1. Home
  2. What Is Heritage?
  3. Museums, libraries and archives

View as PDF

Museums, libraries and archives

Museums, libraries and archives

Museums, libraries and archives
Museums, libraries and archives tell the stories of our cultural heritage.

Through preservation, exhibition and community engagement, they can bring collections, places and ideas to life. They help us to understand culture, science and history, and give us a sense of place, identity and community.

Thanks to National Lottery players, since 1994 we have awarded £2.5billion to 6,000 museum, library, archive and collection-based projects across the UK. See stories from projects we've funded below.

What do we support?

We provide grants for heritage projects from £10,000–£10million for projects led by or featuring museums, libraries and archives.

Our funding supports institutions large and small, including:

  • national, local authority and independent museums, libraries and archives
  • historic libraries
  • community archives and oral history collections
  • institutions with heritage collections

Project ideas

Our funding could help people:

  • create exciting new exhibition and learning spaces
  • attract new and more diverse audiences
  • acquire new items and develop collections
  • improve organisational resilience

For more inspiration, see the stories below, browse projects we've funded, or explore our recent Dynamic Collections campaign.

How to get funding

Our National Lottery Heritage Grants programme is open for applications.

Find out more and apply
Aerial view of Plymouth coast with lighthouse and dramatic sunrise
Site of the new marine park at Plymouth. Credit: Chris Gorman/Big Ladder Photography

News

Heritage Horizon Awards: £50million to five life-changing projects

We are proud to announce the recipients of our Heritage Horizon Awards. Over £50million of funding has been awarded to five transformational projects across the UK. When we launched the Heritage Horizon Awards in 2019, we set out to fund ideas that unlocked possibility. From innovative farming
BFI at Home Cast & Director Q&A – Judas and the Black Messiah. © British Film Institute
BFI at Home Cast & Director Q&A – Judas and the Black Messiah. © British Film Institute

Blogs

Running digital events: top tips from the BFI

BFI Southbank is the nation’s film theatre, and the physical home of British film heritage, culture and learning. When we had to close our venue doors in March 2020, we were determined to continue offering audiences the very best in film programming and contextual events. We used our digital
Ferry Meadows Country Park

News

£6.5million for heritage projects in Staffordshire, Peterborough and Dudley

The projects aim to preserve key heritage sites, and will benefit a diverse range of people – from the church community to the locals of Stafford town centre. History at the Heart of Community Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Archives is receiving £3,964,000 for the History at the Heart of Community
People sitting at tables with modern displays of musical instruments
Music Gallery, Horniman Museum

News

Museums reopen in time for International Museum Day

A huge number of museums that have received National Lottery Heritage Fund support are reopening across the UK in time for International Museum Day. To celebrate, here's a selection of what's on offer.

If you query is regarding our application portal, please contact our support team.