NATIONAL LOTTERY FUNDING

Lottery money is not only distributed to the arts via the Arts Council England (Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants), but through several other major distributors: the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the Big Lottery Fund and NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts). The HLF helps arts groups to promote creativity in disadvantaged areas. NESTA helps talented individuals, or groups of individuals involved in the arts to reach their creative potential.

It’s worth looking at these distributor’s joint websites so you can establish which form of funding best suits your needs to ensure you target the right fund. You will also be able to keep updated on the development of the Big Lottery Fund programmes here.

 

National Lottery Funding

What is Available?

HLF Funds includes:

  • Our Heritage – awards between £10,000 and £100,000 for projects which preserve heritage or increase people’s understanding of it.
  • Heritage Grants – awards a grant of over £100,000 for projects which help local groups to preserve local traditions and culture.
  • Young Roots – awards between £10,000 and £50,000 for projects which help young people (aged between 11 and 25) to understand and take part in their heritage.

NESTA’s Fund includes:

  • Fellowship – awards range from £3,000 to £75,000 and can last up to three years. They are designed to give talented people time, space, resources and support to develop their ideas.
  • Education – to support inventive ideas in teaching and learning, to foster creativity and understanding of the arts.
  • Invention and Innovation – to help talented people to turn great ideas into commercial products or cultural services.

Big Lottery Fund includes: 

  • Awards for All England. A quick and easy way to get small Lottery grants of between £300 and £10,000.
  • Awards for the UK Portfolio. The UK Portfolio supports UK wide ideas and projects. It tests and grows bold ideas that put people in the lead to address long-term social issues and to improve the quality of life across the UK and internationally.
  • People and Communities. Supporting positive change in the community £30,000-50,ooo.

 

Keep checking www.biglotteryfund.org.uk for updates.

How to Apply & Contact Details

Each National Lottery funding programme has a specific application form and process – you can find out more by visiting each programme’s website or discussing your requirements on the phone.

Contact Details:

Heritage Lottery Fund

7 Holbein Place
London
SW1W 8NR
Tel: 020 7591 6042
Fax: 020 7591 6271
Minicom: 020 7591 6255
Email: enquire@hlf.org.uk

 

Big Lottery Fund

1 Plough Place
London
EC4A 1DE
Tel: 0845 410 20 30
Fax: 020 7211 1750
Textphone: 0845 039 0204
Email: general.enquiries@biglotteryfund.org.uk

 

NESTA

Fishmongers’ Chambers
110 Upper Thames Street
London
EC4R 3TW
Tel: 020 7645 9538
Email: information@nesta.org.uk