In 2020-21, we undertook a review of our grant programmes to ensure that our approach met the needs of applicants and grantees and aligned with our current policies and Corporate Plan outcomes. This work fed into our ‘HES Grants Framework 2021 Onwards’ which sets out our new Grants Priorities and grant programmes. All our new grant programmes have now been launched.
To help to inform the development of the Grants Framework and our new grants programmes, we undertook a public consultation in Summer 2021. A total of 63 responses were received from a wide variety of stakeholders which showed strong support for the proposals outlined in the Grants Framework. You can read more about this in the Public Consultation Report and Overview of the consultation.
During this time, we also commissioned a consultant-led review of our area based funding programme, Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS). The CARS Summary Review Report concluded that the CARS programme had successfully supported heritage-led regeneration in Scotland with stakeholders supportive of its achievements. The report also identified ideas for improvement which have been incorporated into our new place based Heritage & Place Programme (launched in 2022).
Key changes
- A set of six Grants Priorities to guide our grant investments
- The launch of three new programmes: Historic Environment Grants, Heritage & Place and Partnership Fund to replace our previous five funding programmes.
- Our new Historic Environment Grants is for project-based funding which allows applicants to apply for both capital (e.g. repair) and activity costs relating to the same project with 3 funding streams available (express, small and large). Under this programme, we can also now provide funding of up to £50,000 to support the cost of eligible ‘interim works’ which need to be undertaken urgently to secure the future of highly significant heritage assets.
- The Partnership Fund can provide revenue support for third-sector organisations delivering strategic outcomes and established activities which have a national impact for Scotland’s historic environment.
- The Heritage & Place Programme can provide development and delivery funding support for eligible organisations to deliver area based Heritage and Place Schemes which include a range of eligible projects and activities.
- New detailed guidance for all grant programmes including an updated Guidance for Repair Grants and Advisory Standards for Repair Grants.
- A new automated Grants Management System to streamline the application, reporting and claim processes for applicants, grantees and HES staff
If you think that you have a project that could be eligible for any of these new grant programmes, please check the relevant pages and the programme guidance for information on the programme criteria, who can apply, the application process and what we can help to support.
Please note that if you do wish to submit an application for any of the grant programmes, you will first need to submit and have approved an Expression of Interest (EoI) on our Grants Portal.
If you have any questions, please contact us at grants@hes.scot