Guidance for Grants Projects

Heritage Protection Commissions and Capacity Building Programme

This guide will help you apply for grant funding from Historic England through the Heritage Protection Commissions and Capacity Building Programme. It is written for those considering an application for funding. It will provide you with information on how to apply, the approval process and the management of your project to its conclusion.

This updates our Guidance for Grants Projects published in 2023.

It is one of two guidance documents to assist in the preparation of an application for grant funding or a tender for projects where Historic England has issued a project brief. The other document is: Guidance for Tendered Projects.

Contents

Introduction
1. Preparing your application
2. Preparing your project design
3. Agreeing and carrying out your project
4. Completing your project
5. Editorial work
6. Publication Grants
7. Storage Grants
8. Digital Archiving
9. Online access to OASIS
10. National Planning Policy Framework assistance cases
11. Data Management Plans and Statements
12. Research Ethics
13. Climate Change
14. Modern Slavery
15. Equality and diversity
16. Complaints procedure
Appendix 1 - Application documentation
Appendix 2 - Progress documentation
Appendix 3 - Disseminating and publishing your work
Appendix 4 - Business case and Public Value Framework
Appendix 5 - Accessibility

Changes to guidance

  • Section 2 (Preparing your Project Design):
    • Section 2.10 capital equipment section updated to state up to £2,000 can be applied for, that invoices for purchases over £250 need to be sent to HE, and that justification for these costs is needed
    • Section 2.11 information on in-kind contributions added
    • Section 2.12 information on volunteer contributions added
    • Section 2.13 link to costs template added and sentence on inflation updated.
  • Section 6.3 (What we expect from your publication): Text amended to clarify that funding logos apply to journal articles as well as monographs.
  • Section 7.2 (Storage Grants): Text deleted and alternative text added to say that Storage Grants funding is under review.
  • Section 13 (Climate Change): Addition of one sentence and slight amendments to the text.
  • Section 16 (Complaints Procedure): Name of Senior Officer Responsible updated.
  • Appendix 1 (Suggested format for project designs):
    • Budget section updated with the need to complete Commissions and capacity Building costs spreadsheet and preferred format for costs section deleted
    • Research Ethics section was updated with a sentence about completing proforma
    • Product, communication, engagement and archiving section includes added details about the Research Report Series and accessibility.
  • Appendix 3: Sentence about sustainable publishing added with a link to further information.
  • Appendix 5: Additional link to information on creating accessible digital documents added.
  • Front cover photo changed.
  • Summary page
    • edition date changed, and photo credit changed.
  • Section 2.4
    • page 4 - details added on what is not included in direct costs but included in overheads instead.
  • Section 2.7
    • page 5 - details of what is an overhead included.
  • Section 2.11
    • page 6 - Inflation figures 24/25 update, 2025/6 and 2026/27 added. Link to figures updated.
    • Photo and photo description changed.
  • Section 3.3
    • page 8 - quality of draft reports/products added.
  • Section 4.1
    • page 11 - replaced with revised text
  • Appendix 5
    • Extra info on accessibility added to the end of the section.
  • Page 46 - version number and date changed.
  • Throughout the document contact details changed to a general email address
  • Introduction section
    • six corporate priorities from Corporate Plan 2023-26 added
  • Section 2.11 Inflation and VAT
    • Information on VAT updated and made clearer link to HMRC guidance on VAT and grants added.
    • Inflation rate for 23/24 removed.
  • Section 3.6 Publicity
    • changed to reflect that the ‘Funded by UK Government logo is available on our website.
  • Section 5 Editorial Work
    • section added on referees.
  • Section 6.2 Publication grants: How to apply
    • added the need to complete a P2a form.
  • Section 6.3 Publication grants: What we expect from your publication
    • number of copies of the report needed changed from five to four.
    • Encouragement of having digital open access versions of publications.
    • Changes to percentage of funding for open access and non-open access publications.
  • Section 7.1 Storage grants
    • what funding is available - ownership of archive clarified.
  • Section 7.2 Storage grants: How and when to apply
    • funding application for additional eligible costs.
    • amended how to claim the funding.
  • Section 12 added on Research Ethics.
  • Appendix 1
    • Project Proposal and Project Design control grid - UK Educational Institution ID added
    • Research Ethics section and policy details section added into suggested format of PD template.
  • Appendix 2
    • Research Ethics questions added to closure report template.
  • Appendix 3
    • Electronic publication changed to digital publication.

Additional Information

  • Series: Guidance
  • Publication Status: Completed
  • Pages: 51
  • Product Code: HEAG065

Accessibility

If you require an alternative, accessible version of this document (for instance in audio, Braille or large print) please contact us:

Customer Service Department

Telephone: 0370 333 0607
Email: [email protected]