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.

A Garland for May Day: the front cover of an illustrated book conserved by the project
A Garland for May Day: the front cover of an illustrated book conserved by the project

Projects

From Toy Books to Bloody Sunday

The Whitworth Art Gallery has catalogued and conserved the Walter Crane archive, creating a digital archive and a children’s website.

A crinoline-style skirt and matching bodice, in white cotton gauze with extensive beetle wing embroidery
A crinoline-style skirt and matching bodice, in white cotton gauze with extensive beetle wing embroidery

Projects

Costume through the Centuries

The National Trust led on this project to promote the Springhill Costume Collection, widely acknowledged as Ireland’s leading textile collection.

Saving and Preservation of Opie's Cornish Masterpiece
Opie's Cornish Masterpiece

Projects

Saving Opie's Cornish Masterpiece

Falmouth Art Gallery has purchased John Opie’s 18th century painting The Cornish Beggar with the help of a £44,300 HLF grant.

People look at pictures in Manchester Art Gallery
Visitors to Manchester Art Gallery

Projects

Manchester City Art Gallery Project

Manchester Art Gallery was revamped and provided with more space, better facilities and increased access.

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