Museums, libraries and archives

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.

Projects
Improving access to museum heritage for people with learning disabilities
The stories behind exhibits at four of Scotland’s leading heritage attractions are being brought to life for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities.

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.

Stories
Meet the multiple winners of the 2020 Museum of the Year Award

Stories
Mental health and wellbeing for black workers in heritage

Stories
Museum of Oxford wins Sustainable Project of the Year

Stories
Heritage grant helps fund Plymouth's new cultural and heritage destination

Blogs
South Asian heritage: truth-telling and transformation

Blogs
Making heritage websites accessible to all

Stories
Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft: adapting in difficult times

Blogs
Partners and pioneers – building back after the pandemic

Stories
When the museums open up again

News