Application Now Open for The Heritage Open Days Grant Programme: Apply Now

Local heritage is more than a record of the past — it is a living asset that shapes community identity, draws visitors, and supports the local economy. For organisations across Harborough District, a new funding opportunity makes it easier to bring that heritage to life. The Heritage Open Days Grant Programme is now accepting applications, offering financial support to businesses and community groups that want to deliver heritage visitor events and activities celebrating local history and identity.

Here is everything you need to know about the programme, what it funds, who can apply, and how to make the most of it.

What Is the Heritage Open Days Grant Programme?

The Heritage Open Days Grant Programme is designed to support organisations and businesses in delivering heritage visitor events and activities that celebrate local history, heritage and identity across Harborough District.

At its core, the programme aims to enhance local heritage activities and open them up to wider public participation. It does this by supporting heritage visitor events, improving visitor services, strengthening local identity through marketing and promotion, increasing participation in heritage experiences, and generating tangible benefits for the local economy and community.

In short, it is funding built to help your community's stories reach a bigger audience — and to make those experiences richer for everyone who takes part.

Application Deadline: 1 September 2026

How Much Funding Is Available?

The programme offers a straightforward funding structure with room for flexibility where it is justified.

Standard grant awards are set at £500 per application. In exceptional circumstances, Harborough District Council may award grants of up to £2,000, but only where an applicant can demonstrate sufficient need and provide a strong justification.

There are two features worth highlighting that make this grant particularly accessible:

• No match funding is required — you do not need to contribute your own funds alongside the grant.
• Payment is made upon approval, so successful applicants receive their funding once their application is approved.

What the Grant Will (and Will Not) Fund

Understanding the scope of the funding is essential before you apply, as the programme has clear boundaries.

Revenue Projects Only

Funding is available exclusively for revenue projects associated with heritage events. This is a crucial distinction. The grant cannot be used for capital expenditure, which includes:

• The purchase of long-term assets
• Equipment intended for lasting use
• Property alterations
• Building improvements

In addition, the funding must support new projects or new items of expenditure. Costs that you have already incurred before submitting your application are not eligible, so it is important to apply before committing any spend.

Eligible Activities

The programme is generous in the range of activities it will support. Eligible costs include those associated with hosting a Heritage Open Day during the national campaign in September 2026.

Beyond the event itself, funding can cover a wide array of supporting activities:

Marketing and promotion:

• Advertising
• Website development
• Social media content
• Printed materials
• Visitor information

Event delivery and experience:

• Production of exhibition or display materials
• Professional photography
• Venue hire
• Guest speakers, guides, musicians, and creative practitioners
• Hire of event equipment such as chairs, tables, marquees, stages, lighting, sound, and music systems

What Gets Priority

Not all applications are weighted equally. Priority consideration goes to applications that:

• Demonstrate significant added value to heritage visitor experiences
• Support events that might otherwise not take place
• Introduce new heritage activities within the district

If your proposal can show it is filling a genuine gap or expanding what is on offer, you stand a stronger chance of success.

One practical note: applicants must ensure that all required permissions — including planning approvals, landlord consent, or building owner permissions — are in place before applying. Sorting this out early will save you delays later.

Who Can Apply?

The programme is open to a broad range of applicants, provided they operate or provide heritage visitor services within Harborough District.

Eligible Organisations

Eligible applicants include micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises employing between 1 and 249 staff, as well as community and voluntary organisations that do not employ any staff at all.

More specifically, the grant welcomes applications from:

• Sole traders
• Partnerships
• Limited companies
• Community interest companies (CICs)
• Social enterprises
• Local parish councils
• Registered charities

Eligibility Conditions

There are a few conditions every applicant should be aware of:

• Operating history: Applicants must normally have been operating for at least 12 months before applying. That said, new or start-up organisations are encouraged to discuss their eligibility with the council before submitting an application.
• Self-certification: Applicants must self-certify that they meet all eligibility requirements and declare any previous public grants they have received.
• Good standing: Organisations that are in liquidation, dissolved, struck off, or subject to a striking-off notice are not eligible for funding.

Why This Grant Matters

Heritage events do quiet but powerful work. They give communities a renewed sense of identity, encourage people to explore the places on their own doorstep, and bring footfall and spending into the local economy. For smaller organisations and voluntary groups, the cost of staging these events can be the single biggest barrier — and that is precisely the gap this programme is designed to close.

With no match funding required and a wide range of eligible activities, the Heritage Open Days Grant Programme lowers the threshold for getting an event off the ground. Whether you are planning an exhibition, a guided tour, a community celebration, or a marketing push to draw in new visitors, this funding can help turn the idea into reality.

Key Takeaways

Before you start your application, keep these essentials in mind:

• Deadline: 1 September 2026
• Standard award: £500 (up to £2,000 in exceptional, well-justified cases)
• No match funding needed
• Revenue projects only — no capital expenditure
• New spend only — costs already incurred are not eligible
• Permissions must be in place before applying
• Open to businesses, charities, social enterprises, parish councils, and community groups operating within Harborough District

If your organisation has a heritage story to share and the ambition to bring it to a wider audience, this is an opportunity worth pursuing. Take the time to plan your event, confirm your permissions, and put together a clear case for the value your project will add — and you will be well placed to secure the support you need.