Places of Worship Renewal Fund

Your project must match one or more of Historic England’s priorities, which are 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 

The Places of Worship Renewal Fund’s objectives are to:

1. Repair and safeguard historic places of worship in places most in need by undertaking the repairs that keep them in use
2. Help places of worship stay active as community spaces
3. Strengthen long-term resilience of the building and reduce future repair costs
4. Target support in the most deprived areas of England where need is highest

• Your project must be based in England
• Your project must involve a building listed at Grade I, Grade II* or Grade II

The National Heritage List for England is the official record of all listed buildings, scheduled monuments and registered parks and gardens. To check whether your building or site is listed, visit Search the List.

• Your project must involve an active place of worship. See our FAQ section for the definition of an active place of worship.
• Priority will be given to projects in areas of England with the highest level of deprivation and need for investment. Prioritisation will focus on:
  • Firstly, projects that fall within (or serve) areas of Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 1-3 AND fall within areas identified through the Community Needs Index (CNI)
  • Next, projects that fall within (or serve) areas of IMD 1-3  
  • For projects that do not fall within (or serve) the above defined areas of deprivation, we will then ​prioritise​​ ​those projects which have the greatest ​​financial need and urgency of repair​​ ​​and provide the greatest community benefit. 

See our FAQ section below to find out if your project is in an area prioritised for investment.

• Your project must involve the type of repair, conservation, and conversion activities we will consider, which are: 
  • Capital works, including repair and preservation work for listed places of worship. Costs covered may include professional fees, non-recoverable VAT, and insurance. 
  • Minor repairs: these can be applied for in isolation for stream 1 (small grants of up to £50,000). For stream 2 and 3, minor repairs can only be considered if they: 
    • Are part of a larger PWRF repair project that supports long-term resilience and usability of the building 
    • Are cost-effective when done alongside the larger repair project 
    • Occur in the same location/building 
  • Improvements and alterations: these will be considered if they are an essential part of a larger PWRF capital repair grant application. The project must increase the future resilience and useability of the building, and use a whole building approach as outlined in the Historic England published technical advice. 
  • Project development: capital repair grant projects that require preparatory work to ensure the capital works are appropriate, may include the cost of that development work in the capital repair grant application. Eligible project development costs may include research, investigations, testing, and monitoring (such as energy audits), as well as condition surveys, management plans, reuse studies, feasibility assessments, material procurement, case studies, and accessibility audits. Standalone project development applications without a capital repair work application cannot be funded. 
  • Adaptive reuse: modifications only if they are an essential part of a capital repair grant application that will help eligible buildings to remain or become functional, including adaptations for reuse and/or accessibility.
  • Heritage interpretation: physical labels and panels providing heritage information as part of wider capital works projects. 

Any listed place of worship in England, of any faith or denomination, that is: 

• an active place of worship used for worship for a minimum of 6 times per year, and
• a dedicated place of worship (in other words, not fully converted to another use), and
• able to demonstrate that the works are necessary, deliverable and aligned with the fund’s requirements (this information will be gathered at the full application stage, for which guidance will be provided to applicants we invite to apply following EOI). 

An active place of worship is one that is used for worship a minimum of 6 times per year or is owned by a charity that specifically cares for historic places of worship (such as the Churches Conservation Trust, Historic Churches Trust and Friends of Friendless Churches) that is open to the public a minimum of 6 times per year.   

Some faiths only allow their places of worship to be used for worship and not for other public events, and these will not be treated any differently, in terms of eligibility or priority, than places of worship that hold both worship services and public events.  

Active places of worship also include listed buildings (now operating as places of worship) that were not originally built as a place of worship (for example, a listed cinema now used as a place of worship). 

No. ​​If the building is used for services or open to the public less than 6 times per year, other funding programmes may be more appropriate, such as those offered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund or the Architectural Heritage Fund. Your project may also be better suited to making an application for one of Historic England’s grants for places.

The fund can support essential capital works that keep buildings safe, open and in public use, including:  

• Urgent fabric repairs (roofs, masonry, timber, drainage)  
• Essential improvements, such as electrical upgrades, heating, toilets, step‑free access (only as part of a larger PWRF-funded capital repair project)  
• Professional fees and surveys related to eligible capital works  
• Limited additional works that support future long-term sustainability such as loft hatches, improved rainwater goods, (only as part of a larger PWRF-funded repair project)   
• Proportionate interventions that support sustainable community use  

The following activities will not be funded:

• Projects under £10,000 
• Project Development work which is not part of a larger capital repair grant application 
• Adaptations / Improvements that are not part of a larger capital repair grant application 
• Routine maintenance (such as gutter clearance)  
• Day to day revenue costs (for example, gas and electricity bills)
• Staff costs, unless these are essential project roles that would otherwise need to be filled by bringing in external professionals or contractors
• Community programmes  
• Conservation of fixtures/fittings within the building, unless an essential part of a wider PWRF capital repair grant application (for example organs & bells)
• Works to buildings that are not listed places of worship  

We do not usually provide grants for works that have already started, however there are some exceptions for the fund for this year. For more information, see will the fund support projects already underway?

We will prioritise applications as described in the Criteria section of the fund requirements above.

As part of this we will also consider:

• The urgency of repair and risk of loss
• Community benefit it brings
• The project’s deliverability and value for money
• Projects from places of worship with the least available budget and capacity to raise funds

Demand for grants is expected to be high. Submitting an Expression of Interest does not guarantee an invitation to apply, and submitting a full application does not guarantee funding. Applications will be prioritised as described and assessed against how well they meet the requirements of the fund – its priorities, objectives and criteria.  

Priority will be given to projects in areas of England with the greatest need for investment, or those that bring most community benefit. Projects that meet the requirements of the fund will be prioritised in the following order: 

• Projects that fall within (or serve) areas of Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 1 to 3 AND fall within areas identified through the Community Needs Index (CNI) 
• Projects that fall within (or serve) areas of IMD 1-3  
• For projects that do not fall within (or serve) the above defined areas of deprivation, we will target those projects which have the greatest need and/or provide the greatest community benefit. 

Search the IMD areas to find out which area your place of worship is located in and the areas that it serves. 

The CNI (OCSI English Community Needs Index) data set can be obtained by submitting a request to OCSI. The index looks at 3 main elements, which are:  

• Civic assets: measures the presence of key community, civic, educational, and cultural assets (such as pubs, libraries, green spaces, and community centres) in close proximity to an area. 
• Connectedness: assesses connectivity to essential services, digital infrastructure, isolation, and the strength of the local job market. 
• Active and engaged community: examines levels of third-sector civic and community activity and barriers to participation and engagement. 

Not for this fund. Places of worship must be listed at Grade I, Grade II* or Grade II to be eligible. Unlisted places of worship, including those in Conservation Areas or that are locally listed, may wish to explore  other funding programmes from funders such as National Lottery Heritage Fund or Architectural Heritage Fund.

The new fund will not specifically rebate VAT. However, VAT on eligible works and costs will be eligible where it is not reclaimable.  

In Year 1 only, a limited amount of funding will be available to projects that have lost anticipated match funding. This will be provided under stream 1 (grants from £10,000 to £50,000) for projects that began on or after 1 October 2025, and have already completed or are due to complete by 30 September 2026, provided that they: 

•  Meet all other PWRF eligibility criteria 
• Have not received funding through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPOWGS) for the same works/costs 

  To apply for funding in year 1, for works already in progress and/or completed, please email PWRF@HistoricEngland.org.uk and you will be sent a separate application form to complete and return. The deadline for these applications is 31st December 2026, and applications can be submitted at any time prior to the deadline. Applicants are not restricted to submitting within the EOI windows of the main fund. 

The minimum grant that can be awarded is £10,000.  Applications for less than £10,000 will not be eligible. 

Priority will be given to projects that did not receive any funding from the LPOWGS. Projects that received some LPOWGS funding but missed out on further funding due to the early closure of the scheme will be considered provided that the PWRF application is for different works, to those claimed from the LPOWGS.   

As the LPOWGS was known to be ending on 31st March 2026, projects that began after this date would not have been able to anticipate receiving funding from LPOWGS when the project started. The transitional PWRF grants are only available to projects that have lost anticipated match funding. This can be from any source (not just the LPOWGS).

Yes. In most cases, applicants are expected to apply before works start. The fund is intended to support projects that still require funding to proceed. 

The fund is a forward-looking capital grant programme and is not intended to reimburse completed works. In Year 1 only, a limited exceptional provision allows certain projects already in delivery to apply. Outside of this defined exception, retrospective funding is not available.

Grants cannot be awarded for improvement and alteration works alone, those must be a small part of an application for repairs. Improvements and alterations must increase the future resilience and useability of the building. Examples of this could include improved rainwater goods to prevent known water ingress issues, loft hatches to provide access to enable regular maintenance, new or improved heating to combat damp issues, or the strengthening of roof structures to allow the fitting of solar panels.  

Yes, applications can be made for a discrete package of eligible works, even if there are other works being ​undertaken​​ as part of a larger programme/repair project which would be funded separately to the PWRF. For example, your overall project may involve repairs to the whole of the roof, but you could apply to the PWRF for repairs to a specific part of the roof. 

There will be an EOI stage, designed to help triage applications without burdening smaller congregations. Successful EOIs will be invited to submit full applications.  

Two EOI rounds per year are expected in years 1-3, with a single round in year 4.  

Yes. Historic England provides detailed guidance at both the EOI and full application stage. Our EOI guidance How To Complete an Expression of Interest takes you step by step through all the questions, to help you prepare. 

However, if you need more support or have a question you can contact your local office. 

Assessment of EOI’s will take place after the EOI submission window closes. We expect to be able to inform you of the outcome of your EOI, within approximately 6 weeks from the last date for submissions. Successful applicants will be invited to submit a full application. 

If invited to submit a full application, we expect to be able to inform you of the outcome of your application within approximately 5 weeks from the last date for submissions.

Because decisions cannot be made until:  

• applications are submitted  
• assessments are completed  

We cannot discuss potential outcomes or likely success before those stages.  

Historic England is developing a network of project officers to support smaller congregations and those unfamiliar with capital grants. 

Successful applicants will receive:  

• a grant agreement  
• guidance on project delivery  
• support with publicity (optional)  
• access to pre‑agreed photography where feasible  

Projects will need to adhere to Historic England’s conditions and reporting requirements.  

Yes, consistent acknowledgement of Historic England and UK government funding is expected. A communications and acknowledgement toolkit will be provided, including logos and agreed wording, to support grant recipients.  

The fund runs until 31 March 2030.  Projects must have completed by this date. 

No. This is a capital grant programme. LPOWGS was a VAT rebate‑ scheme. The PWRF has new and different criteria, details of which are explained in this video.

You are normally expected to contribute towards project costs (around 20%). In cases of clear need, including smaller congregations or those in deprived areas, higher levels of grant (up to 100%) may be considered on a case-by-case basis. You should explain your financial position and fundraising constraints as part of your submission.  

Permissions and approvals do not need to already be in place, but if permission is not in place, you will need to provide confirmation from your relevant ecclesiastical body that they are supportive of the project and (where applicable) that they are likely to approve any consents or permissions required (if not already approved) to undertake the project and associated works.  

Yes, but each place of worship must be applied for separately, and must meet the eligibility criteria independently, and demonstrate its own repair need, community benefit and deliverability.

Funding decisions are competitive and prioritised according to the published requirements. Organisations can apply for more than one place of worship at a time, but you would need to clearly demonstrate how you would be able to manage multiple projects at the same time. 

Yes, but PWRF will only be able fund one project at a time for the same building, so you would need to complete one before applying for another.  You may therefore wish to consider applying for a larger grant to cover more of any required works.

No. The fund is open to listed places of worship of all faiths and denominations in England. Applications will be assessed against the requirements of the fund, not faith or denomination 

No. All grades of listed places of worship are eligible and there is no priority for higher grades of listed building.  

Successful applicants will be given a defined delivery period, which will be set out in the grant offer. You should ensure your project timetable is realistic and deliverable within the funding period.

Yes. You may submit a new Expression of Interest in later rounds if circumstances change or the project develops further. Feedback will be provided where possible.  

Historic England cannot complete applications on behalf of applicants. However, we will provide guidance, templates and access to project support officers who can help you understand the requirements and prepare appropriate information.    

If you are invited to submit a full application you will be provided with more detailed guidance on eligible works and costs, including information about professional fees. Normally, all professional fees relating to the works and any associated project development will be eligible. 

This is small-scale repairs that need to be undertaken in order to keep your building in good condition and prevent minor issues from becoming major.  Examples may include replacing some roof tiles, fixing or replacing sections of guttering, areas of repointing, or localised masonry repairs.
 
It does not include routine maintenance that we would expect you to carry out on a regular basis, for example, internal and external decoration and keeping gutters, downpipes and drains free from blockages. 

In many cases tenders will not be sought until after a grant has been awarded. This means grant recipients can agree a procurement strategy with Historic England before the tender process starts to ensure that the process aligns with our procurement requirements. Where tendering has or will take place before a decision on a grant application, you should ensure that your procurement is undertaken in line with Historic England's procurement requirements. Where procurement has not been undertaken in line with the requirements it might need to be re-tendered, or certain costs may not be eligible as part of the grant. 

This will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but if a professional adviser or contractor is currently working for you and has been previously procured in line with our procurement requirements, it may be possible for them to be retained for the PWRF project. 

Other Historic England grants (including the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund) cannot be used as match funding for PWRF. Grants offered under the Architectural Heritage Fund’s Heritage Revival Fund also cannot be used as match funding for the same works, but the Heritage Revival Fund fund can fund other parts of the same overall project, where the two funds are for distinct elements of work.

All other sources of funding can be used as match funding for PWRF grants. Please note that PWRF is designed to support projects that would otherwise not be able to take place without the grant and can complete within the lifetime of the fund. Although PWRF can support elements of larger projects that have other funding, the PWRF funding must support a discrete element that is not contingent on the timescales and requirements of other funding.

For information on other funding providers for places of worship in England, download our Places of Worship Funding Index guide.