Museums, libraries and archives
Museums, libraries and archives tell the stories of our cultural heritage.
Through the objects, collections, film, documents and oral histories they hold they help to give us a sense of place and identity.
Thanks to National Lottery players, since 1994 we have awarded over £2.2bn to more than 5,600 museum, library, archive and collection-based projects across the UK.
What do we support?
Our funding supports institutions large and small, including:
- national and local authority museums, libraries and archives
- historic libraries
- community archives
- institutions with heritage collections
Project ideas
Our funding could help people:
- revitalise buildings and provide new purpose-built facilities
- create exciting new exhibition and learning spaces
- refurbish specialist libraries, archives and galleries
- attract more diverse audiences
- interpret and open up acquisitions
- develop collections
How to get funding
Our National Lottery Grants for Heritage programme is open for applications, with refocused priorities for 2021-22.
News
National Lottery funding exceeds £1billion to tackle COVID-19 impact
The National Lottery has awarded £1.2billion to support people and projects throughout the UK to cope with the challenges of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Blogs
LGBT+ History Month: A space in the archives
Dr Alan Butler tells us how the Plymouth LGBT+ Archive has captured important stories and continues to evolve as an active part of the community.
The Georgian-era Cleveland Pools in Bath.
Image credit: Cleveland Pools
News
£13.5million to kickstart 22 heritage projects
The grants, awarded through our Heritage Capital Kickstart Fund, will help revive heritage sites impacted by coronavirus (COVID-19).
News
Full range of National Lottery funding resumes with refocused priorities for 2021-22
Applications are open for National Lottery Grants for Heritage from £3,000 up to £5million. We will prioritise projects that contribute to our recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
News
The search is on for the 2021 Sustainable Project of the Year
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is sponsoring a sustainability award for the second year at the 2021 Museums + Heritage Awards.
Stories
Case study: Queering Spires - a history of LGBTIQA+ spaces in Oxford
The Museum of Oxford’s temporary exhibition won the Sustainable Project of the Year Award at the Museums + Heritage Awards 2020.
News
£1.9m to help Highlands heritage
The National Lottery Heritage Fund has invested £1.9million to support the development of three spectacular Scottish heritage sites.
News
Last surviving D-Day landing craft opens in Portsmouth
Six-year project to restore ship and open it up to the public is completed thanks to £4.7million National Lottery support.
Projects
Digitising the Leonard Cheshire Sound Archive - preserving and raising awareness of Leonard Cheshire History
256 sound tapes that record the memories of people who have lived, worked and volunteered at Leonard Cheshire Disability since the 1950s will be preserved and made available to the public.