Local Heritage Grant Scheme

New round for applications

Applications for the first round of grant funding are now open and will close on 30 April.

Get in touch to have a chat about your project via our email heritage.grants@torbay.gov.uk.

We want to improve the quality of life in Torbay through the development of culture and heritage. Thanks to investment from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we can make a step forward with this programme of work. This will support increased public participation in local heritage.

We want to:

support local people and
improve access and engagement with Torbay’s heritage.

This new investment funds a Torbay Local Heritage Grant Scheme. It will also enable advice and support for local grant recipients and evaluation.

New grant scheme: writers, artists and musicians

The Bay has a rich literary, artistic and musical heritage. We want to encourage you to find and celebrate what makes Torbay special to you. The Local Heritage Grant Scheme is possible thanks to £250,000 secured from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The theme of this round's grants is ‘Writers, Artists and Musicians on the English Riviera’. It aims to:

celebrate Torbay’s rich literary, artistic and musical heritage
engage with local people about what makes Torbay special to them.

The grant scheme invites local groups to think creatively about:

how to engage with local people and
celebrate Torbay’s connections with iconic writers, artists and musicians.

This can through conservation, commemoration, trails, plaques, and other creative responses.

Examples of potential projects include:

heritage walking trails
digital enhancement at existing heritage sites
commemorative installations
events.

The Torbay local heritage grant scheme will run between 2026 and 2027. Funding will be awarded in three rounds.

Round 1: 1 February to 30 April 2026
Round 2: 1 June to 30 September 2026
Round 3: 1 February to 30 April 2027

All projects must be delivered by January 2028.

Grant amounts

A range of grant amounts are available:

from £500 up to a maximum of £5,000 for activity. This could be used for events, temporary displays or lecture series.
up to £7,500 for capital. This could be used for purchasing permanent equipment or physical improvements to places.

This makes the grant ideal for projects of any scale. People with all levels of experience can apply for it.

Please note that the projects for round 3 should aim for a 6 month timeline.

How to apply

To apply, please email heritage.grants@torbay.gov.uk to request the guidance pack and application form. All applications will be checked for eligibility and passed to a decision panel for reviewing and scoring. A Grants Adviser will soon be appointed and available to support groups preparing their applications.

Working in partnership

About The National Lottery Heritage Fund

The National Lottery Heritage Fund's vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage, they are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in their strategic plan, Heritage 2033.

Find out more about The National Lottery and their heritage delivery plan.