Northern Ireland

A guide leads a tour inside Templemore Baths

A tour of Templemore Baths. Credit: Neal Campbell.

Since 1994 we have awarded over £290m of National Lottery and other funding to almost 2,000 projects in Northern Ireland.

From Belfast’s rich industrial and maritime heritage, to luscious landscapes and parks, to museums bursting with the stories of local people, Northern Ireland has it all.

We’re proud to play a role in protecting and celebrating Northern Ireland’s vibrant places, coastal landscapes, historic sites and diverse heritage. It’s part of our vision for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future.

Get inspiration for your project

Take a look below at project case studies and latest news from your area.

Our National Lottery Heritage Grants funding programme is open – if you have an idea for a project in Northern Ireland, we would love to hear from you. Grants are available from £10,000 up to £10m.

Find out more and explore available funding.

Watch our video to help you apply for a £10,000–£250,000 grant

Our regular funding advice sessions are a great opportunity to:

find out about our funding
get tips on how to make a good application
network with other organisations from your area

Book onto an upcoming webinar

Thinking about applying to us for a grant of up to £250,000? Submit a Project Enquiry to get feedback on your project idea before making a full application. We'll get back to you within 10 working days.

Submit a Project Enquiry

We work flexibly and conduct some of our day-to-day business from home.

Please send all items electronically via northernireland@heritagefund.org.uk and not by post.

Contact details

Email: northernireland@heritagefund.org.uk

Telephone: 028 9592 1901 (Monday to Friday, 9.00am–5.00pm)

Postal address:

Arthur House
41 Arthur Street
Belfast, BT1 4GB

Domingas Gusmão poses beside a table displaying a bouquet of flowers

The project is capturing the stories of women like Domingas Gusmão, who moved to Dungannon from East Timor. Credit: First Steps Women's Centre.

Projects

Honouring women’s migration stories

25/03/2026

First Steps Women’s Centre is recording the experiences of migrant women who have made Mid Ulster their home.

25/11/2024

A person stands in front of a thatched building showing a butterfly in resin to a group of school children

Ulster Folk Museum is creating new facilities and ways for people to get involved. Credit: Johnny Frazer.

Stories

New investment is reawakening Ulster Folk Museum

The transformative £50million redevelopment project will help bring people closer to their shared heritage.

five people on a tour of an allotment garden on a sunny day

An activity in the community garden for Roots, part of Belfast 2024's Our Future Heritage programme.

Stories

Grantee Q&A: delivering a heritage-inspired creative programme

We asked Christine Osborne from Belfast City Council to share what she’s learned from the Council’s Belfast 2024 project journey – from developing their application to building a legacy plan.

A child holding an award standing with two adults in front of banners with the Rathcoole Memories and Abbots Cross Primary School logos

Bella from Abbots Cross Primary School won a competition to design the project's logo. Credit: Newtownabbey Arts and Cultural Network.

Projects

Pixels and Podcasts: young people capturing Rathcoole’s community heritage

04/12/2025

Newtownabbey Arts and Cultural Network is using digital media to share stories from the Rathcoole estate.

18/12/2023

A tour group walking around Belfast's docklands on a sunny day

Touring Belfast's docklands. Credit: Arts Ekta / Carrie Davenport Photography.

Projects

Celebrating Belfast’s dockside heritage and global connections

28/11/2025

A three-year cultural heritage project exploring Belfast’s docklands will uncover stories of migration, trade and exchange that have shaped the city’s identity.

26/08/2025

Two people are in a costume room and are looking down at a pattern on a cutting table. In the background are images of costumes, costumes on mannequins and rolls of fabric stacked on shelves

Costumes will undergo condition surveys, be catalogued and preserved and feature in a costume exhibition. Credit: Carrie Davenport / Lyric Theatre.

Projects

Lyric Theatre celebrates 75 years of culture, community and creativity

21/10/2025

The Lyric Theatre in Belfast is embarking on a three-year heritage project to share its 75-year history and make it more accessible to audiences, researchers and the wider community.

26/08/2025

A view across docklands in Belfast at sunset, with large industrial and cruise ships docked beneath historic cranes.

Belfast Historic Waterfront at sunset. Photo: Maritime Belfast Trust.

Stories

We're investing in places to bring communities together and unlock the potential of heritage

Explore how our Heritage Places strategic initiative is supporting adaptive, collaborative approaches that meet unique local needs.

A woman standing next to an exhibition display case, with her hand on top of the case

Stories

Celebrating and preserving women’s role in Northern Ireland’s history

Shining a spotlight on the often-hidden experiences and contributions of women during a period of significant political and social change.

A group of people pose in the entrance of a new walled garden

The opening of the new walled garden. Credit: South West College.

Projects

Sharing skills at Enniskillen Workhouse

17/11/2025

Workhouse Connect has supported students with special educational needs to connect with one another and learn new skills.

30/10/2023

Hundreds of people are gathered, enjoying the sunshine, around a historic ship in dry dock on the Belfast quayside.

Celebrating the Belfast Maritime Festival on the banks of the River Lagan. Photo: Maritime Belfast Trust.

News

Six areas, towns and cities across the UK to benefit from long-term investment

We’re delighted to announce funding for these new Heritage Places, the next chapter of a 10-year journey to help places thrive by connecting communities to the heritage on their doorstep.

15/10/2025

An aerial view of Derry/Londonderry showing the Peace Bridge and the River Foyle

Credit: Cinematic Sky.

News

Seven projects bringing city-wide heritage investment for Derry/Londonderry

Our funding is supporting heritage across the city, from bringing some of its most iconic buildings back into public use to sharing the stories of its people.

29/09/2025

School children look at a big screen showing objects in a virtual museum.

School children exploring the National Paralympic Heritage Trust’s Global Virtual Museum. Credit: National Paralympic Heritage Trust.

Stories

Online accessibility in action through Paralympic heritage and St Fagans’ secret garden

Learn how you can put our updated digital accessibility guidance into practice in your heritage project.

People

Gemma Reid

Committee Member for Northern Ireland

Two young people running through the museum.

Visitors at Windermere Jetty Museum, which is offering free entry as part of the week. Credit: Tom Arran.

News

Special offers and free entry to heritage attractions this spring

National Lottery Open Week is running from Saturday 7 to Sunday 15 March 2026, with hundreds of heritage venues getting involved.

24/02/2026

People

Lara Wilgaus

Future Heritage Leader for Northern Ireland

People

Ellen McCrossan

Future Heritage Leader for Northern Ireland

The survey will help to provide an understanding of the current picture and drive the creation of new guidance. Credit: Historic England Archive.

News

Tell us: is your historic park or garden prepared for the climate crisis?

We’re asking the thousands of owners and managers of historic landscape parks and gardens across the UK to take part in a new survey about how the climate crisis is affecting the places you care for.

03/02/2026