Architectural Heritage Fund

The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF), a UK-registered charity founded in 1976, champions the conservation and sustainable reuse of historic buildings to deliver public benefit, particularly empowering communities in economically disadvantaged areas to revitalise heritage assets that foster local pride, social cohesion, and economic regeneration. As the leading social investor in historic buildings, AHF's values—community empowerment, sustainability, partnership, and innovative reuse—drive its role as a catalyst for heritage-led regeneration, blending expert advice, grants, and repayable loans to support not-for-profit organisations from viability assessment through project delivery.

AHF funds projects rescuing listed buildings, those in conservation areas, or structures of local/architectural significance, prioritising adaptive reuse into community venues, social enterprises, creative hubs, or enterprise spaces that address vacancy, neglect, and disconnection while sparking wider revitalisation in town centres or deprived areas. Supported activities span feasibility studies, planning, acquisition, capital repairs, fit-outs, and capacity building, with beneficiaries mainly local charities, community businesses, and social enterprises creating social impact and sustainable business models.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities or social enterprises (no income thresholds, favouring small/medium with community backing) operating UK-wide (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), focusing on historic buildings in socioeconomic need areas. Typical grants range £10,000–£350,000: Viability up to £15,000; Development £30,000–£100,000; Capital up to £350,000. Unsolicited applications start with rolling Expressions of Interest (until 31 March 2026), followed by invited full applications; quarterly panels decide within 2–3 months.

AHF excludes for-profit entities, non-heritage projects, core/unrestricted funding, and buildings without recognised significance; it stands out for its staged social investment model, national programmes with local focus, and proven track record in community-led transformations like Penzance’s Jubilee Pool or Belfast’s Riddel’s Warehouse.