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.

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Six stories for London History Day

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Black Country Living Museum to build historic new town

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Seven days to celebrate #MuseumWeek 2019

Stories
Changing lives: St Fagan's course helps Tom beat anxiety

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Museum of the Year 2019 finalists announced

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Life by the loch: discover Linlithgow’s links to Scottish royalty

Stories
Changing lives: volunteering helps Ben turn away from trouble

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Celebrities and surprises spotted in Painted Hall, Greenwich

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National Football Museum acquires prize-winning Toynbee artwork thanks to National Lottery grant

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Leeds Eulogy project to celebrate Jamaican lives

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Secrets of Essex's Sculpture Town revealed in new archive

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