How To Complete an Expression of Interest for a Historic England Grant

Completing your expression of interest

You can submit an EOI using an online form on our website.

To use the form, you need to have a Historic England user account.

Creating a user account is a quick and straightforward process that enables you to manage and submit grant EOIs and full applications online.

When you are ready to start your EOI, click below to open a new account or log in to an existing one.

Create an account or log in

The EOI form includes a series of questions organised into steps. You can ‘save and continue’ as you go and ‘save and exit’, if you want to leave the form and return to complete the EOI later.

To help collaborate with others and stay within the question character limits, you may choose to copy and paste our questions into a separate document (such as Microsoft Word) to allow you to draft your responses, before copying them into the web form.

When you have completed the form, you will be prompted to click the ‘Submit’ button to send it to us for assessment.

Once you have submitted your EOI, you will not be able to go back into the form to edit it, so please make sure everything is complete and accurate before submitting.

Some questions in the form are mandatory. If you leave any of these blank, you will not be able to submit your EOI.

If you would like to keep a copy of your EOI, click ‘Print’, or select 'Save as PDF'.

How to use our step-by-step guidance

Each section of the following guidance matches the steps in the EOI web form.

At each step we include:

• About this step: a summary of the step’s purpose and the information we need
• Questions: the EOI web form questions are repeated here so you can anticipate what we'll ask for, to help you prepare
• Tips: these further explain some of the questions we ask and link to more useful information on our website

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Step 1. Data protection

We will use the personal data you provide to assess whether your project meets our grant criteria. If your project is not eligible, we will inform you of this, and where appropriate, provide feedback or signpost you to other support. If you provide personal data about others, we understand you are authorised to do so and have shared our Privacy Policy with them. We treat all personal data with care and in line with data protection law.

See our Privacy Policy for details

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Step 2. Before you start

About this step

To submit an EOI and be considered for a Historic England grant, your project must meet our eligibility criteria. If your project does not meet these criteria, you are not eligible to apply.

To decide who our grants are awarded to, we assess all EOI and full grant applications against set criteria.

We need to make sure our grants bring the most public value possible in line with our priorities and current areas of focus.

With limited funding available, the assessment process is competitive, and we cannot fund all the applications that we receive.

Eligibility criteria

Historic England’s eligibility criteria are:

• Your project must be based in England (not Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland). We cannot give grants outside of England. 
• You must meet one, or more, of Historic England's grant priorities to:
  • Help more people to connect with, enjoy and benefit from the historic environment 
  • Use heritage to improve civic pride, prosperity and wellbeing 
  • Achieve a positive change and sustainable future for historic places including buildings, landscapes, archaeological sites and marine assets 
  • Ensure heritage plays an important role in the fight to limit and manage the effects of climate change

Read more about Historic England’s grant priorities

Additional criteria

We recommend you also read the additional criteria we assess against for your type of activity.

We do not ask for lots of information about your project at EOI stage, however we will take the additional criteria into consideration when looking at the information you do provide with your submission. If you are invited to apply, we will ask more specific questions to help you provide the detail we need.

We have additional criteria for the different categories of activity we fund. These are:

• Places: activities that repair, conserve and care for historic assets, including buildings, structures, monuments, landscapes and areas
  See criteria for places activities
• People: activities that help people understand and champion the historic environment, including skills and training, education, community engagement and outreach, and in some cases time-limited posts
  See criteria for people activities
• Research: activities that improve knowledge, understanding and management of the historic environment, including surveys, toolkits, guidance and publications
  See criteria for research activities

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Step 3. Information we need

About this step

To help you prepare, this step lists the types of information we will ask you to provide in your EOI. It also lists some of the additional files (such as documents or images), you may be asked to submit, or may wish to include, to support your application.

The information we ask you to briefly tell us about includes:

• The project’s aims, and methodology
• Why it is needed
• Its benefits (including how you will measure and deliver them)
• Roughly how much your project will cost, and if you have to pay VAT
• Roughly when your project will start and finish
• Why you think that Historic England should support this project

We provide further guidance on each of these pieces of information throughout this guide, as you move through the relevant steps. 

Additional information

You can also provide 3 additional files to supplement the information you provide in the EOI form.

These could include:

• A map or site plan
• A survey or condition report
• A job or role description
• A training or engagement plan
• A publication outline
• Photographs of the site or asset

Further advice on what types of information it would be useful to provide is given as you move through the relevant steps of this guidance.

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Step 4. Confirm eligibility

About this step

This step asks you to confirm that you meet the eligibility criteria for applying for a grant and that you have read the key conditions to meet, if we offered you a grant.

You will be asked to tick a box to confirm the following:

• My project meets the eligibility criteria for the Historic England Grant
• I have read the key conditions of grant as detailed on the Historic England website
• This project meets at least one of Historic England's grant priorities
• I confirm that this proposed project (including marine archaeology) takes place in England (not Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland)

Grant conditions 

After submitting your EOI, if you are invited to apply and successfully awarded a grant, you will need to agree to our grant conditions. These will be outlined in a grant agreement between you and Historic England, which applicants will receive by email with their grant offer.

The conditions in your agreement will be specific to your project. However, so you know what to expect, we encourage you to check the key conditions that apply to most grants.

Read more about Grant Conditions

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Step 5. Pre-application discussions

About this step

If you’ve already spoken with someone at Historic England, it’s helpful for us to know. It gives us a clearer picture of your project’s background and helps us make sure you get consistent advice, especially if you’ve spoken to a specific team member.

If you have not yet made contact with anyone at Historic England, that’s fine. It will not affect your application.

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Step 6. About your proposed project

About this step

We need some key details about your project, such as its name, timeline, purpose and who it’s for. This helps us understand what your project is about, why it matters, and how it supports Historic England’s grant priorities.

We’d also like to know how your project will make a difference for heritage, and for people and communities.

The information you provide helps us decide whether your project is a good fit for our funding and whether it’s ready to move forward to a full application. It also helps us offer the right advice and support at the next stage.

Tips

Project name

Choose a short, clear title that reflects the focus or location of your project. This helps us refer to it easily. For example:

• Sandy Beach Village Hall Roof Project, Brightsea, Devon
• Archaeological Excavations at Green Valley, Herefordshire
• Heritage Support Officer Post, Northby Heritage Trust, Northumberland

Project start and end dates

Give your best estimate of when the project will begin and end. This helps us understand your timeline and whether it fits with our funding process.

Grant priorities

Select the Historic England grant priorities your project supports. You can choose more than one.

Project description

Briefly explain what your project will do. Focus on the main activities and what you hope to achieve, such as repairs, research, community engagement or training.

Text limit: 500 words

Why is the project needed?

Tell us about the problem your project is addressing. For example, if it involves works to a heritage site, is the site at risk? Is there a lack of access or understanding? If you’re undertaking research, why is this significant and how will it be useful? For projects which involve supporting people (such as funding a job role) or engaging with people (for example community projects), what will these posts or activities provide? Be clear about why the project is needed now and what the proposed outputs are.

Text limit: 500 words

Who will benefit and how?

Let us know who your project is for and how they will benefit. Depending on the project activity this could include local residents, the wider community, volunteers, schools, or visitors. For research projects, think about the audience for the project outputs and how they might be able to use the information.

More about the social impact of heritage

If your project supports underrepresented groups, please tell us. To find more information visit Inclusive Heritage Advice Hub

Text limit: 500 words

Why is Historic England support needed?

Explain why our funding is important to your project. In addition to financial need, consider how our involvement and support might benefit your project and help you to achieve more.

Text limit: 500 words

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Step 7. Applicant type

About this step

We need to know more about you, if you are applying as an individual, or the organisation you're applying on behalf of. This helps us understand who would be responsible for delivering the project and managing the grant if you are invited to apply and offered funding.

• You will be asked to provide contact details including your name, organisation name (where relevant), phone number and email address. 
• If you are a charity, we will ask for your UK registered charity number. 
• If you are an educational institution, we will ask for your UK Provider Reference Number (UKPRN). 
• If you are a company, we will ask for your UK Company Number. 

Tips

If you are applying as an individual

Please select the option that best describes your situation:

• Private owner: you personally own the property (this is only applicable for repair activities)
• Sole trader: you run a business on your own and are legally responsible for it
• Non-registered business: you operate a business that is not formally registered
• Other: for example, a trustee applying on behalf of a family trust, or someone with a legal interest in a property but not the owner such as leaseholders

If you are applying on behalf of an organisation

The organisation must have the legal authority to carry out the project and to accept the terms and conditions of a grant.

All grant recipients funded by Historic England must be IR35 compliant. This means that you should be able to demonstrate that the correct tax is paid, and that National Insurance Contributions are attributed correctly.

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Step 8. Project type

About this step

We need to understand the type of project you’re planning. This helps us understand the focus of your idea, whether it’s about repairing a historic place, engaging people with heritage or developing skills, or carrying out research.

By choosing the category and focus that best matches your project, you help us direct your EOI to the right team and assess how well it fits with our funding priorities. It also helps us plan the support and advice we can offer as you move through the application process.

Tips

Choose the category that best describes your project

When choosing between Places, People or Research, don’t worry if your project overlaps more than one area, just pick the option that fits best overall.

If you are unsure which category to choose:

• Choose Places if your project aims to repair, conserve and care for historic assets, including buildings, structures, monuments, landscapes and areas
• Choose People if your project aims to help people understand and champion the historic environment, including skills and training, education, community engagement and outreach, and in some cases time-limited posts
• Choose Research if your project aims to improve knowledge, understanding and management of the historic environment, including surveys, toolkits, guidance and publications
• If none of the listed options seem to fit exactly, you can choose “Other” and briefly explain your focus in the space provided

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Step 9. Project location

About this step

We need to know where your project will take place. This helps us understand whether your work is focused on a specific location or has a wider cross-county or national reach.

If your project is based in one place, such as a building, site or landscape, please provide details like the address, a short description of the location, or a map reference if you have one. This helps us identify the heritage site involved, understand its significance, and see how your project connects to local priorities.

If your project covers more than one area, or isn’t tied to a single location, such as a national research study, you can tell us that too. This helps us make sure your EOI reaches the right team and is assessed appropriately.

Tips

• Start by telling us whether your project is national in scope. For example, a research study that covers all of England or spans several counties. If so, you don’t need to provide a specific location
• If your project is based in a particular place, give us as much detail as you can. If there’s a postal address, include it. If not, describe the location clearly, for example:
  • 'the Cornish coast'
  • 'West Northamptonshire planning authority'
  • 'the outbuilding behind St Michael’s Church, Bispham, FY2 0AY'
• You can also include a What3Words location or a National Grid Reference. These are optional but helpful, especially if the site doesn’t have a formal address. You can find guidance on how to do this here:
  • How to find a National Grid Reference
  • How to find a What3Words location

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Step 10. Project costs

About this step

We will ask for an early estimate of your project’s costs and funding. This helps us understand the scale of your project, how much support you might need from Historic England, and whether you have other funding in place.

We also ask whether your organisation can reclaim VAT, as this affects how we calculate eligible costs. These details help us assess financial need and ensure that public funding is used fairly and effectively.

Tips

Estimated total cost

Provide your best estimate of the full cost of your project, including VAT. This should cover all expected expenditure.

You do not need to provide a detailed budget at this stage, just a clear overview of the expected costs and funding. This helps us understand the scale of your project and how our support could make a difference.

For example:

• Costs for a project involving the repair of a historic building would include repair work, professional fees, materials, and any other related costs
• Costs for a research project would include staff costs, sub-contractor costs, capital equipment, overheads
• Costs for a post would include salary costs, national insurance, capital equipment, overheads

Your financial contribution

Let us know how much funding you or your organisation are contributing, including any money from other sources such as grants, donations, or fundraising. We will normally expect you to try and contribute in some way, though we realise that this may not always be possible. If you are not contributing any funds, you can enter “0”.

VAT

If you're applying as an organisation, tell us whether you will be able to reclaim VAT on any of the costs incurred for your project (for example, sub-contractor costs or materials). If you cannot reclaim VAT, we’ll take this into account when assessing your funding needs. If you're unsure, check with your finance team or accountant.

Please note that we would not expect organisations to apply direct VAT to grant funding requests. Please see HMRC guidance for more information about VAT and grants.

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Step 11. Supporting documents

About this step

You can upload up to 3 files that help illustrate or support your project.

Choose documents that give us a clearer understanding of your project’s location, purpose, or potential impact.

Local authorities

If you are a local authority wishing to receive funding for a Partnership Scheme in Conservation Area, there are specific additional documents we need with your EOI submission.

If you have already spoken to your local office, please provide the files you were advised to upload.

If you have not, contact your local office. It is important we know about your intention to submit an EOI so we can advise you about the additional information you need to provide.

Tips

Upload guidance 

Use the multi-select option to upload all your files at once, rather than adding them one by one.

Accepted file types include PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PNG, and JPG.

Make sure your files are clearly named and easy to understand to help us review your EOI more efficiently.

Uploading documents is optional at this stage, but it can strengthen your EOI by giving us helpful context.

Please note that when submitting images/audio-visual recordings in relation to your project, you must have all the necessary permissions and consents to use them, including the right to licence Historic England to use the same in accordance with the conditions of grant. Where applicable, consents include obtaining written consents from parents/legal guardians for images which include minors and, where images include individuals over the age of 16, written consent from the individuals themselves.

File size

We recommend preparing your documents in advance and keeping individual files under 2 MB. 

If you cannot reduce a file size, let us know so we can arrange an alternative way for you to submit it: 

• For Places projects, please contact your local office
• For People and Places projects, please contact: GrantsBusinessImprovement@historicengland.org.uk

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Summary and submitting your expression of interest

When you’ve completed your EOI the form will display a summary of the information you have provided. 

At this point you can go back to any step to change or add more information by selecting ‘change’ next to each item. 

This final step is also where you will submit your EOI. 

When you’ve completed your EOI you will be prompted to click the ‘Submit’ button which will send it to us for assessment.

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After you have submitted your expression of interest

We'll confirm we have received it

You’ll get an automated email to let you know your EOI has been submitted. We’ll also include an email copy of what you’ve submitted for your records.

If you do not receive an automated email please check your junk folder. If you do not receive the email please contact GrantsBusinessImprovement@historicengland.org.uk 

We’ll assess your EOI against how well it meets our priorities and decide if we are going to invite you to apply 

Once we have assigned an officer to your EOI we will send you an email to confirm their name and that we will aim to let you know our decision within 6 weeks. Some larger or more complex projects may take a little longer.

If we decide we are not going to invite you to apply, we will let you know by email and explain why. Our decision is final and there is no right of appeal.

If we decide we are going to invite you to apply, we’ll send an email to let you know. This will include instructions on what to do next, a web link to the full grant application form that you will need to complete and the name of your Historic England assigned officer.

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