building – for example a carving of the acknowledgement stamp in a wall or etching of it on a glass door – it’s more cost effective to plan this in early. Your architect or designer can help.

We would like you to display permanent acknowledgement showing our acknowledgement stamp at every main customer entrance and exit and at every facility and exhibition supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. We expect the acknowledgement to be prominent and visible.

Other signs may be more appropriate to your project such as free-standing signs or banners. Be creative and use our stamp to produce signage appropriate for your project.

Construction site boards

If you are carrying out physical works as part of your project – for example building restoration, nature conservation, large-scale landscape and townscape work or physical works in parks – large site boards featuring our acknowledgement stamp should be displayed while work is taking place.

Site boards must be situated at site entrances, exits and at other points where they are clearly visible to the public. Once the work is complete they should be replaced by permanent signage acknowledging our funding.

Creation of new spaces

If your grant has involved the creation of a new space for your building – such as a new gallery, visitor centre or education room – we would like you to consider acknowledgement in the naming of this space. We would also expect to see high-level visual acknowledgement in areas of high footfall.

Publications and promotional materials

When producing publications and promotional materials (electronic or printed) related to your project, we would expect to see our logo included. This may include:

• leaflets and brochures
• printed newsletters
• maps and posters
• postcards
• educational materials
• guidebooks
• annual reports
• promotional materials such as freestanding signs, banners, stickers, information boards, exhibition stands, labels and stationery
• advertising, including job vacancies

Events

Your National Lottery Heritage Fund grant must be acknowledged at any event that relates to an activity we have funded.

Our logo could be used on:

• plaques and other signage
• presentations
• invitations
• programmes
• brochures
• other promotional materials

Planning ahead together with The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the best way to make sure that both are happy with the outcome of launch events and other celebrations of your award. Please keep in touch with us about these opportunities.

You must acknowledge your National Lottery Heritage Fund grant at any event you host that relates to an activity we have funded.

As well as using our logo on printed publicity materials and presentations, your grant should also be acknowledged verbally in any speeches or presentations, or when you explain what your project has achieved.

Please let us know when your event or opening is taking place and invite our representatives to attend. You can discuss who best to invite with your Investment Manager. We would expect to support any launch event or opening with an appropriate level of guest attendance by senior members of The National Lottery Heritage Fund and, where appropriate, joining with public speeches, acknowledgements etc.

Online acknowledgement

We expect to see our funding acknowledged online, including:

• on websites and blogs, ideally by placing our logo on the homepage and linking it to our website
• on third-party websites and blogs mentioning a project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund
• on social media – by announcing and acknowledging your grant using our giffs and assets, tagging our accounts in project updates, mentioning The National Lottery Heritage Fund in narrative text and thanking National Lottery players. This could be on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok.
• in mobile phone and tablet apps

Your website

We expect to see our funding acknowledged on your website by displaying our acknowledgement stamp and acknowledgement text on its home page or project page. We expect to see this acknowledgement towards the top of the page.

The following text can be used on your website:

“[Name of project] is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to [short description of project].”

Important project news, in particular grant announcements, must also acknowledge The National Lottery Heritage Fund and thank National Lottery players.

On social media

Social media is a great way to share your project news and reach audiences. Platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube plus a variety of online platforms, including blogs and mobile apps, provide opportunities to acknowledge your National Lottery funding.

We have a whole suite of tools you can use to acknowledge your grant and to use throughout the life span of your project.

Download social media assets:

Make sure to include our logo when producing social media assets, images and on your header pictures.

Remember to tag and follow The National Lottery Heritage Fund social media accounts using @HeritageFundUK and use our hashtag #HeritageFund #NationalLottery. You can say your project is ‘made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to National Lottery players.’

You can also find and follow your local Twitter account.

Media and public relations

Newspaper, radio, television and online coverage is an essential part of promoting your project and acknowledging your grant. Not only does it let people know about your success, it also brings to their attention how National Lottery players’ money is spent.

You should acknowledge your grant in any press coverage for the duration of the grant contract, not just at the time of announcing the grant or when the project has been completed.

Before initiating or taking part in any promotion about work we have funded, you must get in touch with your Investment Manager or The National Lottery Heritage Fund press office. Keep them informed of any further press activities.

You must also let us know if your project is nominated for, or wins, any awards. Acknowledge our support in any speeches, interviews or press releases relating to the award.

We may be able to provide extra support and help with your media and public relations, so please get in touch. You can also use our press release templates to help communicate your news to the media. 

Monitoring acknowledgement of your grant

When assessing the progress of your project, we will look for appropriate visual recognition of your grant.

Visitors from The National Lottery Heritage Fund or the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will expect to see acknowledgement of our funding in place and may bring up the issue with you if clear, visible acknowledgement is not on display.