Northern Ireland Communities Minister Lyons launches Historic Environment Fund

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has launched the Northern Ireland Historic Environment Fund (HEF)

The grant programme, delivered by the Department for Communities, supports the repair, research and regeneration of Northern Ireland's heritage assets including listed buildings, scheduled monuments and community heritage projects.

The Fund encourages action by third parties to realise the Department's aim of empowering communities to enjoy and realise the wider value of our historic environment. Those that can apply to the Fund include owners of listed buildings and monuments, community and heritage organisations and district councils.

Minister Lyons said: “I am pleased to announce this year's funding availability for Northern Ireland's Historic Environment, in particular, financial assistance for regeneration, research and revival activities.

“I have allocated a total of £810,000 with £500,000 already earmarked for capital repairs to 86 listed buildings. My Department is now inviting applications for regeneration, research and revival projects.

“This funding will provide vital support to work which realises the Department's aim of helping communities to enjoy and appreciate the wider value of our historic environment.''

Applications for capital repair projects were invited in autumn 2024 and that £500,000 funding has been allocated. The Department is now inviting applications under the Regeneration, Research and Revival Streams as follows:

• Monument Regeneration Fund – To support monument owners to carry out small works.
• Research and Revival General Stream – Support to communities to carry out activities to research or celebrate their heritage.
• Research and Revival Stream for Councils – Support to Councils to develop initiatives to improve public understanding of heritage in their area.
• Listed Building Development Support – Support for listed building owners of heritage at risk with eligible benefits to develop proposals for their building.
• Scheduled Monument Development Support – Support for communities to develop preliminary works to monuments to prepare for future repair work.

For more information and details of how to apply, visit: https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/topics/historic-environment-funding-grants

All applications must be submitted by 5.00pm on Friday 5 September 2025, with offers expected to issue in early October 2025.

Notes to editors:

1. The support available this year represents a doubling of the c.£400,000 support available in 2023/24. In 2022/23 repair fund applications were brought forward by six months so that once budgets were confirmed owners had maximum time within the financial year to carry out research work. This proved successful and was repeated in November 2024 for this year.

2. Research, Regeneration and Revival Projects supported in 2023/24 included:

• An investigation into the boom stone to which the boom of 1689 is reputed to have been fixed at the time of the Siege of Derry.
• A weekend of heritage skills events at Lissan House, Co Tyrone.
• Research on Working Stone in the Bronze Age at Corrstown, Co Antrim with a related workshop and presentation for the Portrush Heritage Group.
• Aerial surveys of two historic islands in Lough Erne to establish the presence and nature of detectable extant archaeological features.
• Support to the Killyleagh & District Family History Society to publish a book on the history of Balloo and Ballyministragh.
• Support to ABCDC to develop a conservation and management plan for Armagh Gaol.
• Support to the HEF Killeeshil & Clonaneese Historical Society to conserve and promote the Castletown Eel Weir.
• Support to the Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust to produce an Interpretative Design Framework Report on Defence Heritage Features of Binevenagh and the Coastal Lowlands.
• Strategic partnership projects were also supported including Ulster Architectural Heritage Society to tackle Heritage at Risk; Architectural Heritage Fund to empower communities to develop proposals for heritage at risk; and the National Churches Trust to support congregations to appreciate and develop the heritage potential of churches.

3. The £500,000 of support provided for repair works in Northern Ireland this year is being used to support the owners of 86 listed buildings to develop, and if compliant with the requirements of the programme, carry out repairs.