25 February 2019
Architectural Heritage Fund Launches £7 Million Heritage Impact Fund
Social investment is available to not-for-profit organisations in the UK for projects that will deliver social and economic benefits to local communities through the reuse of historic buildings.
The new Heritage Impact Fund (HIF) is a joint initiative between the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF), the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland and the Welsh Government’s historic environment service, Cadw.
The Fund offers tailored, flexible loans of between £25,000 and £500,000 for up to three years to charities, social enterprises and community businesses that want to acquire, reuse or redevelop historic or architecturally important buildings in the UK.
It aims to help deliver projects that support the sustainability of historic buildings as well as support organisations with a clear social mission seeking to deliver demonstrable local economic and community impact.
Projects can focus on buildings that are listed, in a Conservation Area, or of special significance to the local community and are expected to have the following outcomes:
- Be financially viable and help support the objectives of the organisation.
- Provide impact to or benefits for the community in which the building is based.
Loans can be used for a wide variety of activities including working capital during the construction phase of a project, capital to grow the scope of a business or to finance the acquisition of a property. Incentivised terms are available to provide greater assistance to those organisations and projects that will deliver enhanced local economic and community impact.
Applications can be made at any time.